Sikhs wary of UK backlash as they condemn ‘moment of madness’

The prosecution told the jury at Southampton crown court that while Digwa was wearing a small kirpan under his clothing around his neck, which met his religious obligation, he also chose to carry the much larger knife.

The Crown Prosecution Service described both blades as kirpans and said the judge, who described the weapon Digwa was carrying as a “large Sikh dagger”, accepted that assessment.

But the Sikh Federation said the blade used by Digwa was not a kirpan, while the Sikh Press Association said plans were under way to ensure every initiated Sikh in the UK was addressed directly regarding kirpan rules and responsibilities.

“The kirpan basically means ‘kirpa’, meaning grace, and ‘aan’, meaning defence,” Deol said. “It should never be used in anger. It should never be used to attack anyone. It’s supposed to be there to protect the needy, protect those that are being attacked.”

Sikhs were angered and saddened that Digwa’s actions had cast a shadow over the wider community. “This person has brought the Sikh community into disrepute and we’re really upset about that.

“I talk about the history, 150 to 200 years with the United Kingdom, and it’s only taken one case. Some of the stuff that’s coming out from politicians and some of the rightwing views are just really painful to read.”

There are already longstanding anxieties within the Sikh community across the country. According to the British Sikh Report 2025 released in January, 49% of surveyed Sikhs said they were worried about rising anti-Sikh sentiment, while 50% were concerned misinformation on social media could cause hostility towards Sikhs.

Both Deol and Singh warned a ban against the kirpan would unfairly penalise the wider community, and reiterated that the weapon used was not one.

“None of that takes away from the senseless loss and violence that Henry and his family have gone through,” Singh said.

Jayanti Shah, an anti-racism campaigner and community organiser in Southampton, said the wider political climate had heightened concerns that cases like this would lead to collective blame of minority communities.

“Just because one person who is bad is from a particular religion or particular belief doesn’t mean all of that religion and all of that belief should be condemned,” he said. “It is not the whole community. All communities are not homogeneous.”

He warned that minority communities have already changed their behaviour – becoming more cautious in public – following the 2024 summer race riots.

Singh said his grandfather was part of a wave of Sikhs to arrive in the UK during the 1920s and serve in the army. He was among several Sikh leaders to point to quotes by Winston Churchill praising the contribution of Sikhs to the war effort.

Singh said the Sikh community had a clear message to the rest of the country: “We stand with you in condemning the horrible, grotesque violence that that young lad had to endure. We stand completely in solidarity with the British public at large. But please understand that those actions do not reflect the Sikh faith in any way.

“And that’s not just words. Our history confirms that. Our rich and dignified history confirms that.”