By Asia Samachar | Britain |
LONDON — Britain’s Sikh community is warning of a resurgence in racist abuse and attacks, with community leaders likening the current climate to the hostility of the 1970s, the BBC reported.
Mandip Singh, trustee of the Khalsa Jatha Gurdwara at Shepherd’s Bush in west London — the oldest Sikh temple in the UK and western Europe — said many Sikhs are anxious.
“It’s not just about being Sikh. It’s about being brown. People don’t distinguish between Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus,” he told the BBC. “It feels like the 1970s again. I remember the National Front. The difference now is social media is amplifying hate.”
The gurdwara, founded in 1913, expects to spend about £40,000 annually on security, diverting donations away from community services. Singh, who liaises with 90 gurdwaras nationwide, said he wants Sikh places of worship to receive the same government security grants that mosques and synagogues currently receive.
Recent incidents cited include the rape of a Sikh woman in Oldbury, assaults on Sikh taxi drivers in Wolverhampton, and the shooting of a nine-year-old girl with an air gun in Bristol. “These things are leading to an atmosphere of fear,” Singh said.
Metropolitan Police figures show more than 21,000 hate crimes were recorded in London in the year to August. Although this represents a fall of 17.4% compared with the previous year, there was an above-average surge in June, July and August, with more than 2,000 incidents in each month.
For some, the hostility is a reminder of earlier decades. “As someone who’s born and brought up in the UK, I do remember a time during the 70s and 80s when racism was rife,” said Bhupinder Singh Bhasin, a lifelong worshipper at the gurdwara. “Living here for all these years I thought we’d overcome a lot of the issues in society, so it’s sad to see the ugly side of racism rising up again.”
Ravi Bakshi, a volunteer at the temple, said racist abuse has been a constant presence. “I’ve heard, ‘Go back to your country’ all my life. But I was born here. I’m proud to be British and Sikh – how do you justify that kind of hate?” she said.
Despite the concerns, Bhasin urged unity: “We need to come together as a community, no matter which tradition we follow, no matter which colour, which race we belong to. We live in one community and we need to treat each other fairly and respectfully.”
RELATED STORY:
Racism and violence: A Sikh woman’s rape ordeal in Sandwell (Asia Samachar, 18 September 2025)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
