UK: A British Sikh group passaging for Sikhism to be added as a separate ethnicity tick box in the next UK census in 2021 is considering taking legal action against the UK government over its rejection of such a categorisation.
The Sikh Federation UK (SFUK) claims to have a support of over 120 Gurudwaras and Sikh organisations as it concerned a letter before stroke to the UK Cabinet Office last week. In demand to a reassessment of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) decision to refuse the need for such an additional tick box, the letter was issued.
Rosa Curling, an advocate from UK law firm, which is representing the group, said that our clients have acknowledged a number of flaws within the process for seminal whether to include a Sikh ethnicity category in the 2021 Census.
She added that they believe it is crucial that individuals are capable of identifying as ethnically Sikh in the next Census to make sure a more precise picture of the community is taken. This will make certain public bodies fulfilling their obligations under the Equality Act when making decisions about the distribution of vital public services.
The same federation in the UK believes that it would be unlawful for the Cabinet Office to put down before the Parliament a Census order based on the plans set out by the ONS in their December 2018 White Paper.
Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation UK, said that Without public bodies monitoring Sikhs as a distinct ethnic group they cannot be aware of the blockades Sikhs face as a religious-ethnic community.
The matter has divided the British Sikh community, with the Network of Sikh Organisations among those who have been not in favour of such a separate tick box. They should accept the ONS decision to refuse their ridiculous ‘ethnic’ tick-box campaign, said Lord Indarjit Singh, a Sikh peer in the House of Lords and Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations.
A spokesperson for the ONS said, “The ONS recommendations follow extensive research and consultation with groups and individuals and everyone who wishes to identify as Sikh will be able to do so.”
“The religion question will have a specific Sikh tick box response option and everyone who wishes to identify as Sikh in response to the ethnicity question will be able to do so through a write-in option. We believe these proposals will enable public bodies to work with the Sikh community in shaping public services to meet their needs,” the spokesperson added.
