British born Sikh Vickrum Singh Digwa’s conviction for the killing of 18-year-old Southampton University student Henry Nowak has raised a huge political and public debate in the United Kingdom around the right to carry kirpans in public and the actions taken by police officers who responded to the fatal incident. Nowak was stabbed to death by a 21cm kirpan, a ceremonial dagger that is traditionally carried by practising Sikhs as an article of faith, a Southampton Crown Court jury found. The decision has brought into focus the issue of reviewing legal exemption for carrying of a kirpan in public places for Sikhs.
What Happened Here?
According To TOI report, Kiran Kaur, 53, Digwa’s mother, was also convicted after being found guilty of assisting in removing the weapon from the scene after the attack. The case has gained national attention and politicians, community leaders and police officials are increasingly under pressure to respond to the issues raised in the trial. The murder conviction has raised the pressure on some British politicians for harsher measures on bladed weapons and to re-thinking of the religious exemptions for carrying kirpans.
Political Storm In UK
Conservative MP Robert Jenrick has asked the government to move a motion to debate the issue in parliament and MP Rupert Lowe has demanded that kirpans should not be allowed on the streets at all. The case has escalated to a broader debate over public safety and religious freedoms. To this, Sikh groups have responded with complaints about that long standing exemption, saying the law only protects the carrying of kirpans for religious purposes. The Sikh community has emphasized that the use of a kirpan in violence will be without any religious protection and as a weapon of violence under the Criminal law.
Was Vickrum Singh Digwa Subjected To Racism?
The controversy has not just been about the murder itself, it’s been about the conduct of the police officers who responded to the scene. At the trial, jurors were told Digwa was the victim of fake racist abuse and attacked before the stabbing. Officers, on his behalf, handcuffed instead of treating the Nowak’s who were critically injured. This was subsequently found to be untrue and amounted to a ‘deliberate and malicious lie’ by the court. Officers have been criticized for being too quick to buy into Digwa’s account of the events and not adequately evaluating the situation. The event has reignited calls for unfair policing and led to a lot of criticism of police action.
What Now?
Anger has mounted since the verdict, with demonstrations outside Southampton Central Police Station and a mounting call for the release of police body camera footage. The officers’ actions have been strongly condemned by opposition politicians and prominent public figures have commented on the controversy. Hampshire Police has since apologised for handcuffing Nowak and handed the case over to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. An independent investigation is now looking at the situation of the officers, the handcuffing and medical assistance given before emergency services arrived. Digwa is set to be sentenced on Monday and his mother will be sentenced in July.
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