Nothing comes over and above Religion.
Posted on April 21, 2009
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A school  in wales (London) had banned a 15 year old  Sikh student Sarika Watkins -Singh from wearing a KARA (bracelet), sikhs wear KARA as one of the five symbol of Sikh religion.She was dismissed from the school for breaking the “no jewellery” rule nine months ago. The religious KARA is worn by the sikhs purely for faith and their is no cosmetic value attach to  it. The school has finally lost a high court case over the religious issue and has been asked  to allow the girl to wear the bracelet as it will be in correct  to hurt the religious sentiments of  the Sikh community. The court has also asked the school (Aberdare Girls High School) to pay Rs 1.47 crore to the victim as a legal cost.
“The school is guilty of indirect discrimination under race relations and equality laws.”
Sarika will be returning to the school in September wearing the Kara, a slim steel bracelet. Sarika said: “I am overwhelmed by the outcome and it’s marvelous to know that the long journey I’ve been on has finally come to an end. I am so happy to know that no-one else will go through what me and my family have gone through. ”I just want to say that I am a proud Welsh and Punjabi Sikh girl.” Her mother, 38-year-old Sinita said: “We are over the moon. It is just such a relief.”
Sarika, of mixed Welsh and Punjabi origin, who was the only Sikh among 600-strong girls, was at first taught in isolation and eventually excluded for refusing to take off the bangle in defiance of the school’s policy, which prohibits the wearing of any jewelery other than wrist watch and plain ear studs.
In February, Sarika enrolled in another school, Mountain Ash Comprehensive, which allowed her to wear the kara, but her parents said the move had disrupted her schooling. Her parents went to Downing Street last month to hand over a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown seeking his intervention in the matter to show “discrimination is totally unacceptable”. The petition was supported by 150 Gurdwaras, more than 200 Sikh organisations and 70 non-Sikh organisations. More than 100 MPs from different parties also supported the petition. Anna Fairclough, Liberty’s legal officer who represented Sarika said: “This common sense judgment makes clear you must have a very good reason before interfering with someone’s religious freedom.
Finally we can say, the case of Sarika has not only taught lesson to all such strict biased schools and in future schools have to be also liberal while making their policies. schools will have to find a balance between religious tolerance and their own determination to encourage a sense of community. In some areas, they will also be conscious of the need to reduce peer pressure on pupils.
“ALL IS WELL THAT ENDS WELL”
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