0:00:03 > 0:00:06September 2011.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Parliament Square was a blaze of colour.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11We are proud to be Sikh!
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Thousands of Sikhs from all over Britain gathered here in protest.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20To defend something they hold so sacred,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22they'd go to any lengths to protect it -
0:00:22 > 0:00:24the turban.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29Over the past ten years, the Sikhs believe their distinctive headwear
0:00:29 > 0:00:32has made them the target of discrimination.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Sikhs feel very strongly that at airports across Europe,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38just because we wear the turban we've been asked to remove it.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40It's like a King wearing a crown
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and if somebody comes and knocked it off or what have you,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48it's considered very, very disrespectful.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53We are proud to be Sikh! We are proud to be Sikh!
0:00:53 > 0:00:57It's a problem Sikhs believe was born out of the terrorist attacks
0:00:57 > 0:00:59of the 21st century.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02At the time of 9/11, Bin Laden's image was shown
0:01:02 > 0:01:07on all the television pictures again and again, and repeated.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And he was a hate figure. He wore a turban.
0:01:10 > 0:01:139/11 changed everything.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Because the Sikhs so often found themselves mistaken for Muslims,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22precisely because they were wearing turbans.
0:01:22 > 0:01:29A younger local youth came down and he said, "Are you Al-Qaeda?"
0:01:29 > 0:01:33and I was really, really shocked.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37So just what does the turban really mean for Sikhs?
0:01:39 > 0:01:44This is the story of one of the most sacred symbols of the Sikh faith.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47From its origins in Mughal India,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50through the battlegrounds of Europe...
0:01:50 > 0:01:53I was dragged out of the aircraft.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56My first concern was my turban.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58..to the struggle of British Sikhs
0:01:58 > 0:02:01for the right to wear it without fear.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04So we're never likely to see a turban on a Wolverhampton bus?
0:02:04 > 0:02:07It is most unlikely in the present circumstances.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11To be forced to remove one's turban
0:02:11 > 0:02:15is like receiving a deep spiritual wound.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17It is the lifeline of a Sikh.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21And we'll discover just why the Sikhs consider it so important
0:02:21 > 0:02:23they'd even risk their lives for it.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27A Sikh would die for the turban, without question.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29No turban, no Sikh.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Over the past 50 years,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43the turban has become a familiar sight on the streets of Britain.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51But to get a glimpse into its origins in Sikh history,
0:02:51 > 0:02:57we need to go back centuries and cross continents to Mughal India.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07The Sikh faith was founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12It was a time when India was fraught with religious division -
0:03:12 > 0:03:17Muslim against Hindu, caste against caste -
0:03:17 > 0:03:23but the Guru stressed the belief in one God and the equality of all.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31The quality of life of an average Indian in those days was very poor
0:03:31 > 0:03:33and they were oppressed.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35They were tied into superstitions.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37There was religious persecution.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39So in that kind of an environment,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Guru Nanak came with a message which was quite different.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46In his very first sermon he said,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49"In God's eyes there is neither Hindu nor Muslim."
0:03:49 > 0:03:52God isn't interested in our religious labels.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54God is interested in how we live.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59So it was a very, very progressive religion.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Whilst all the Sikh gurus wore the turban,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06it wasn't until 200 years after Guru Nanak
0:04:06 > 0:04:10that it became an established part of Sikh identity.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15It was under the leadership of the tenth guru, Gobind Singh,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18that it was introduced for all Sikhs.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Not just as a symbol of holiness, but as an act of defiance.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30At the start of the 17th century, Gobind Singh's father,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33the ninth guru, was executed by the Mughal Emperor.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41His crime was defending the rights of all religions
0:04:41 > 0:04:44in the face of forced conversions to Islam.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51But it was from this tragic event that the Sikh turban was born.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55At that time, Sikhs had no distinguishing symbols
0:04:55 > 0:04:59and when the Mughals taunted Sikhs in the crowd
0:04:59 > 0:05:02to come and claim their master's body,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04people were scared to do so.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10So the tenth guru, as he grew into maturity,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13he was only a boy at the time of his father's death,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17he determined that Sikhs would always be recognisable
0:05:17 > 0:05:21for their principles and he gave us a uniform.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Gobind Singh decreed that Sikhs shouldn't cut their hair,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and to protect it they should wear a turban.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35It was a physical reminder of their faith
0:05:35 > 0:05:40and a symbol that made all Sikhs equal and distinctive.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45It was an extremely brave thing to do
0:05:45 > 0:05:50because at that time, non-Muslims were not allowed to wear a turban
0:05:50 > 0:05:54so this is standing up to the might of the Mughal Empire
0:05:54 > 0:05:57to say, "This is what we are and this is what we're going to be."
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Since its origins in Mughal India,
0:05:59 > 0:06:05the turban has become an article of faith for Sikhs all over the world.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11And one that's still respected in Britain today.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Turbans come in different colours, shapes and sizes.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21And they're important throughout a Sikh's life.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27When a child reaches a certain age,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30there is a formal ceremony to tie the turban
0:06:30 > 0:06:34and this is often done by the mother's brothers.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And when a Sikh dies, he dies wearing a turban.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40So when he's cremated, he's actually wearing a turban.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44For all Sikhs, however they choose to wear it,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49the turban is a key symbol of their religious identity.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52My turban represents who I am.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57It makes me feel like I can conquer the world.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02It gives me a unique identity to stand out in front of many people.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Obviously because immediately you look different
0:07:05 > 0:07:07you've got to live by certain standards.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10You don't want to be swearing,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12you don't want to be doing bad things,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15so it encourages you to try to, you know, stay on the right path.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18The turban is our crown.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22It sits quite proudly on the top of our heads and it says to the world,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I am the sovereign. I am an independent person. I am a Sikh.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Sikhs in Britain today are able to wear their turbans freely,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36but that's not always been the case.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The story of the turban in this country is a turbulent one
0:07:42 > 0:07:47in which Sikh courage and resolve has often been called upon.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52When the British ruled India in the 19th century,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55the turban would've been a common sight.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58But it wasn't until the early 20th century
0:07:58 > 0:08:02that it began to make its first appearances in Britain.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Clearly there were plenty of people from Britain in India
0:08:08 > 0:08:10who would have observed the turban
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and would have begun to be familiar with it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15As far as in Britain itself,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19I think the immediate consciousness of the Sikh turban
0:08:19 > 0:08:23would have come about during the course of the First World War.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30In 1914, British forces took a huge number of casualties
0:08:30 > 0:08:31fighting in France.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37The only army that could reinforce them
0:08:37 > 0:08:42and that was as big and as well trained was the British Indian army.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Indian troops took up their places on the Western front.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Although the Sikhs only made up two percent of India's population,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56they formed ten percent of its army.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Amongst the one million Indians fighting,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02100,000 were Sikhs.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07And the turban was so important for them
0:09:07 > 0:09:09that in order to continue wearing it,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13they were prepared to put their own lives in danger.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Of course, there was always a problem
0:09:17 > 0:09:20with the turban and modern warfare.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24The moment we moved into the trenches in the First World War,
0:09:24 > 0:09:30tin hats were necessary for very, very obvious reasons.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35But the Sikhs said,
0:09:35 > 0:09:40"We can't take off our turbans because our hair needs protection,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44"and a tin hat with leather inside it
0:09:44 > 0:09:48"is the last thing we are going to put on our heads.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50"As far as we are concerned
0:09:50 > 0:09:53"these turbans are adequate protection for us."
0:09:53 > 0:09:56I think they regarded them as somewhat magical,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58it should keep the bullets away.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05It was an act of defiance the army accepted, and even encouraged.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08You would expect there would be pressure from the army
0:10:08 > 0:10:12for Sikhs not to wear a turban. In fact, it was the opposite.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The last war that the British had fought in India
0:10:15 > 0:10:20was against the Sikhs and it was very evenly balanced, the conflict,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and the British JUST won.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27But they had huge respect for the fighting qualities
0:10:27 > 0:10:29and integrity of Sikhs
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and when Sikhs were recruited into the armed services,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36the British would insist that they must wear a turban
0:10:36 > 0:10:39and the other symbols of their faith.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42There were stories of British officers coming back and saying
0:10:42 > 0:10:46they saw Sikhs picking bullets out of their turbans.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And one even said that maybe all British officers
0:10:48 > 0:10:51should adopt the turban. That's how effective it was.
0:10:53 > 0:10:5720 years later, with the outbreak of the Second World War,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00the Sikhs once more came to Britain's aid.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03# England asked the question
0:11:03 > 0:11:05# When danger's nigh
0:11:05 > 0:11:08# Will the sons of India your foes defy?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11# Will we fight for England?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13# Yes! Until we die!
0:11:13 > 0:11:17# That is India's reply! #
0:11:17 > 0:11:21And one of the first to join up was Mahindar Singh Pujji,
0:11:21 > 0:11:22a Sikh pilot in the RAF.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28He passed away in 2010, but in his last interview
0:11:28 > 0:11:31he revealed just how important his turban was to him
0:11:31 > 0:11:35when his plane was hit by a German fighter.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Black smoke from the engine started coming.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Oil started coming out.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50At about 8,000 feet, I thought I wouldn't make it.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55And then I saw the White Cliffs of Dover,
0:11:55 > 0:12:00so I was so happy about it and continued to glide.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05And I just crashed on to the ground.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10I was dragged out of the aircraft,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14people saying, "Oh, he's still alive, he's still alive!"
0:12:14 > 0:12:18I could hear them but I had my eyes closed because of the fire.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23At that stage, my first concern was my turban.
0:12:23 > 0:12:29I just put my hands on my turban to see that it is still there,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and, er, my hands were full of blood.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37There was a serious injury on my head.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42And it made me feel at that time
0:12:42 > 0:12:45that perhaps the turban had helped me.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51In wartime London, such shows of bravery and loyalty
0:12:51 > 0:12:53touched British hearts.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59I was treated as a very important person, VIP.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03That was specially because people here had never seen
0:13:03 > 0:13:09an Air Force officer with a turban and wherever I went,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11they felt very, sort of, obliged.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14They said, "Oh, you're fighting for us."
0:13:16 > 0:13:21I stood in a queue trying to see the Gone With The Wind film,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and when I went to the ticket counter
0:13:24 > 0:13:27the girl there said,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30"You don't have to buy a ticket, sir, you can go in."
0:13:30 > 0:13:31I wrote to my father.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37I said, "No one could find a better place to die than a place here,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41"because these are the people who love me and respect me."
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Thousands of Sikhs, like Pujji, were injured or lost their lives
0:13:52 > 0:13:54in the two World Wars.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Their sacrifice gave the turban a special status in Britain.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05During the Second World War and afterwards,
0:14:05 > 0:14:13the turban was seen as a symbol of loyalty to the British Empire.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19The British showed respect for the turban because they surmised
0:14:19 > 0:14:21if someone is true to their faith
0:14:21 > 0:14:24they will be true to greater society and to the armed services.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28'This is the first time that the world famous Sikhs
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'have taken part in a tattoo in the United Kingdom.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33'And, tonight, we in Edinburgh
0:14:33 > 0:14:37'would wish to accord them a very warm welcome.'
0:14:37 > 0:14:39CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:14:40 > 0:14:43But once the threat of war had receded
0:14:43 > 0:14:47and the Sikhs were no longer crucial to Britain's military success,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51attitudes to the turban began to change.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59From the late '40s, Sikhs from India and East Africa
0:14:59 > 0:15:02began flocking to Britain, to start a new life.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09There were two reasons for such an influx of Sikhs or Indians.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The first reason was that Britain had just come out of the war,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15and there was a labour shortage
0:15:15 > 0:15:18so they invited people from former colonies, which included India,
0:15:18 > 0:15:23to come and help rebuild the country, so many Sikh men from the Punjab
0:15:23 > 0:15:25came to England to work in the foundries,
0:15:25 > 0:15:30the mills, the factories and also we had the partition of India.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33'Delhi, the 15th of August 1947.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37'The day when the British at last shed the burden and responsibility of India.'
0:15:37 > 0:15:45In 1947, India gained independence from Britain and was divided in two.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49India and the new country of Pakistan.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56But the Punjab, the traditional home of most Sikhs,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59lay on the border, and was split between them.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Many Sikhs stranded in Muslim Pakistan fled.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06They had to leave their homes.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Some came and settled in places like Delhi.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Others thought, "Here's an opportunity.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19"Let's go and see something of this mother country of ours."
0:16:25 > 0:16:30The new arrivals made for London, the Midlands and West Yorkshire
0:16:30 > 0:16:35where they often found work in textile mills or industry.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40For the first time, the turban was a common sight in British cities.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46But as the Sikhs put down roots building Gudwuras
0:16:46 > 0:16:49and establishing their own communities, tensions rose.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56And it was precisely their appearance that singled them out.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58'They look different and they sound different.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01'And their tastes in matters of food are different.'
0:17:02 > 0:17:08It was hostility to the fact that these folks didn't look like us,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13didn't behave like us, didn't have the same values as us
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and were competing with us for scarce resources
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and, therefore, we did not want them here.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26And the Sikhs were in some senses at the cutting edge of all of this,
0:17:26 > 0:17:31because their turbans made them plainly distinctive
0:17:31 > 0:17:34in religious and cultural terms
0:17:34 > 0:17:37as well as in terms of their skin colour.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40If they come to this country they should be prepared to change
0:17:40 > 0:17:41and to live the way we do.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45In their dress and the way they talk.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Those who aren't prepared to accept our way of living,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50they're the ones that are going to get caught out.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56After years of loyal Sikh service to Britain in the wars,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59where turbans were required uniform,
0:17:59 > 0:18:04it was a shock to find that now their turbans often prevented them
0:18:04 > 0:18:05from even getting jobs.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Some British companies refused to employ Sikhs
0:18:10 > 0:18:15unless they agreed to stop wearing their turbans and cut their hair.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Surjit Singh Uppal came to Britain in 1961.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26And like many others, he felt pressure to conform.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31I wore the turban when I first came here, till 1966.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34But as a worker, people would look at you
0:18:34 > 0:18:38and I was always conscious - "They're looking at me
0:18:38 > 0:18:40"because I am wearing a turban."
0:18:40 > 0:18:47I thought, I presumed, this was a hindrance to my future prospects.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52So Surjit made a painful decision.
0:18:52 > 0:18:59One day, very reluctantly, my wife actually cut my hair
0:18:59 > 0:19:06and she kept it for a while.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11I felt bare. Something is missing.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17You lost something which is part of you.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I would have loved to keep it.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Within a decade the turban in Britain had been transformed
0:19:34 > 0:19:39from a symbol of loyalty, to one of shame.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43But the Sikhs' warrior spirit hadn't deserted them.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Manchester was the setting for the fight back.
0:19:51 > 0:19:57In 1957, a group of Sikhs decided enough was enough.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01And the unlikely arena for the battle was a double-decker bus.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04In the late '50s, a gentleman by the name of Sundar Singh Sagar
0:20:04 > 0:20:08enrolled for a position as a bus conductor.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Now, after completing his exams
0:20:10 > 0:20:12he was told he would need to wear a regulation cap.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17He refused but Manchester Transport Corporation refused to back down
0:20:17 > 0:20:21and they told him that if he wanted to work as a bus conductor
0:20:21 > 0:20:26then he must remove his turban and this led to an eight year campaign.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Ujjal Didar Singh remembers his father's stand well.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35My father said, "I am prepared to wear a turban of the same colour
0:20:35 > 0:20:40"and put a Manchester Transport badge on the turban,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43"but I'm not prepared to take my turban off and wear a cap."
0:20:43 > 0:20:47These regulations affected Sikhs elsewhere.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Just down the M6, a similar case kicked off.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56In Wolverhampton, a Sikh, Mr Sandhu,
0:20:56 > 0:21:02who had previously been working on the buses, was ill.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06He went home and when he returned from his sick leave
0:21:06 > 0:21:12he had grown his beard and was wearing a turban.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18When I got the job I was not wearing the turban.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21And in my mind always I wasn't feeling comfortable
0:21:21 > 0:21:25because I was Sikh and I believe in my religion
0:21:25 > 0:21:27and I want to practice my faith.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32So I wore the turban and went back to the bus,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and then somebody told the office,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38"There is a Sikh person driving buses,"
0:21:38 > 0:21:43so the superintendent came out, to see me and he stopped me.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46He said, "You can't wear the turban."
0:21:46 > 0:21:49We've got about 23 nationalities
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and I couldn't count how many religions
0:21:53 > 0:21:55we have to cater for,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00and those people, of course, who cannot comply with these regulations
0:22:00 > 0:22:04would probably have to find employment elsewhere.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08So we're never likely to see a turban on a Wolverhampton bus?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11It is most unlikely in the present circumstances.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Sikhs took to the streets in protest.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19But one man decided more drastic action was needed
0:22:19 > 0:22:20to defend the turban.
0:22:22 > 0:22:28Mr Jolly was an old retired police officer.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33He thought, "My God, I have served British peoples all my life.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37"And now I'm hearing that in England you can't wear turbans."
0:22:37 > 0:22:39His feelings were hurt,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43so he approached me, and he said,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46"Young man, this is what I heard.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50"Is this your true feeling or is it just a laugh?"
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I said, "No. It's true feeling and this is what I want to be."
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Mr Jolly began to campaign for change.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03It's a question of principle. Like the cross to the Christians.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05If I tell you to take off your cross and throw it away,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07how much would you feel it?
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Similarly, those people who are working there,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13they are forced to take off their beard and turban.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15They are forced to throw away their faith.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20But when his words fell on deaf ears, he made a radical threat.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26When he said all these matters are exhausted, he declared,
0:23:26 > 0:23:31"If he's not allowed to wear a turban, I will burn myself to death."
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Suddenly the story was headline news.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38If you have to die, Mr Jolly, it's due to happen on Sunday.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Are you not in any way frightened by the prospect?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I'm not frightened for anything.
0:23:44 > 0:23:50I shall find it a privilege to sacrifice for the Sikh Community.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53It was a shock to me, in a way,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56that somebody wanted to die for me.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00He said, "I'm not dying for you. I'm dying for the cause.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02"It's not for you, it's the cause."
0:24:02 > 0:24:08There was already a tradition of Sikhs making statements like that
0:24:08 > 0:24:10and carrying them out.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14And Sikhs felt that it would be a disgrace to their community
0:24:14 > 0:24:18if somebody made that sort of commitment
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and didn't carry it through,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25so it was fully expected that he would give his life.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30But at the 11th hour disaster was averted.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39In the face of such pressure, the Corporation backed down.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Mr Avtar Singh Azaad became one of the first two Sikh bus drivers
0:24:43 > 0:24:45in Wolverhampton to wear a turban.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51The manager, Mr Butler, called us.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55He said the Corporation change the rules.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57We can wear the turban now.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03This is the turban actually, the blue colour we suggested.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06He supply us the turban from the Corporation.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10He gave us the free turban to wear on the buses.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18It seemed to be a triumph for the turban.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23But the extreme tactics used by Mr Jolly caused controversy,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26even amongst Sikhs themselves.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30In Manchester, the Sikhs had also had success,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32using diplomatic means.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36My father didn't agree with any form of threatening behaviour
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to achieve his goals, because he was a great believer
0:25:39 > 0:25:44in following procedure and political lines.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48His feeling was that threats might alienate local communities
0:25:48 > 0:25:52against the Sikhs and the Sikhs might be seen to be radical people,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54which obviously we are not.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01And in Wolverhampton such fears were proved right.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03The public were dismayed.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06They were dismayed that there should have been what seemed to be
0:26:06 > 0:26:08a climb down at gun point.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I mean, with the fear that somebody was going to become a martyr,
0:26:12 > 0:26:17and so they expressed their indignation in letters to the press.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21That doesn't mean that they were all hostile to Sikhs as such,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24or to the turban, but they certainly felt
0:26:24 > 0:26:29that this was no way for issues to be resolved responsibly.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34It was one step forward, two steps back.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Wolverhampton bus drivers were wearing the turban
0:26:37 > 0:26:41but Jolly's suicide threat was a public relations failure.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46The fight to wear the turban without provoking hostility
0:26:46 > 0:26:49was far from over.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54It was in the 1970s that the turban hit the headlines again,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58in another transport-related conflict.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02# Get your motor running
0:27:02 > 0:27:05# Head out on the highway... #
0:27:05 > 0:27:11This is the famous bike purchased by my father in 1973.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14It's a little bit worse for wear.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17But it's quite a famous bike, it has a very unique history.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23In June 1973, it became illegal to ride a motorcycle
0:27:23 > 0:27:25without wearing a helmet.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32It was a law which transformed all turban wearing motorcyclists
0:27:32 > 0:27:35from harmless bikers, into criminals.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Dr Singh is an honest, law-abiding man.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Don't give me that rubbish about him being a law-abiding citizen.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I mean, look at him now, he's riding that bike without a crash helmet.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48He's Sikh.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Biking Sikhs all over the country rode into trouble.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56# ..Born to be wild. #
0:27:58 > 0:28:01It's an offence to ride a motorcycle without a crash helmet.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04And you'll be reported for that offence.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09One of the law breakers was Sundar Singh Sagar.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14My father rode this motorcycle on the streets of Manchester
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and picked up a string of violations,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20and was then taken before the magistrates and fined.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25He was told that if he didn't pay his fine, he would go to prison.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28And eventually he was sent to prison for a week.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33Upon his release, myself and quite a number of the community members
0:28:33 > 0:28:36met at the doors of Strangeways Prison,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40there was a loud cheer, and he was adorned by garlands
0:28:40 > 0:28:43and we had his motorcycle ready
0:28:43 > 0:28:47and he mounted his motorcycle in front of the Strangeways gates
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and he proceeded to drive down Bury New Road
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and in the short distance of about one kilometre,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57I think he was given traffic violation tickets on seven or eight occasions.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05It was the determination of men like Ujjal's father
0:29:05 > 0:29:09that finally led, in 1976, to an act being passed,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13exempting turban wearers from having to use a helmet.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20But this time the turban's triumph had been achieved
0:29:20 > 0:29:24without alienating the public and it had raised awareness
0:29:24 > 0:29:27of just how important the turban was for Sikhs.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35But the right of Sikhs to wear the turban everywhere and anywhere
0:29:35 > 0:29:39without discrimination, was still not protected by law.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44It was a case in the 1980s that finally changed everything.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46The turban was about to make legal history.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55This time it was one of Birmingham's best independent schools
0:29:55 > 0:29:59that decided the turban was not for them.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04In 1978, 12-year-old Gurinder Singh Mandla had made his father proud
0:30:04 > 0:30:07by winning himself a place.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11But following a now familiar pattern, there was a catch.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15The headmaster took exception to Gurinder's turban.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18The choice was either I go to the school and cut my hair
0:30:18 > 0:30:23or not to go the school at all and for me it was never a decision.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27I was never going to go to that school without my turban.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30My turban is part of me, it's like my right arm.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Gurinder's father, Sewa Singh Mandla, was a lawyer
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and he decided to take matters further.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41I felt very aggrieved.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45And I said, "Look, if you compromise my faith,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48"then my son will not grow up as a strong person
0:30:48 > 0:30:51"because I believe faith gives you strength."
0:30:51 > 0:30:54And the only course left for me then was
0:30:54 > 0:30:56to seek recourse to the courts
0:30:56 > 0:31:00because clearly I was being discriminated against.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Mr Mandla began court proceedings.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10It was a course of action that would bring the turban
0:31:10 > 0:31:13to the forefront of the best legal minds in the land.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Roger Ballard was called as an expert witness.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23The race relations act had recently come in
0:31:23 > 0:31:28and so Mr Mandla sued the school
0:31:28 > 0:31:33on the grounds that it was discriminating against his son
0:31:33 > 0:31:35strictly on racial grounds.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39The Mandlas argued quite straightforwardly
0:31:39 > 0:31:43that the Sikhs were an ethnic group in terms of the act
0:31:43 > 0:31:49and that refusing Mr Mandla's son a place at the school
0:31:49 > 0:31:51was contrary to the Race Relations Act.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55But much to the Mandlas dismay, they lost the case
0:31:55 > 0:31:57not once but twice.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01In the County Court and the Court of Appeal.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06I was surprised by it.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Living in a multi-racial society that people like that
0:32:09 > 0:32:11are closing doors on people like us.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15The Sikhs could now be discriminated in very vital fields
0:32:15 > 0:32:19like education, housing, employment.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24The outlook was bleak.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28But the Mandlas weren't about to give up.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32And there was only one place left that could reverse the verdict.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35The House of Lords.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39The Lords were faced with a decision.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Were the Sikhs a religious sect,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46in which case they weren't protected by the Race Relations Act,
0:32:46 > 0:32:50or a national, ethnic, or racial group, in which case they were?
0:32:52 > 0:32:57Quite clearly the Sikhs weren't a race in a biological sense.
0:32:57 > 0:33:03Nor were they a national group because there was no Sikh nation.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07So Mr Mandla's solicitors were right in suggesting
0:33:07 > 0:33:09that the Sikhs were an ethnic group.
0:33:12 > 0:33:19The House of Lords, in their wisdom, they decided that an ethnic group
0:33:19 > 0:33:25was a body of people with a long shared history,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29a consciousness of their distinctiveness,
0:33:29 > 0:33:34and a commitment to keeping that distinctiveness
0:33:34 > 0:33:37within the community alive.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41Therefore, the school had indeed
0:33:41 > 0:33:45discriminated against Mr Mandla's son on racial grounds.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Five Law Lords have ruled that a Birmingham Head Master
0:33:54 > 0:33:57broke the law by refusing to allow a Sikh boy
0:33:57 > 0:33:58to wear a turban for school.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04After a campaign that had lasted five years,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08it was a victory for the Mandlas and for the turban.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12I was overjoyed. I was overjoyed.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Not for myself but for the community.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20I feel privileged that I was part of it.
0:34:20 > 0:34:25I think the Sikhs collectively showed that the will of the people
0:34:25 > 0:34:32can ensure that the right to self worth, the right to one's identity
0:34:32 > 0:34:34is now enshrined and protected.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38The Mandla case changed everything for Sikhs in Britain.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Their right to wear the turban in any walk of life,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46was now protected, for the first time, by law.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55Today, the results of the fight for Sikhs to wear the turban
0:34:55 > 0:34:59in Britain are evident everywhere.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06The stylist has asked for a black turban
0:35:06 > 0:35:11and he's asked for a very British style of turban so it's quite small,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14as opposed to ones you'll see in the Punjab.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Rest your eyes, rest your eyes.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21That's great.
0:35:21 > 0:35:2420 years ago, I don't think I would ever have an opportunity like this
0:35:24 > 0:35:27to model for big, high-end fashion designers
0:35:27 > 0:35:29because people didn't understand the importance of the turban.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32It was like an abnormality at that time.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35But now it's like accepted in everyday life.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39I think that is definitely huge progress.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43The Sikh crown has made it to the pages of fashion magazines,
0:35:43 > 0:35:50but it's also found its way into the corridors of power.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54Since last September, there's even been a turbaned Lord.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57I'm the first turbaned Sikh, not only in the Lords,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59but in parliament.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03And it's the reaction outside in the Sikh community
0:36:03 > 0:36:08that has been extraordinary. There is a recognition that
0:36:08 > 0:36:12there's no part of society that they can't reach up to.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17It seems the British turban has made it to the mainstream.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22So why then did the Sikhs take to the streets of London last year?
0:36:22 > 0:36:27Well, in Europe, the turban is still under attack.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30To France now, and the controversy surrounding plans to ban
0:36:30 > 0:36:32religious symbols in state schools.
0:36:32 > 0:36:38The peaceful but heartfelt protest by Sikhs from the around the world.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39They're upset that the proposed ban
0:36:39 > 0:36:42on religious symbols in French schools
0:36:42 > 0:36:44could extend to the turban as well.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47It's this new threat to the turban,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51which motivated British Sikhs to take up their placards once more.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54We don't really have this problem in Britain
0:36:54 > 0:36:58because British people are aware of our links from the past
0:36:58 > 0:37:00and are aware of the Sikh culture.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03It's just mainly to support our brothers and sisters
0:37:03 > 0:37:04abroad in Europe.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14The fight for the turban hasn't just been about the right
0:37:14 > 0:37:16to don elaborate headwear.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19It's been a battle for religious freedom.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23And the British Sikhs have led the charge for change.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28It takes a lot of courage to stand up against the establishment,
0:37:28 > 0:37:29to challenge it.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33The people who fought these cases are really our heroes.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37I mean, they are the early pioneers of our Sikh community in Britain.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42I feel very proud and very humbled.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45My father showed the people that he had the convictions
0:37:45 > 0:37:47to fight for his religious freedom.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53The turban is certainly more assured of its future in Britain
0:37:53 > 0:37:56because of that history of what the Sikhs have achieved.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00I feel immensely proud of wearing my turban in this country.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04I remember when I was turned down from a job
0:38:04 > 0:38:10at managing a coal mine because I wore a turban
0:38:10 > 0:38:13to being here in the House of Lords,
0:38:13 > 0:38:17and it's a reflection, not of my ability,
0:38:17 > 0:38:23but a reflection on the huge change in British society over those years.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28That is something that I hope will be exported all over the world.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd