In the wake of the highly publicized murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a prominent member of the British Sikh community has publicly broken ranks to support political demands for a ban on the public carrying of full-sized ceremonial knives.
During an interview on TalkTV, Harman Singh, a Sikh community figure and business owner, forcefully condemned the actions of Vikram Digua—the convicted murderer who used a 21-centimeter Kirpan to fatally stab Nowak before falsely claiming to police that he was the victim of a racist attack.
Condemnation of the Killer’s Actions
Singh used the national broadcast to distance the broader, peaceful Sikh community from Digua. He emphasized that the religious principles surrounding the Kirpan dictate that it must only be used as an absolute last resort against armed aggressors or oppressive forces, never against an unarmed individual.
Furthermore, Singh stripped Digua of his religious legitimacy regarding the incident. Noting that initiated (baptized) Sikhs are strictly forbidden from lying, Singh argued that Digua’s decision to falsely accuse the dying Nowak of racism—a lie corroborated by Digua’s family—invalidates his standing. “I don’t count him as a Sikh, or his family as a Sikh,” Singh stated. “When we are carrying this [Kirpan], we are not allowed to lie.”
Support for a Legal Ban and Symbolic Alternatives
Most significantly, Singh threw his support behind recent proposals by politicians, including Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick, to legally ban the carrying of functional Kirpans in public spaces.
Singh argued that the historical context of the Kirpan—instituted 300 years ago to defend against violent oppression in the absence of a structured justice system—does not apply to modern Britain. “Now we are living in a law-abiding country… police are there, military is there,” Singh noted.
He advocated that Sikhs in the UK should proactively transition to carrying miniature, blunt, or purely symbolic Kirpans to honor their faith without introducing functional weapons into public spaces. He warned that young individuals are increasingly misusing the religious exemption to carry blades for intimidation, a trend he has been warning against for years.
“One Rule for All”
Addressing the growing public resentment over what critics call “two-tier policing,” Singh agreed that the current legal exemption creates an unfair double standard.
“I can carry a Kirpan legally in the public, but an English guy cannot carry it. Why? It should be the same for everyone,” Singh stated, endorsing the concept of one overarching law for all citizens regardless of religious background.
Singh acknowledged that his vocal stance has triggered severe backlash from within his own community, with some individuals claiming he is no longer a “real Sikh.” However, he maintained that taking the initiative to reform the religious exemption is necessary to prevent isolated “bad eggs” from permanently damaging the Sikh community’s reputation and integration within British society.
