POLICING WITH A DIFFERENCE


SELFLESS SERVICE IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR SIKHS


As part of our ‘policing with a diference’ series, we meet Harvy Singh Rai to find out about the National Sikh Police Federation, of which he


is president “Historically, the question was always – could you join the police as a turban wearing Sikh?” These days the answer is emphatically ‘yes’, explains Harvy Rai. As policing seeks to better resemble


and represent the communities it serves, the experience and counsel of the National Sikh Police Association (NSPA), which Harvy heads, is important. The association started in West Midlands and London before going national in 2019. Membership is open to anybody of Sikh Punjabi origin, and there are approximately 900 members in the Met, 390 in West Midlands Police, and hundreds more in other UK forces. It’s a growing success. Harvy said: “We’re working with the


uplift team to look at what type of bespoke messages we can give to members of South Asian/Sikh community. We advised there are subtle nuances – for example, in the Sikh community, selfless service is really important. If we can sell the message ‘you can serve the community’ that would attract Sikhs. The opportunity to serve the community and serve in a police force is a natural career choice for the Sikhs.” Recently, the association successfully


worked with the Home Office after an issue arose around the Sikh Kataar. Harvy continued: “Knife crime is clearly on people’s radar but, in relation to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, the Home Office guidance to all forces featured an image of a Kataar. This obviously has huge significance for Sikhs historically and religiously, and it was described as an ‘Indian push dagger’. This caused some ambiguity. The NSPAUK submitted papers to the Home Office and Government departments and, following supportive and constructive conversations, were able to get a special dispensation for the Kataar.


“This meant it wouldn’t fall within the


scope of the Weapons Act and was a huge success for the Sikh community – we reached into Government.” Although UK-based Sikhs have


generally been very supportive of people joining the service, within lower age brackets there has been a shift away from this due to international politics. The 1984 storming of the Golden Temple complex in India’s Punjab State - to capture a Sikh leader and his followers - and the involvement of a British officer is still seen by some as an impediment to joining. Recent farming protests in the Punjab


over the Indian Government’s agricultural- related laws, and perceived UK trade being prioritised over human rights, is also an issue for some members of the community. Harvy, who was born in the Punjab,


said: “With the farmers’ protests in India, it’s brought home to the Sikh community how close the Punjab and the UK are tied together. Around 95 per cent of Sikhs in Punjab have links to agriculture in some shape, and we have ancestral lands where our families still work smallholdings. “Hundreds of thousands of our families


are protesting, and we have seen people in their 60s, 70s and 80s freezing to death over there.” The NSPAUK membership all felt the pain and anguish being experienced by the farmers. “We’ve sent resources and funding


to India as an association for tents, bedding and recently flasks with our logo - to show people UK police officers are humanitarians. That’s been very well received,” added Harvy. While the most senior Sikh officer is


an ACC in Bedfordshire, the association accepts that ongoing work is needed to break through the glass ceilings. “Nothing will be done overnight, but we now have a NPCC - Plan of Action, Uplift for recruitment and growing influence through the NSPA,” said Harvy. “Recently I was in Kent and we were


celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs. There I announced we have a Home Office Sikh Association, we have a Defence Sikh Network, Crown Prosecution Sikh Society and even a College of Policing Sikh Network, the latter two we helped launch. “I had the privilege of announcing an


amalgamation of the above and other networks which now form the Cross- Government Sikh Forum, so all the Sikh forums across the UK are now sitting together. We now have a seat at the table where forces, chiefs, directors and the Government listen to what we say as equals. The strategic influence of the NSPAUK team is steadily growing and we are already seeing operational benefits both for the police service and the community.”


13 I POLICE I JUNE 2021


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