An Indian-origin Hindu man from West London is taking his son’s primary school to court over the school’s objection to the boy wearing a Tilak-Chandlo - a religious marking on the forehead signifying the family’s association with the Swaminarayan Hindu tradition.
The dispute between the family and Vicar’s Green Primary School is another in a recent spate of examples of the tussle between religious faith and preferences and what is meant by a secular educational system where equality is of paramount importance.
It’s a conflict that is baffling and troubling and something I am deeply opposed to, despite or because of my own deeply-entrenched faith in the Hindu tradition and all that that entails. It’s a faith that has instilled in me the value of respecting everyone’s faith, their traditions and their right to shape their children in the faith and values that they believe in.
Why A Tilak Is Different From A Turban Or Hijab
However, I am vehemently opposed to the display of religious iconography in a public school setting – a setting and a system that strictly adheres to a policy of equality for everyone. Unlike in the United States, for instance, in Britain – as it is in India – public schools have a strict uniform policy. It’s meant precisely to level the playing field for children of all backgrounds and faiths and class and caste so that education provides an equal opportunity for every child to grow and flourish in equal measure.
I also think we need to have an honest conversation about something that many people in the Indian diaspora might find uncomfortable.
Why is it that some Indians are perfectly happy to follow the rules of schools in India, including strict uniform and appearance policies, but become far more insistent about displaying their religious identity when they move to countries like Britain? Is it an overriding need to establish and entrench one’s identity in an alien land?
For those pointing to a Sikh student wearing a turban or a Muslim student wearing a Hijab, this is different to a Tilak.
I think it is important to understand the difference between religious practices rather than putting every symbol into the same category.
A Sikh turban is not simply an accessory. For initiated Sikhs, keeping uncut hair and covering it is a fundamental religious commitment. Asking someone to remove their turban can mean asking them to compromise a deeply held religious obligation.
Similarly, for many Muslim women and girls, wearing a hijab is an expression of modesty and religious observance. It is part of how they dress and practise their faith.
A tilak, however, is a religious marking applied to the forehead. In Hindu traditions, it can be made using sandalwood paste, kumkum or other materials. The tilak-chandlo has particular religious significance for followers of the Swaminarayan tradition.
I am not suggesting that the tilak is unimportant. I understand that it carries spiritual meaning for the family. But there is a practical difference between religious clothing or a covering that forms part of someone's everyday dress and a marking applied to the skin as an expression of religious observance.
Schools should be allowed to consider these differences when developing reasonable and consistent uniform policies.
Why Do Some Indians Follow Different Rules In Britain?
This is perhaps the biggest contradiction I see in this debate.
Many Indians who have grown up in India will remember attending schools where uniform rules were taken very seriously. This includes some of the most respected convent schools, private schools and other educational institutions.
Children are expected to wear the prescribed uniform, keep their appearance within school guidelines and avoid unnecessary accessories. In some institutions, visible religious markings, threads, bracelets and other symbols are restricted.
Parents generally understand that the school has its own rules. They send their children in the prescribed uniform because they believe discipline and uniformity are part of education.
Of course, not every Indian school follows the same policy, and there are exceptions. But strict uniform rules are certainly not unfamiliar to Indian families.
So why does the conversation change when these same families settle in Britain?
Why do some parents who would have accepted a school's uniform policy in India now see a restriction on a religious marking as an attack on their identity in the UK?
Is it because Britain offers greater freedom? Is it because we sometimes confuse religious freedom with the freedom to demand an exception to every institutional rule?
I find this selective approach difficult to understand.
If we expect schools in India to maintain discipline and uniformity, we should at least be willing to consider the same principles when our children attend schools in Britain.
Respecting the rules of a school does not mean abandoning your religion. It means understanding that there is a time and a place for everything.
Should Religious Identity Be Displayed In Classrooms?
I have always felt that religion is a deeply personal matter.
Parents have every right to teach their children about Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity or any other faith. They can take them to temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras. They can celebrate festivals, perform rituals, teach prayers and pass on traditions.
But a school has a different responsibility. A classroom brings together children from different religious, cultural and social backgrounds. Some come from deeply religious families, while others have no religious beliefs at all.
Should every child have to display their religious identity to feel that they belong?
I would rather see a classroom where a Hindu child, a Muslim child, a Sikh child and a Christian child sit together without anyone feeling that their religion makes them different or more important than somebody else.
Schools should teach children about religions and cultures. They should celebrate diversity and encourage understanding. But there is a difference between learning about faith and making its visible expression part of everyday school life.
A child does not become less Hindu by going to school without a tilak. A child does not become less Christian by not wearing a cross. Faith is not measured by what we display on our bodies.
Where Should Schools Draw The Line On Religious Exceptions?
Imagine the challenges facing a headteacher if every family demanded a separate exemption from the school's uniform policy.
One parent wants a religious marking, another wants a particular thread or bracelet, another wants an additional accessory, and another wants a different interpretation of what their faith requires.
Where does the school draw the line? There must be a sensible and consistent framework. Schools should consider genuine religious obligations and make reasonable accommodations where appropriate. But parents must also recognise that schools have a responsibility to all children to create a level playing field.
Equality does not mean every religious practice must be treated identically. It means every family should be treated fairly, without prejudice or discrimination.
Most importantly, a school should never make a child feel ashamed of their religion or background.
The Tilak Debate Is Not An Attack On Hinduism
In an age of debate where nuance has been entirely disposed of, I want to make it clear that this argument to be misconstrued as an attack on Hinduism. It’s not. I am proud of India's cultural diversity and the traditions that have been passed down through generations. The tilak has a place in Hindu religious and cultural life, and nobody should be made to feel embarrassed about wearing one outside school.
But there is a difference between being proud of your faith and insisting that every public institution must accommodate every expression of it.
The family in this case believes the school has discriminated against their son. The school has disputed the allegations and reportedly offered an alternative arrangement.
It is now for the court to examine the facts and decide whether the school's actions were lawful and proportionate. Perhaps most importantly, the court will decide whether the actions fall within the bounds of Britain’s equality laws – laws that have been brought in the past fifty years as this country did away with the inequality that was inherent in its previous three centuries of existence.
I would have preferred to see a constructive discussion between the parents and the school rather than a legal confrontation that risks making a young child the centre of a much bigger religious and cultural debate.
A Nine-Year-Old Should Not Become The Face Of A Religious Battle
We live in a world where religion, politics, caste and identity are increasingly used to divide people.
Our schools should be doing the opposite. A nine-year-old should be worrying about making friends, learning mathematics, playing football, and discovering the world. He should not have to become the face of a legal battle over religious identity.
Teach children to respect their religion, but also teach them to respect people who believe differently or do not believe at all.
Teach them that being a good Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian is not simply about a mark on the forehead, a piece of clothing or a religious accessory. It is about compassion, honesty, kindness and how they treat others.
My belief is simple: our homes and places of worship are where we should freely practise and celebrate our faith. Schools are where children should learn, grow and discover that despite our different backgrounds, we are all equal.
Britain's multicultural society should be built on mutual respect, not on a constant demand for special treatment.
And perhaps those of us who come from India should ask ourselves one simple question: if we could respect the rules of our schools back home, why is it so difficult to respect the principle of a common school uniform here?
Faith should unite us, not become another reason to fight. And education should always come before the need to display our religious identity.
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