Young Sikhs cut hair to fit in westernised culture

London, Nov 25: The British Organisation of Sikh Students has said many British Sikhs cut their hair as they reach their teens in an effort to fit in with their local surroundings.
Some Sikh groups in Britain believe that young, westernised Sikhs have long been reluctant to adhere to traditional disciplines. But Sikh students say that increasing numbers of racially motivated attacks have had a significant impact on their attitudes.

Dalwinder Singh, an executive board member of the student group, said, ''We do get a lot of young kids trimming their hair because of the indifferent attitude others have against them.'' ''For example, they can't participate in certain things at school and they just don't want to stand out. Similarly the attacks that have been in the news have definitely had an effect. Teenagers just want to fit in with what society is doing,'' Mr Singh added.

An official of the Sikh Educational and Cultural Association agreed that young Sikhs cut their hair, but said recent assaults have had little impact.

''Sikh youngsters are like any other youngsters and they can drift away from their religion,'' he said adding that this has always been the case.

They feel that it is a burden for them to keep long hair, the official said.

However, there are others like Harwinder Singh, a representative of the Sikh Education Council, who believed that it was wrong to think that British Sikhs were no longer interested in keeping their hair and beards long.

UNI