Last night Southall, West London – the centre of the UK Sikh community, showed a massive show of defiance against the anarchy that spread throughout London and other parts of the UK.
A combination of text messages, phone calls, social media postings and good old word-on-the-street canvassing, drew together crowds of Sikhs in their hundreds to protect the gurdwaras, businesses and locals against the very real threat of mob opportunism from surrounding areas.
An incident late on Monday night was fresh in the minds of many who assembled, where a group of rioters from Ealing, West London, which had early been ravaged, 15 mins down the road from Southall, attacked jewellers on the Broadway. The rioters were eventually turned away by a group of 200 locals who quickly assembled before damage was done.
From early afternoon on Tuesday crowds of Sikhs had congregated at Park Avenue Gurdwara, Havelock road Gurdwara and Miri Piri Gurdwara, Southall, as well as several gurdwaras in East, North and Central London. There was an air of fearlessness as ‘Jakarrai’ resonated in the streets, and Singhs patrolled the streets and businesses late into the early hours of the morning.
The apparent malaise of people disguised a notable organisation of certain groups, including the SWAT (Southall Welfare & Awareness Team), the gurdwaras, and other pockets of highly mobile and well resourced clusters of Singhs, young and old.
Communication was kept open between gurdwaras, with reinforcements sent to Gurdwaras with less numbers on the ground, or experiencing threats on their security. Gurdwaras served tea and langar to the masses, and served as bases for Sikhs to patrol surrounding areas. Amarjit Singh Klair from nearby Hounslow, who helped rally the men, said: ‘We are working alongside the police, they’re doing what they can but they are stretched. Why shouldn’t we defend our homes, businesses and places of worship? This is our area. There’s lots of talk about it kicking off here. But we’re ready for them.’
Interactions with the police were highly positive, one officer commenting: “We are right behind you” to a group of Sikhs on the Broadway, with some police teams seen patrolling together with other groups. Another confirmed “we are not expecting any trouble here tonight, the community is very strong here”.
Even relations with the Islamic community were upheld, with groups banding together with Sikhs in areas across the UK against a common threat, bringing back memories of the unity of the Southall protests of the 1970s against the racist nationalist parties of the time.
With the socio-economic problems of the UK having no sign of improving, inequality on the rise and political indecision and mistrust still rife amongst marginalized sections of society, it will be important for Sikhs to become more organized, better trained and better resourced, to not only serve and protect their areas, but assist in the safety of the wider community.
This show of force and defiance was represented in most mainstream media, on TV, as well as national and international media, from the Financial Times and Sky News, to the New York Daily News and Times of India. A good message to the world that Sikhs remain as upholders of justice and security for all, in times of trouble and lawlessness.