Hindu student forced to leave UK school over tilak. Is it a case of discrimination?

An eight-year-old student in London was compelled to leave his primary school after facing alleged discrimination for wearing a tilak, a sacred Hindu mark applied on the forehead.

According to advocacy group Insight UK, the incident took place at Vicar’s Green Primary School. The group further stated that the child was asked repeatedly to explain and justify his religious practise, something it described as ’entirely inappropriate for a minor.'

Here is what happened.

‘Discrimination’ against a Hindu student

In a shocking incident of alleged discrimination in the United Kingdom, an eight-year-old student at Vicar’s Green Primary School in London was asked to justify his religious practice after the child wore t ilak-chandlo on his forehead. Tilak-chandlo is a sacred Hindu symbol applied to the forehead.

The British Hindu and Indian advocacy body Insight UK stated that the school’s headteacher monitored the pupil during break times in a manner the child found intimidating, resulting in social withdrawal and isolation from classmates.

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It further claimed that the pupil was removed from roles of responsibility solely due to his religious practice. If established, such conduct would constitute direct religious discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

“No child should feel watched, singled out, or isolated because of their faith, especially not from a person of authority,” an Insight UK spokesperson said, reported NDTV. Speaking about the lasting impact of such experiences on children, they further said, “Such experiences can have lasting emotional impacts and raise serious safeguarding questions.”

Following the incident, the child had to leave the primary school and seek admission elsewhere.

What did the parents do?

The parents of the pupil, along with others, tried to reason with the school authorities, explaining to them the significance of applying the tilak to the forehead.

The authorities, rather than engaging constructively, dismissed the issue with unacceptable answers, with school leadership showing an unwillingness to acknowledge or understand Hindu religious observance.

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According to NDTV, an Insight UK spokesperson said, “This was not a good-faith dialogue - it was an imbalance of power, where Hindu religious practices were scrutinised, minimised, and ultimately rejected.”

Insight UK also alleged that the school had previously forced at least four Hindu Children to leave, citing concerns of inclusivity and religious freedom.

Similar incidents

There have been rising incidents of hate against Hindus around the world. Thrashing of trucks and stores of FedEx, Walmart, and Verizon took place In the United States, the top bosses of each being Indian or Indian-origin.

Earlier, an Indian man was brutally attacked by a mob in Ireland leaving him dripping in blood from head to toe. Meanwhile, in Adelaide, Australia, a 23-year-old Indian was brutally beaten after being ambushed by five men following a dispute over a parking spot.

Data from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reveals that such attacks on Indians have risen in recent times.

A 2022 report showed that the US witnessed a 1,000 per cent rise in anti-Hindu hate attacks on the community across the world, including the US. Meanwhile, in 2023, a think tank noted that there were an increasing number of anti-Hindu incidents in UK schools. ‘Anti-Hindu Hate in Schools’, by the counter-terrorism think-tank Henry Jackson Society, found that 51 per cent of Hindu parents surveyed reported that their child has suffered anti-Hindu hate at school.

With inputs from agencies