Posted 5th October 2023

The turban war -1960

In 1960 the Manchester corporation transport committee prohibits Sikhs with turbans from serving as bus conductors.

So lets get this right, Punjabi Sikhs who wear their turban for religious purposes were allowed to wear them when they fought in the first and second world wars whilst bolstering the support of the British Army, yet they were refused to wear them during their employment as bus conductors in 1960.

Now that seems outrageously and blatantly discriminatory in my opinion. 

The war against the turban continued well into the 1980s. If it wasn't employers, it was educators and schools that had the problem with the turban. Even the Ministry of transport had a scuffle with turban wearers, as Punjabi Sikhs had to fight for the right to keep their turban on whilst riding a motorbike. 

Thank fully legislation passed allowed the wearing of turbans for Sikhs, in all environments from the Police to the riding a motorbike around the streets of Southall without a helmet. But it was not before British society and indeed its institutions had showed the ugly face of racism to these warriors. 

Using original archival material my research will focus on the fight to wear the turban in some of these arenas and how that battle was won.