Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

An Underground guard who refused to part with his turban

Amar Singh braved his suspension for wearing his Sikh headgear in the 1960s

An Underground guard who refused to part with his turban

London has evolved as a diverse city over the decades with more than 300 languages spoken in the British capital now. While Transport of London allows its staff and others to wear any religious symbols today, the situation was different earlier.

A look at its transformation as a multicultural city brings to mind the story of an Indian-origin guard in the Underground who had to fight for his right to wear the turban while on duty.

Amar Singh, who worked as a guard on board Central line trains in the early 1960s, braved his suspension from work for wearing his Sikh headgear.

It’s a common practice among Sikh men to abstain from cutting their hair and wear the turban to keep their hair tidy.

Yet Sigh trimmed his hair and shaved like a typical Englishman. He did wear his flat-peaked cap to work from the Acton depot for a couple of years. He later decided to follow his religious practice but superiors insisted that he should wear the standard uniform. He was suspended without pay for his refusal to part with the turban. As he went to his workplace wearing the headgear for weeks, he was turned away. Although it meant a loss of pay of £30, an amount equivalent to almost £500 today, he refused to budge. As the story made national headlines, his higher-ups finally allowed him to wear the turban while on duty provided it had the London Transport badge pinned to it.

The then authorities treated him as a “special case” and clarified, “We won't be unsympathetic towards a request by him for his pay for the time he has been absent".

At the time, Singh told the Mirror: "I wore a peaked cap for more than two years. I had my haircut and I shaved like an Englishman. But I could not go on - my conscience was tormenting me. I decided to let my hair and beard grow again. When my hair looked like a Beatle's I put it in a turban. But at work, I was told this was not allowed."

Singh, who “was surprised at this religious discrimination”, told a news agency, "London Transport seem to be trying to starve me into submission because they haven't sacked me and will not release me."

The situation then was in stark contrast to what one can see in London today. Workers across the transport network are now allowed to wear turbans, hijabs, crosses and any other symbols of their religion.

More For You

Cat food

The FDA warned those who may have purchased the affected cat food to not feed it to their pets or donate it

iStock

Cat food brand Savage Pet recalls products due to bird flu contamination

Savage Pet has issued a recall for some of its raw chicken cat food products over concerns of bird flu (H5N1) contamination. The recall affects 66 large 84-ounce boxes and 74 small 21-ounce boxes of their product, which bear the lot code and best-by date of 15 November 2026. The cat food is packaged in distinctive cardboard boxes with handles shaped like a cat’s head and marked with a yellow outline around the company’s logo.

The contaminated products were distributed to retailers in five states: California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised customers who purchased these products to return them to the retailer for a refund. Feeding the contaminated food to pets or donating it to shelters is not recommended due to the risk of spreading the virus.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi-Fridman

In a discussion lasting over three hours with US-based podcaster and computer scientist Lex Fridman, Modi said he shares a strong connection with former US president Donald Trump. (Photo: X/@lexfridman)

India-China cooperation essential for global peace and prosperity, says Modi

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi spoke on a range of foreign policy and domestic issues in a podcast interview on Sunday.

He emphasised that cooperation between India and China is necessary for global peace and prosperity and criticised Pakistan for its links to global terrorism. He said his attempts to improve ties with Islamabad were met with hostility.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer

Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure over the government's planned welfare reforms, which aim to cut costs and tighten benefit eligibility

Getty Images

Starmer faces pressure over planned welfare reforms

KEIR STARMER is facing growing pressure as the government prepares to announce changes to the welfare system this week.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall is set to outline cost-cutting reforms on Tuesday, focusing on reducing spending and encouraging more people into work.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Reeves

The finance ministry said regulators would be called to the prime minister's office, where Reeves will present an 'action plan to deliver on the pledge to cut the administrative cost of regulation on business by a quarter.' (Photo: Getty Images)

Rachel Reeves to set out plan to cut business regulations

THE LABOUR government will announce its plan on Monday to reduce regulatory costs for businesses as it faces pressure to boost economic growth nine months after coming to power.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will outline the changes after prime minister Keir Starmer criticised what he called the nation's "flabby state."

Keep ReadingShow less