Sikhs, Kashmiris among new categories considered for UK census

LONDON: Sikhs and Kashmiris are among new categories being considered for additional ethnicity tick-boxes on the 2021 census form by the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS).

“We are a long way off as there is still a lot of research that needs to be done to ensure that the census held every 10 years collects all the right information. Ethnicity is just one aspect of this research and Sikhs and Kashmiris are among a number of requests we received,” an ONS spokesperson said.

Sikhs are already recognised as a separate religion in the optional religious question introduced in the 2001 Census.

The UK’s Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 placed an obligatory and specific duty on the country’s public authorities to monitor and positively promote race equality in the provision of public services.

Sikh groups based in the UK have been campaigning for a separate category for British Sikhs for years and are hopeful that research launched this week to inform the census questionnaire will lead to such a change. (AGENCIES)

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