The murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton has sparked calls to ban the kirpan, a ceremonial dagger worn by Sikhs. However, the weapon used in the killing was not a kirpan but a longer 21cm blade, according to reports.
Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh, was sentenced to life for stabbing Nowak five times. The case has led politicians, including Robert Jenrick and Reform UK, to propose repealing the legal exemption that allows Sikhs to carry the kirpan in public.
Critics argue that there has never been a single incident where a kirpan was used in a killing or attack since its exemption under the 1988 Criminal Justice Act. Modern kirpans are typically blunt and small, with blades around 8cm long.
The Sikh community fears that misinformation is driving a push to restrict religious freedoms. The kirpan is a symbol of faith, not a weapon, and banning it would be an overreaction to a crime committed with a different blade.
