News|Religion

UK road to be named after founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak

Renaming of part of Havelock Road, believed to be named after a British colonial military figure, welcomed as a move towards diversity.

Southall in London is home a significant Punjabi population, most of whom are Sikh [Frank Augstein/AP]
Published On 30 Nov 2020

A road in west London will be renamed Guru Nanak Road after the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

The local Ealing Council authority announced the decision to rename part of Havelock Road in Southall, an area of London known as the United Kingdom’s celebrated “Little Punjab”, ahead of the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak on Monday.

Keep reading

list of 4 itemsend of list

Southall is home a significant Punjabi population, most of whom are Sikh.

The Sri Guru Singh Sabha on Havelock Road, the largest Gurdwara organisation outside of India, is located on Havelock Road, according to the temple’s website.

Havelock Road is believed to be named after Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, a man who became a British military official for his role suppressing the Indian Mutiny of 1857.

The anti-colonial revolt saw Indian soldiers and thousands of citizens rise up against British commanders to end colonial rule.

In 2002, Sikh campaigners in west London called for Havelock Road to be renamed, claiming it should not have been named after a military official whose men were responsible for killing thousands of soldiers during the uprising.

The decision was welcomed by some Twitter users.

“This is a big deal,” tweeted Edward Anderson, a history lecturer. “Havelock Rd was named after the colonial British general who fought in the Sikh wars & later suppressed the 1857 Uprising. It is home to London’s largest gurudwara.”

 

Across the UK, monuments and street names linked to racism and colonialism have come under scrutiny in the wake of George Floyd’s death in the United States, and the enormous Black Lives Matter demonstrations that followed.

Ealing Council’s move comes after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced in June a Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm to “review and improve diversity across London’s public realm to ensure the capital’s landmarks suitably reflect London’s achievements and diversity”.

The name change will come into effect early next year.