Why SIKH HELMETS Have Everyone MAD!?
Alright, let’s dive into this whole ‘Sikh Helmet’ thing. If you caught the live stream, you know we went through the Twitter and TikTok reactions. Turns out, I forgot to hit record. Oops! But we’re professionals, so we’re doing it again like nothing happened. This whole controversy seems a bit overblown, honestly. A lot of people are just scratching their heads, and I get it. For what it’s worth, I think it’s awesome, and I’d probably get one for my kids. I rock a helmet when I snowboard. But I also understand the other side, so let’s try to give everyone a fair shake.
This all started with Tina Singh, a Sikh mom with two (maybe more) Sikh children. She realized helmets weren’t working for them because they wouldn’t fit over their joora (hair knot). You either get a helmet that’s too big and doesn’t fit right or hollow it out, making it useless. Or, you do what I did growing up: skip the helmet. Some folks are like, ‘Why do kids even need helmets?’ We grew up without them! Well, I snowboarded without a helmet once, got a few bumps, and probably a concussion. After that, I decided I wasn’t that tough anymore. Now, I wear a helmet snowboarding, and I want my kids to wear helmets when we bike. Helmets help, period. And having one that fits properly matters. Plus, if your kid’s got a joora, untying and retying it every time you go to the park is a pain.
So, I’m happy Tina made this helmet. It’ll make life easier. People say kids should just learn to tie their dastars (turbans) properly, but that’s a whole different thing. For kids who wear patkas (smaller under-turbans), this seems like a great solution.
Let’s look at what she said in a CBC clip: “My kids keep their hair, so anytime I went to put a bike helmet on them…nothing would fit them properly.” Basically, this helmet has a dome-shaped section on top to accommodate the hair while still meeting helmet safety standards. It can help kids feel included, which is awesome. It makes a difference. You don’t want to risk head injuries, especially with young kids. I don’t see older kids wanting to rock this, but for the young ones, it’s a godsend. Creating a product for Sikh kids shows inclusion and diversity.
Of course, not everyone agrees. There’s been pushback. United Sikhs initially had some harsh words, saying the helmet doesn’t adhere to Sikh tenets and is an improvised solution. They said they want to find an alternative that addresses both safety and community concerns. But what’s safer than a helmet right now? What alternative are they proposing? Are we going to wait another ten years for them to come up with something? Some people in the comments were asking who made them the voice for all Sikhs and applauding Tina for seeing her idea through, rather than being dragged for it.
There are also people who cringe at this. They believe the dastar is a symbol of religious identity placed on our heads by our Guru. Some aren’t fans of the helmet take either. One Twitter user said, ‘Where are the star tie this thought on your kids? Sticks in the West campaign for the last 60 years to wear the Stars, not helmets. Let’s not get it twisted.’ They also called the health and safety justification ‘weird parental anxiety’.
Now, Sikhs in the West have been lobbying for helmet exemptions for dastars for decades, even in the military. I think if you wear a dastar and don’t want to wear a helmet, you shouldn’t have to. But I also think wearing a helmet is safe. Sikhs have been doing acrobatics on horses without helmets, but does the dastar offer adequate protection? When Sikhs ride motorcycles, I had a buddy get into an accident, and his dastar disintegrated, offering no protection. We can say we’re always protected, but there’s no hard data to back that up.
As a parent, you want your kids to be safe. It’s not abnormal to be anxious about their safety. And while some historical examples of Sikh helmets exist, they’re rare and seem to have been for the wealthy. If they were more widespread, this wouldn’t be as contentious. Even in India, there’s debate about Sikh soldiers wearing helmets.
Some suggest collecting data and finding a different approach, like a Kevlar dastar. Others, not so helpful, are just plain negative. Then there are the memes. One joked about morbidly obese men criticizing a mom who wants her kids to be active. There’s some truth to that, right? If you can’t wear a helmet, don’t do the activity? Growing up, I wouldn’t ski if I had to wear a helmet. Now, I can’t risk another concussion. I’m all for Sikh values, but if this was a ‘sub loh’ (steel) helmet, would people be more lenient?
Ultimately, if you’re okay with your kids wearing helmets, great. If not, don’t buy it. No one’s saying it should become law. But calling it a ‘Sikh helmet’ could lead to confusion and make legislation harder. I don’t think that anxiety is real, though. The terminology could bring about certain issues. Then, you have TikTok users saying not to make a specific helmet for patkas; just wear a big dastar. But I’ve seen dastars come apart in falls. They’re not always going to protect you.
Some members of the World Sikh Organization (WSO) are concerned that this helmet will hurt dastar accommodation efforts. They worry people will say, ‘You found one for the kids; why can’t you come up with one for yourselves?’ It’s a slippery slope. It’s designed for people who are okay with their kids wearing helmets. If you’re not, don’t use it. It’s not saying they should become law, but there are some potential points of confusion.
The helmet is not supposed to be on top of a turban; rather, it is meant to be on top of a patka cloth. A point that is constantly being missed by mainstream media. Dr. Singh Grewal kind of makes a note that there’s a little bit of misrepresentation happening in the media simplification.
Kushwan Singh, the secretary of the Sikh Motorcycle Club feels that the products and branding like the Sikh helmet negatively impact the struggle of Sikh Community to secure important religious freedom rights and accommodations to whether this thought on this issue. Dr Goodwa later says it’s great that the option is there but the option doesn’t provide answers to every version of the religion religiosity of six most of the good mat would say that the turban needs to be outside.
In regards to the name the company owners have said, ‘We acknowledge the concerns and have been reading through the various articles and comments we have been tagged in online it was not Our intention to imply endorsement by the entire Community by choosing this name our team is currently working towards a resolution and evaluating other options which may include a name change’.
My take? If you wear a helmet, good for you. If you don’t, that’s fine too. But there’s no reason we shouldn’t have something that makes life easier for Sikh youth who want to play sports and get active. So, share your thoughts! What alternative name would you give this helmet?
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