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Sikh riders mark 50 years of helmet exemption

Kaya Blackand
Haider Saleem,North West
News imageBBC A line of Sikh men dressed in motorcycle jackets and jeans are also all wearing bright orange turbans. They are standing in a semi circle and, beyond them, and out of focus, is a white lorry and the walls of the prison. In the center is Kulwant Singh.BBC
Members of the Sikh Motorcycle Club gathered at Strangeways Prison to honour Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar

About 20 Sikh motorcyclists have taken part in a ride marking 50 years since a Manchester Sikh campaigner helped secure a change to motorcycle helmet laws.

The group travelled from Strangeways Prison, near Manchester city centre, to the Sikh temple Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara in the south of the city in honour of campaigner Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar.

Known as Gyani Ji, he spent a week in Strangeways in 1976 for refusing to pay fines for riding his moped while wearing a turban instead of a crash helmet, his son Bharat Sagar said.

Another son, Ujjal Singh, who was there when he was released, said returning to the spot 50 years later was "quite nostalgic" and he was proud his father's legacy lived on.

His sons said he got straight back on his moped after leaving prison and was stopped six more times by police within a short distance.

A replica of Gyani Ji's moped was displayed as riders and members of his family gathered outside the prison before setting off on the memorial ride.

News imageSupplied A black and white photograph of Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar, who has a beard and moustache and is wearing a turban that looks white or a pale colour. He is wearing a dark suit, white striped shirt, and dark patterned tie. He has a serious expression. Supplied
Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar was better known as Gyani Ji

Bharat, 67, said he felt "incredibly proud for being a Sikh, but more proud for being a Mancunian".

"I think this is as much a Manchester thing and a societal thing as it is just a Sikh thing," he said.

"It's more about tolerance and creating a better, wider society."

News imageBharat Sagar, Ujjal Singh and two other people stand behind an orange-and-white replica of the moped ridden by Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar The group looks happy, gathered outside Strangeways Prison in Manchester. It's a sunny day. The red-brick and sandstone prison façade and large wooden doors fill the background.
A replica of the moped Gyani Ji rode during his campaign was displayed before the commemorative ride

Gyani Ji had previously spent seven years campaigning after being denied a job as a Manchester bus conductor because of uniform restrictions.

His efforts culminated in October 1966 when Manchester's Transport Committee voted to allow turbans to be worn as part of the uniform.

He was also involved in establishing one of Europe's earliest Sikh gurdwaras, a place of workship, in Manchester in 1953.

His legacy was recognised again in June when a blue plaque was unveiled at his former home in Old Trafford.

News imageA large group of men, women and children gather outside the arched entrance of Strangeways Prison in Manchester before the commemorative motorcycle ride. Many of the men are wearing orange, blue, green, black or white turbans, and several riders are dressed in motorcycle jackets and club vests. An orange-and-white replica of Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar’s moped is positioned at the front of the group, with one man sitting on it. The red-brick and sandstone prison façade and large wooden doors fill the background.
The ride began at Strangeways Prison, where campaigner Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar was jailed

Founder of Sikh Motorcycle Club UK Kulwant Singh described the 1976 law change as a "great achievement" and said the group wanted younger generations to understand the history behind it.

"It's a positive message we try to spread out to the wider audience, not just Sikhs but non-Sikhs alike," he said.

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