British Sikh organisations will lobby MPs in Parliament this week, accusing the UK Government of failing to tackle what they describe as a sharp rise in anti-Sikh incidents following the fatal stabbing of a young Sikh woman in west London.The campaign comes days after 24-year-old Kirandeep Kaur, originally from Tarn Taran in Punjab, was killed in a double stabbing in Hayes, west London. A second victim, a man in his 20s, was found nearby with stab injuries and remains in hospital.A 44-year-old man, Daniel Sean James, has been charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of a bladed article. The Metropolitan Police have not publicly identified a motive for the attack, but Kirandeep Kaur’s family has urged detectives to examine whether racial hatred played any part.Appearing before magistrates last Monday, James was remanded in custody. Detective Chief Inspector Allam Bhangoo described the attack as “a shocking incident which has tragically resulted in one woman losing her life and another man in hospital with injuries”.The parliamentary initiative is being led by the Sikh Federation (UK) and its associated Sikh Network, which say they will urge MPs to press the Government to recognise and tackle hate crimes against Sikhs more effectively.The campaign comes against the backdrop of the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton and the subsequent conviction of Vickrum Digwa. That case sparked political debate about the Sikh kirpan which enjoys legal protection in Britain for religious purposes. Sikh organisations argue that public discussion of the kirpan following the case has contributed to increased hostility towards members of the community.Britain is home to more than 5,25,000 Sikhs, one of the largest Sikh communities outside India. While police record religiously aggravated offences, there are no routinely published national statistics specifically identifying hate crimes against Sikhs, making it difficult to independently verify claims of a recent surge.The Sikh Federation (UK) said a survey conducted by its associated Sikh Network, based on more than 1,000 responses from Sikhs across Britain, indicated what it described as a significant increase in anti-Sikh incidents since mid-May. According to the survey, 40 per cent of respondents said they had experienced or witnessed anti-Sikh incidents, nearly 90 per cent believed such incidents had increased, and more than half said they no longer felt safe. Only six per cent of incidents referred to in the survey had been reported to the police.The survey has not been independently verified and was conducted among self-selecting respondents rather than a representative sample of Britain’s Sikh population.Dabinderjit Singh OBE, the Federation’s Chief Executive for Political Engagement, accused ministers of failing to address hate crimes against Sikhs despite repeated representations to the Government.“We have been raising concerns about anti-Sikh hate crimes and the misrepresentation of the sacred kirpan directly with the Home Secretary and Policing Minister since late May,” he said. “We have, however, faced a complete wall of silence.”He said the Federation would urge MPs to press the Government to recognise hate crimes against Sikhs on a par with other forms of religious and racial hatred and to engage directly with Sikh organisations on the issue.In a separate intervention, the Indian Workers Association (Great Britain), one of Britain’s oldest anti-racist organisations, condemned Kirandeep Kaur’s killing and backed the family’s call for a full, independent and transparent investigation into all possible motives, including whether racial or religious hatred played any part in the attack.“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic loss of life,” said Sital Singh Gill, General Secretary of the Indian Workers Association (IWA). “We stand in solidarity with Kirandeep Kaur’s family and support their call for a thorough investigation into every possible motive behind this horrific crime. If the evidence establishes that racial or religious hatred was a factor, those responsible must face the full force of the law.”The IWA, which has campaigned against racial discrimination in Britain for decades, also urged communities to remain united and said racism, hate crimes and all forms of violence had no place in a democratic and multicultural Britain.The Metropolitan Police have not said they are treating the Hayes murder as a hate crime, and investigations into the circumstances surrounding Kirandeep Kaur’s death are continuing.Labour MP Jas Athwal said: “It is deeply distressing to learn of the tragic death of Kirandeep Kaur, who was fatally stabbed at a property on Uxbridge Road. I also understand that another man was found nearby with stab injuries and remains in hospital. My thoughts are with him, and I wish him a full and swift recovery.”“My heartfelt condolences are with Kirandeep’s family, friends and loved ones, and with the family of the injured man, as they face unimaginable grief, trauma and uncertainty.”“Kirandeep was a mother. That makes this tragedy all the more devastating. A young woman has had her future stolen in an act of appalling violence, and a child will now grow up without their mother. No family should ever have to endure such unbearable loss.”“As the police continue their investigation, it is important that speculation is avoided and the facts are allowed to emerge. But there can be no ambiguity about one thing: violence like this destroys lives, shatters families and leaves scars that last a lifetime.”“I hope everyone affected receives the care, compassion and support they will need in the difficult days, weeks and months ahead.”