Jhatka Council’s Momentous Parliamentary Milestone

On Monday 15 September 2025, Jhatka Council achieved a landmark milestone in its campaign to secure legal recognition for Jhatka, the Sikh practice of humane animal slaughter, with its first focus group held at the Palace of Westminster. Hosted by Gurinder Singh Josan CBE, MP for Smethwick, and attended by MPs, the event drew an influential gathering of community leaders and scholars to affirm Jhatka’s theological and ethical foundations. This pivotal discussion, the first of a series of parliamentary sessions planned for this year, has galvanised the UK’s over half a million-strong Sikh community and set a bold precedent for ethical slaughter practices with benefits for millions of consumers.

Hosted in a Westminster committee room, the focus group featured a distinguished panel of Sikh academics and experts: Professor Eleanor Nesbitt, Dr James Holt, Gurinder Singh Mann, Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, and Dr Kamalroop Singh. Their presentations provided a compelling case for Jhatka, rooted in Sikh scripture, history, and ethics. This addressed a regulatory gap that has long constrained the community’s ability to adhere to its dietary principles.

The panelists unified around a core understanding: the Sikh faith rejects ritualism, including ritualistically slaughtered meat. They highlighted that methods involving throat-slitting and bleeding animals alive, often performed in the name of religion, are antithetical to Sikh teachings, which prioritise compassion and justice. Jhatka, involving a single, swift strike to ensure instantaneous death, aligns with these values by minimising animal suffering. Professor Nesbitt, drawing on her research into Sikh dietary practices, noted that early Sikh texts and biographies consistently support Jhatka for meat-eating Sikhs, provided it avoids ritual sacrifice — a stance echoed across the panel, reinforcing Jhatka’s spiritual and historical legitimacy.

The event’s gravitas was amplified by the presence of key Sikh figures. Gurpreet Singh Anand, President of the Khalsa Jatha British Isles – the UK’s first gurdwara, founded in 1908, extended his authority to the proceedings, symbolising the community’s enduring legacy. Equally significant was the resounding endorsement from Jathedars (Leaders) of Budha Dal in the UK – the supreme Nihang-Sikh authority. As custodians of Sikh martial traditions, including the practice of Jhatka, their unequivocal support underscored the practice’s authenticity and rallied the community around the council’s mission.

For UK Sikhs, the absence of legal provision for Jhatka creates a stark dilemma. As Jhatka Council notes, and reflected by the independent and learned panel, many must choose between abstaining from meat, consuming non-Jhatka meat prohibited by their faith, or resorting to unregulated practices that pose health and safety risks.

This focus group laid a robust theological foundation for these proposals, articulating the necessity behind the council’s advocacy to government.

By concluding Jhatka to be a humane and ethical practice, Jhatka Council position this as a model not only for Sikhs but for Britain’s £10 billion meat industry. Far from being a niche concern, Jhatka’s emphasis on instantaneous slaughter could elevate welfare standards for millions, offering a principled alternative in a market where ethics are regularly questioned. The council’s vision, as Josan emphasised, bridges faith and fairness, with potential to resonate across secular communities.