BBC Asian Network regrets “Sikhism” comments

The BBC Asian Network has expressed regret over comments it made about the Sikh religion on Nihal Arthanayake’s discussion show in March.

The Telegraph reported that Sikh leaders accused the radio station of being ���irresponsible and misleading�۝ after it suggested that their faith is ���made up of other religions�۝ such as Islam and Hinduism.

During the phone-in show, Nihal read out a text message from a listener saying ���incredibly offensive�۝ way the presenters had suggested that Sikhism was ���made up from other religions ie Islam and Hinduism�۝.

Nihal replied with, ���I�۪m sorry with all due respect, it is, absolutely it is.�۝ He added, ���It came around in the 15th and 16th Centuries in India, how could it not be influenced?�۝

But the Network of Sikh Organisations, headed by Lord Singh ��� who is himself a regular on the BBC, as a contributor to Radio 4�۪s Thought For the Day ��� complained, accusing the programme of a ���skewed�۝ approach.

A spokeswoman for BBC Asian Network said, ���We have reviewed the transmission from the Nihal phone-in on March 13 and agree that this short excerpt was less than satisfactory. The debate show deals with difficult subjects on a daily basis and very occasionally we don�۪t get the tone exactly right. We have spoken to the team about this matter and continue to strive to be as balanced as possible and sensitive to people�۪s religious beliefs, always wanting to avoid any offence.�۝