Parents sue UK school for stopping Hindu boy from putting on tilak
Parents of a nine-year-old Hindu boy have filed a lawsuit against a London primary school for allegedly banning their son from wearing a religious tilak. The family claims the school's actions forced them to withdraw their child and are seeking damages for the distress caused.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing tensions regarding religious expression and secular policies within the British education system.
Parents of a nine-year-old British Hindu boy have approached the UK high court after his primary school in London allegedly stopped him from wearing a tilak on his forehead, news agency PTI reported on Sunday.The boy, who belongs to the Swaminarayan faith tradition, had been studying at Vicar's Green Primary School in west London since 2021. He had worn the sacred religious marking, known as Tilak-Chandlo, to school for several years without any objection.However, the school raised concerns over the practice in late 2025, triggering a dispute that eventually led his parents to withdraw him from the institution and initiate legal proceedings.“As parents, it has been heartbreaking to see our son go through this simply because he wanted to practise his faith,” the parents said in a statement released by their legal team this weekend.“He had worn his Tilak-Chandlo to school for years without difficulty, and we never imagined that…
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