Why is a 9-year-old Hindu boy suing his UK school over a tilak? Over ₹31 lakh damages sought

London: A nine-year-old British Indian Hindu boy has sued his former primary school in the UK High Court, alleging religious discrimination after it barred him from wearing a traditional tilak-chandlo mark on his forehead, according to a report by The Times of India.

The boy, through his father acting as his litigation friend, is seeking £25,000 (₹31,39,287.50) in damages from the governing body of Vicar's Green Primary School in Alperton, in London's Ealing borough. The lawsuit alleges unlawful religious discrimination and harassment, breach of public sector equality duty and interference with the child's right to freedom of religion.

The dispute began in November 2025, when the boy, then eight, was questioned by school staff about the religious mark and told that he could not wear it, according to the report.

The child follows the Swaminarayan Hindu faith, in which the tilak-chandlo is worn as a religious expression. His parents reportedly told the school that he had worn the mark for four years and that its existing uniform policy did not prohibit it.

The lawsuit further alleges that the school removed the child from the school council on December 12, where he was representing his class. The school subsequently introduced a revised uniform policy explicitly prohibiting religious symbols.

His parents withdrew him from the school in January 2026.
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School denies allegations

Vicar's Green Primary School has disputed the allegations, denying that it unlawfully discriminated against or harassed the child.

In its defence, the school argued that preventing the boy from wearing the tilak-chandlo did not stop him from practising Hinduism. It also claimed that allowing the religious mark could have wider consequences, including a possible breakdown in pupil cohesiveness.

The school has questioned whether wearing the mark daily is obligatory under the Swaminarayan Hindu faith. It also claimed that staff had suggested the boy could wear the symbol on parts of his body covered by clothing, but his parents rejected the proposal.
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Case raises questions over religious freedom

Ambrish Limbachia, director of Ashray Law, which represents the boy, said the case raises important questions about religious freedom and equality in British education.

The boy's father is pursuing the case with financial support from UK Hindu network Action for Harmony.

The lawsuit invokes Articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which respectively protect freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination.

The case brings the balance between school uniform regulations and pupils' rights to religious expression into focus.