"It's more about tolerance and creating a better, wider society."
Approximately 20 Sikh motorcyclists took part in a memorial ride to mark 50 years since Manchester Sikh campaigner Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar helped secure a change to motorcycle helmet laws.
The group travelled from Strangeways Prison, near Manchester city centre, to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara in the south of the city in honour of the campaigner, known as Gyani Ji.
Gyani Ji spent a week in Strangeways in 1976 after refusing to pay fines for riding his moped while wearing a turban instead of a helmet.
His son Ujjal Singh, who was there when he was released, said returning to the prison 50 years later was “quite nostalgic” and that he was proud his father’s legacy continued.
His sons said Gyani Ji got straight back on his moped after leaving prison and was stopped by police six more times within a short distance.
A replica of his moped was displayed as the riders and members of his family gathered outside the prison before setting off on the memorial ride.
Bharat said he felt “incredibly proud for being a Sikh, but more proud for being a Mancunian”.
He said: “I think this is as much a Manchester thing and a societal thing as it is just a Sikh thing.
“It’s more about tolerance and creating a better, wider society.”
Gyani Ji had previously spent seven years campaigning after being denied a job as a Manchester bus conductor because of restrictions on wearing turbans as part of the uniform.
His efforts culminated in October 1966 when Manchester’s Transport Committee voted to allow turbans to be worn as part of the uniform.
He was also involved in establishing one of Europe’s earliest Sikh gurdwaras, a place of worship, in Manchester in 1953.
Gyani Ji’s legacy was recognised again in June when a blue plaque was unveiled at his former home in Old Trafford.
Kulwant Singh, founder of Sikh Motorcycle Club UK, described the 1976 law change as a “great achievement” and said the group wanted younger generations to understand its history.
He added: “It’s a positive message we try to spread out to the wider audience, not just Sikhs but non-Sikhs alike.”
