As we went to press a major conference was taking place at City Hall in central London organised by the Sikh Federation (UK) and hosted by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. An early report from the conference titled 'Making Sikhs Visible to Decision Makers' pointed towards a successful event with an excellent turnout with over 100 Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations sending delegates. The purpose of this event was to raise awareness within decision making bodies about the Sikh community and consider key issues and concerns faced by the community today. The conference was to begin with Ken Livingstone welcoming representatives of the Sikh community and decision makers from a number of central government departments, national agencies, local government and other public bodies. He was expected to talk about the background to the conference and the importance for decision makers to recognise the needs of the Sikh community who continue to make a huge contribution. Ken Livingstone is noted for his plain speaking which has won him praise and criticism. Following the Mayor the conference was to look at the enormous contribution of Sikhs with Bibi Ravinder Kaur from Young Sikhs (UK) speaking about the long Anglo-Sikh history, the importance of the Sikh identity, prominent British Sikh figures and the contribution of Sikhs to mankind. Bibi Ravinder Kaur was to be followed by a representative from the Metropolitan Police Sikh Association. A Sikh detective working in CID was expected to talk about his experiences. Other speakers will include Rob Marris MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for UK Sikhs who was expected to speak about the political pressure and demand for Sikhs to be separately monitored and for their rights to be properly safeguarded. Dominic Grieve MP the Shadow Attorney General and Vice-Chair of the APPG for UK Sikhs was expected to reiterate the legal recognition already given to the Sikhs. In the afternoon Stephen Grosz described by many as "Quite simply the leading human rights solicitor in the country," was expected to touch upon the difficulties Sikhs continue to experience in the UK and the challenges in Europe to religious freedom. Stephen Grosz was involved in the Mandla v Lee case that gave Sikhs separate legal recognition in the House of Lords in 1983 and is currently taking the lead in taking the Dastaar case in France to the European Court of Human Rights.

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