They might have the "freedom" to call themselves what they want but according to the constitution of india there classed as hindus.
At present, Article 25 of the Constitution of India describes Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism as parts of the Hindu religion. Sikhs have long been seeking amendment to this Article to grant Sikhism an independent identity under the law.
In a significant move, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today allowed Shiromani Akali Dal’s Khadoor Sahib member Rattan Singh Ajnala’s private member Bill to amend Article 25 of the Constitution to meet the community’s pressing demand.
The Bill titled ‘Constitution Amendment Bill 2012’ seeks to drop Explanation II in Article 25, which — while guaranteeing a right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion — defines Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism as components of the Hindu religion.
The statement of object and reasons behind Ajnala’s private member Bill listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha tomorrow wants Explanation II dropped and says, “The drafting of sub clause (b) of Clause 2 of Article 25 tends to ignore the separate and distinct identities of Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions. Rather, it shows that these religions are either part of the Hindu religion or associated with it. This has resulted in avoidable confusion across the world about the independent identity of these three religions. This Bill proposes to amend Article 25 with a view to distinctively refer to Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions along with Hindu religion.”
The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News