On 30 Oct, the Indian Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued a directive barring Sikh airport employees from wearing kirpans (traditional sword) while on duty. Indian Sikh advocacy groups, including Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), FlyAmritsar Initiative (FAI), and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), urged Indian authorities to revoke the directive. The directive allows Sikh passengers to carry kirpans with blades under six inches on domestic flights but explicitly restricts Sikh employees from wearing them at work, leading to reported incidents at airports where Sikh staff have been denied terminal access. AVM and FAI leaders highlighted the directive’s inconsistency with international standards in countries like the UK and Canada, which permit Sikh employees in sensitive roles to wear kirpans. Citing Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which protects religious freedoms, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami condemned the ban as an ‘excess’. The SGPC has formally appealed to Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu for a policy revision. Youth Akali Dal President Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer criticized the directive as discriminatory. Meanwhile, On 4 Nov, the Kurukshetra police booked three unidentified youths for assaulting Ratananmol Singh, a resident of Shahabad, Haryana and employee at Gurdwara Mardon Sahib. Singh said three youths stopped him, tied him with a rope, cut his hair, and took his hair in a bag. The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee condemned the violent act and demanded strict action against the accused (SDW Vol 1 Issue 14, Story 10).
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