Sikh Passengers Barred from Flights, Restrictions Spark Global Concerns

In a recent viral video, an unnamed Sikh passenger, who was traveling to Spain, was reportedly barred from boarding an international flight at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ramdas JiInternational Airport after he declined to remove his kara (iron bangle) and kirpan (traditional sword), two of the five mandatory kakar (articles of faith) for devout Sikhs. The passenger compared the move with his previous experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic when traveling on Air France and Emirates who allowed him to carry the articles of faith. Sikh passengers flying internationally from Panjab’s Amritsar and Delhi airports have repeatedly raised alarms over being forced to remove kirpans and necklaces even when the articles of faith are miniatures. Despite earlier international travels where they faced no such restriction, multiple travelers report that domestic security personnel at Amritsar airport, acting on Bureau of Civil Aviation Security guidelines, insist these metal symbols are disallowed on international flights. Recently, 77-year-old Canadian citizen Gurcharan Singh Banwait was detained at Amritsar airport for over 36 hours without basic assistance. Then he was deported to Canada. Banwait regularly travels to India for his healthcare charity. Indian authorities' action has once again raised concerns about the use of a black list to target Sikhs and journalists. According to newly released documents from Canada’s Hogue Commission—an inquiry into foreign interference in elections—Canadian Sikh community members have stated that they face systematic threats and harassment, allegedly orchestrated by Indian authorities. The statements detail how Indian agents purportedly spy on Sikh Gurdwaras, retaliate against protestors’ families in India, and revoke or deny visas in exchange for cooperation. Meanwhile, the Sikh Federation International raised Panjab's enforced disappearances by the Indian army at the United Nation's first World Congress on Enforced Disappearances.