Revoke order barring Sikhs from wearing kirpan at airports: Associations
A BCAS order dated October 30, 2024, permits Sikh passengers to carry kirpans with blades under six inches on domestic flights, but the order explicitly restricts Sikh employees from wearing kirpans while on duty.
The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) and FlyAmritsar Initiative (FAI) on Tuesday urged Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, chairperson of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Iqbal Singh Lalpura, and civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu to address the restrictions imposed on Sikh passengers and employees wearing kirpans and other religious symbols at Indian airports.
The organisations are advocating for revisions to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s (BCAS) recent directive that bars Sikh employees from carrying kirpans on duty, impacting Sikh staff at airports nationwide.
A BCAS order dated October 30, 2024, permits Sikh passengers to carry kirpans with blades under six inches on domestic flights, but the order explicitly restricts Sikh employees from wearing kirpans while on duty.
“This clause has led to incidents at Indian airports where baptised Sikh staff employees have been barred from entering terminal areas after security screening, hindering their ability to fulfil professional duties,” reads a letter of the organisations.
“The right to practice one’s faith should not be limited by employment. The AVM and FAI have urged BCAS to remove the restriction and explicitly permit Sikh staff to wear kirpans while on duty,” said Sameep Singh Gumtala, global convener of FAI in his letter.
Kulwant Singh Ankhi, patron of AVM, and Gumtala in their letters also cited cases where Sikh passengers were asked to remove even tiny kirpans worn around the neck at security check-in for international flights.
