September 5, 2017 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
New Delhi: The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has appealed to India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take up matter of ban on Kirpan in schools by Education Department in Queensland, Australia due to which Sikh students are facing problems.
In letter written to the Sushma Swaraj, the DSGMC General Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa reportedly said that “it has come to their notice that Education Department in Queensland, Australia has banned wearing of Kirpan (Kakkar) by the Sikh students due to which Sikh students are facing harassment and are subjected to discrimination by the authorities concerned.”
Furthermore, he said that last year, the school authorities after consulting the Police Department had allowed to wear Kirpan in the school premises. Now the Education Department has dismissed the decision taken by the school Principal.
Significantly, Kirpan is one of five (Kakkars) that is mandatory to wear and maintain by a Amritdhari (Baptized) Sikh, Even the Sikh passengers are allowed to wear it in flights.
Such a discrimination on part of the different Government authorities in the world is against the right to freedom of religion. He said that as per human rights resolution passed at the United Nations on December 10, 1948 the world body had made a commitment for religious freedom to all human beings in the world, he adds.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, further in his letter purportedly said that Sikhs are often subjected to harassment for carrying Kirpan and other articles of Sikh faith in the various parts of the world and these discriminations are not coming to an end despite the DSGMC taking up matter with External Affairs Ministry and embassies of different countries.
DSGMC leader urged to the Indian External Affairs Minister to urgently take up the matter with Australian authorities.
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Related Topics: Indian Politics, Indian State, Kirpan Issue, Sikh Kirpan, Sikh News, Sikhs in Australia (Sikh News from Australia), Sushma Swaraj