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Admn orders probe after school asks Sikh boy not to wear turban in UP
Bijnore school authorities asked him to continue wearing ‘patka’
Bijnore school authorities asked him to continue wearing ‘patka’
The administration has ordered a probe after a Sikh boy was allegedly asked not to wear a turban to school by the principal in Najibabad town of Bijnore district in Uttar Pradesh.
Last week, Navjot Singh, a student of Class 10, started wearing a turban to St Mary’s School instead of the usual ‘patka’. But the school management asked him to continue wearing a ‘patka’, said family members.
On Monday, a number of Sikhs gathered at a gurdwara in Najibabad and staged a protest against the principal’s decision. They also submitted a memorandum to the Najibabad sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), demanding the school revoke the order.
SDM Sangita Singh ordered a probe into the issue. “Efforts are on to work out a solution. We will ensure that religious sentiments are not hurt.”
Balbeer Singh, head of gurudwara committee of Najibabad, said: “Turban is not something we wear to represent some sort of fashion. It is a part of our identity. We wear it to represent our culture and our community. A school cannot stop students from following a religion of their choice,” said Balbeer, who was also a part of the team that met the SDM.
Members of the committee said, “We went to the school to talk to the principal, but she didn’t have a word with us.”
