France for turban ban talks

With Sikhs in France complaining about difficulties in wearing turbans in public, external affairs minister SM Krishna suggested to visiting French foreign minister Alain Juppe on Thursday that the issue be addressed by his country. HT reports.

With Sikhs in France complaining about difficulties in wearing turbans in public, external affairs minister SM Krishna suggested to visiting French foreign minister Alain Juppe on Thursday that the issue be addressed by his country.

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After France banned the wearing of religious symbols in public in 2004, Sikhs there have complained about children being discouraged from wearing turbans to school. They have said members of the community have sometimes been asked to take off their turbans during identity checks.

When Krishna told Juppe that turbans were a sensitive issue for Sikhs, the latter suggested the matter be discussed by the interior ministers of the two countries. Juppe, however, said there had so far been no problem in implementing the ban.

"France believes in democracy and freedom. For us, religion must not interfere in political and daily life," Juppe pointed out.