Centre modifies order barring Sikh staff from wearing Kirpan at airports

A Sikh passenger can wear a kirpan provided the length of its blade does not exceed 15.24 cms (6 inches) and the total length of the Kirpan does not exceed 9 inches. It is allowed while travelling by air on Indian aircraft within India.

The ministry of civil aviation has modified the recent order restricting Sikh employees from carrying kirpan at the airports, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa tweeted on Monday thanking PM Modi and civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Employees and passengers can carry kirpan at Indian airports, Manjinder Singh tweeted.

In an earlier order, the government barred S=ikh employees at the airport to carry Kirpan on person. (HT_PRINT)

A Sikh passenger can wear a kirpan provided the length of its blade does not exceed 15.24 cms (6 inches) and the total length of the Kirpan does not exceed 9 inches. It is allowed while travelling by air on Indian aircraft within India, the bureau of civil aviation security said. While the earlier order barred Sikh staff from wearing a Kirpan, the corrigendum to the order has reportedly dropped the clause.

Recently, a Sikh employee wearing a kirpan was stopped from performing his duty at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, because of the new rule, which Sikh organisations objected to. Terming the rule of barring Sikh employees from wearing kirpan, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami write to minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

“In their own country, this discrimination is a major attack on the religious freedom of the Sikhs, which will never be allowed to be implemented. The Centre should never forget that the Sikhs have remained at the forefront in making sacrifices for the freedom of this country and if the culture of the country survives today, it is because of the Sikhs,” said Dhami.