Baptized Sikh Employees Not To Wear 'Kirpan' Near Aircraft

[Archived_Member16]

May 12, 2011

Baptized Sikh employees not to wear 'kirpan' near aircraft

Yudhvir Rana, TNN | May 12, 2011, 07.02pm IST

AMRITSAR: Central Industrial Security Force has banned the Sikh employees to wear 'kirpan', Sikh's religious symbol, while performing their duties on airside at Sri Guru Ram Das International Airport. The force is entrusted with the task of airport security.

"Amritsar is one of the ultra sensitive international airports in the country and we can't take chances with the security of passengers" said commandant of the Force, Sharad Kumar, while talking to TOI on Thrusday. He said Sikh employees were allowed to wear 'kirpan' in Airport terminal building and other places but not near the aircraft.

The issue came to fore after Central Industrial Security Force prevented an airport employee Nirmal Singh to work near the aircraft while wearing his 'kirpan'. Nirmal Singh, a baptized Sikh, also lodged a complaint with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee , Sikh's single largest representative body, to take notice of this interference into the religious affairs of the Sikhs. he also said that he had been working at airport since 2001. "On April 28th, a security force constable prevented me to work near the aircraft on the plea that I was wearing a kirpan" he said.

Sharad Kumar made it clear that security was of paramount issue for them. "It is not a religious but security issue" he insisted.

Meanwhile, showing its concern on the issue, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar demanded from government to immediately withdraw any such orders. "Kirpan is an essential part of Sikh's dresscode and can't be seprated from Sikhs" he said. He questioned if Sikh passangers could travel in the aircraft wearing six inch 'kirpan' then why an employee wearing it couldn't work near the a aircraft. He said that all the 19 baptized Sikh employees of airport were under trememdous mental tension due to Force's orders.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-kirpan-near-aircraft/articleshow/8274095.cms

 

[Mai Harinder Kaur]

Security, my Chacha Taranjeet's donkey!

There is obviously no logic to that assertion since amritdhari Sikhs are allowed on airplanes with the kirpan. This is just another bit of pick-pick-pick discrimination. A Khalsa without a kirpan in Amritsar! Who are they trying to kid anyway?animatedkhanda1

 

[Kanwaljit.Singh]

The lesson about Sovereignty seems to be lost but it makes much more sense. Khalsa should probably live off the grid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-the-grid

 

[spnadmin]

We needed a photo for the spotlight. I thought it would be interesting to have one of military/para-military personnel near the aircraft at Amritsar Airport. welcomekaur

 

[davinderdhanjal]

Whose security does it help? It does not help the Sikh's and definitly not the airport's as when the security officers are required on site they sit in offces with paper and pencil in hand awaiting instruction from above. (not from 1 Above)
"Sharad Kumar made it clear that security was of paramount issue for them. "It is not a religious but security issue" he insisted."
What clarification has been received and why is it not obvious?
Does it effect other airports in India or only where Punjabi Hindus live?

 

[Mai Harinder Kaur]

We needed a photo for the spotlight. I thought it would be interesting to have one of military/para-military personnel near the aircraft at Amritsar Airport. welcomekaur

This picture isn't what you asked for, but I love it and it might work. There is such an aura of innocence in it, at least to me.

It's from 2008, though. http://www.outlookindia.com/printarticle.aspx?238942

 

[davinderdhanjal]

Kanwaljit Singh Ji,
That is a sharp arrow with correct message. That is education - lessons learnt from and since Guru Nanak all point that way - you have put it in these words that echo my understanding but in general if we relied on our 'representatives' we soon wont have any clothes to wear.
I was watching a TV program on a Sikh channel in UK where a person just emphasised one (out of many good points about people in government or authority) point that until we all know who's authority allows one to do or not we will be trying to chase our own tail. So that we pick on the correct action and the correct person for resolution etc.
It is futile to expect simple truth from leadersip present - an example - Balbir Singh Rajewal well armed with information asked Badel about the 800 corore subsidy sent to Punjab by the central government (for farmers) and he point blank lied and said there has been none!
How can SGPC help if the people running the 'institution' are controlled by these scoundrels?
If we followed your approach we will give the right meaning to Sikhi.
If we all questioned the 'edicts' that are flung at people we will have everbody on their toes! Thank you.

 

[Seeker9]

Is there any evidential basis for this decision? When was the last time a disgruntled employee hacked away at someone? Was Nirmal Singh seen to be making threatening gestures? Really, if you can't have baptised Sikhs wearing a Kirpan in Amritsar, then it will be very difficult to justify these rights elsewhere. What happened to leading by example? Perhaps they should follow through and adopt other aviation security practices like random spot checks of their turbans?