Govt allows Sikh employees, passengers to carry kirpan at airports
PremiumSikh employees and passengers can carry kirpan while travelling by air on Indian aircraft within India (domestic routes of full domestic flights only)
The Central government has revoked the order banning Sikh employees and passengers from carrying kirpan at the airports. BJP member Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a tweet informed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has allowed Sikh employees to carry kirpan at the airport during their duty. "The corrigendum removed the objectionable restriction. Employees (& passengers) can carry Kripan at Indian airports," Sirsa wrote.
As per the copy of the order shared by Sirsa, the length of the blade of kirpan carried by a Sikh passenger should not exceed 15.24 cms (6 inches); and the total length of a kirpan must not exceed 22.86 cms (9 inches).
Further, the Centre set a condition to carry Kirpan. As per the order by Jaideep Prasad, Director General, BCAS, " It is (Kirpan) is allowed while travelling by air on Indian aircraft within India (domestic routes of full domestic flights only)".
Recently, a Sikh employee was stopped from performing his duty at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, because he was carrying kirpan with him.
Thereafter Sikh organisations objected to it, and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to revoke the order.
Dhami wrote, "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".
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