‘Remove discriminatory kirpan norms in flights’

CHANDIGARH: Terming it a “discriminatory rule”, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has written to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation requesting it to initiate necessary action for allowing Sikh passengers boarding international flights for domestic travel to carry Sri Sahib (kirpan) as per the standard permitted size allowed on other domestic flights. 

Explaining the problem being faced by some Sikh travellers, NCM chief Iqbal Singh Lalpura said when an international flight lands in Delhi and it has to proceed to Amritsar, those boarding here are not allowed to carry the kirpan as international flight rules apply.

He said once the flight has landed in Delhi or any other airport in the country, it should be treated as a domestic flight in terms of those boarding it to go to another destination within the country and allow that person to carry the kirpan as it is allowed on domestic flights.

In another letter to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Lalpura said the NCM received a petition from one Jaswinder Kaur and a few others regarding a request for one-minute halt of trains passing through Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab’s Ropar district.