United Sikhs want ban on wearing kirpan by airport staff revoked

Amritsar: United Sikhs, an international UN affiliated advocacy non government organization, has sought the intervention of the director general of Central Industrial Security Force, N R Dass, to revoke the ban on the wearing of the kirpan by airport employees at the airside of the Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport.
The Times of India on Thursday had highlighted the ban imposed by the security force on Sikh employees wearing a kirpan while performing their duties at the airside.
Director of United Sikhs, Mejindarpal Kaur, told TOI on Friday that the Sikh community understood the public's concern with national security.
"However, we cannot accept an abrogation of a Sikh's constitutional right under article 25 (2) (b) of the Indian constitution, under which a Sikh has a right to wear a kirpan at all times," she said.
She said that this right was reflected in the ministry of civil aviation's circular no.8/99 dated 28.4.99 (annexure-II) which even allows Sikh passengers to carry kirpan with them on board domestic flights.
14/05/11 Yudhvir Rana/Times of India

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Categories: Airports May 2011, Foreign May 2011