Implement assurances on turban issue, Preneet to Italian govt

Chandigarh: Despite assurances by Italian government following the unsavory incident involving golfer Jeev Milkha Singh's coach Amritinder Singh, harassment of turban-wearing Sikhs is still continuing at airports in that country, especially at Milan.
This was revealed to visiting minister of state for external affairs, Preneet Kaur, during a meeting with the Indian Diaspora, following which Preneet, during her bilateral meeting with Italian vice minister Stefania Craxi raised the issue "very strongly" and urged the Italian government to translate the assurances made by their foreign minister into suitable executive instructions for airport authorities.
In March this year, internationally acclaimed Jeev Milkha Singh's coach Amritinder Singh was forced to remove his turban at Milan airport, which set off vociferous protests in India and abroad among the Sikh Diaspora, ultimately leading to an apology and assurance from the Italian government. But, apparently, things have not changed much on the ground.
Representatives of the Indian community, who met Preneet, told her that turbaned Sikhs were still being asked to remove turbans at security checks at Italian airports, despite categorical assurances from Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini to Indian external affairs minister SM Krishna, in his bilateral meeting in June, that Sikhs will not be asked to remove their headgear unless there was a specific alert.
10/07/11 Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jul 2011, Foreign Jul 2011