Centre Modifies Order, Allows Sikh Staff, Passengers To Carry Kirpan at Airports

Wearing a kirpan is allowed while travelling by air on Indian aircraft within India, the order said.

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(Photo: YouTube Screenshot)

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has modified its recent order, which restricted Sikh employees at the airports from wearing kirpan.

In a corrigendum that was issued to the said order, the ministry said that "Kirpan may be carried by a Sikh passenger provided the length of its blade does not exceed 15.24 cms (6 inches) and the total length of the kirpan does not exceed 22.86 cms (9 inches). It is allowed while travelling by air on Indian aircraft within India (domestic routes of fully domestic flights only)."

The corrigendum has also dropped the clause that had prohibited Sikh employees from wearing kirpan.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa has since put out a tweet thanking Prime Minister Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for taking "swift action" and modifying the order.

Background

A few days ago, a Sikh employee at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport was stopped from performing his duty while wearing a kirpan as the new guidelines of the civil aviation ministry had barred the religious article at its airports.

The incident had triggered a stir, with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)'s president Harjinder Singh Dhami calling the move "highly objectionable and unconstitutional."

In a letter to minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, he also said that it was "unfortunate that in our own country, such discrimination is committed against Sikhs, who die for the country. The government should refrain from adopting such policies which hurt the religions sentiments of Sikhs."

He had further urged the minister to withdraw the order immediately.