The central government has given a big relief to the Sikh passengers traveling by air. Changing the old decision, the central government has now given him permission to travel by air with a kirpan. Apart from this, Sikh employees doing duty at the airport will also be able to keep kirpan with them.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa has tweeted a copy of the new order thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. It is written in this order that Sikh staff-travellers can keep kirpan at the airport. According to the order, the size of the blade of the saber to be carried at the airport should not exceed 6 inches and the size of the entire kirpan should not exceed 9 inches. It is worth noting that according to the order issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry recently, the carrying of Kripal was banned at the airport. The kirpan is one of the five religious symbols of the Sikh community. It is mandatory for the people of Sikh community to wear hair, kada, kachcha, kirpan and kangha.
Recent order of @MoCA_GoI restricting Sikh Employees from carrying kirpan at airport during duty has bn changed. The corrigendum removed objectionable restriction. Employees (& passengers) can carry Kripan at Indian airports
Thanking @PMOIndia , @JM_Scindia Ji for swift action pic.twitter.com/DZ1yraUzqM— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) March 14, 2022
According to the guidelines issued by the Aviation Ministry recently, there was a ban on carrying kirpans of Sikh employees or passengers at the airport. Last week, a Sikh employee was barred from joining duty at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport because he was carrying a kirpan. Amritsar Airport Director Veke Seth had said about this that – According to the recently issued guidelines by the DG Civil Aviation, no employee on duty will wear a kirpan. He had said that we respect all religions but everyone has to follow the guidelines.
Harjinder Singh Dhami, head of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, expressed strong opposition to this decision of the government and called it an attack on the rights of Sikhs. He had written a letter to Jyotiraditya Scindia demanding immediate withdrawal of this decision.