Sikh Girl Asked To Take Off Turban in karnataka
Amid Hijab row, a movement being carried out by some Pro Hindu groups wherein muslim girls are asked to remove hijab prior entering educational institutes, a sikh student was also pressurised to remove turban in Karnataka.
Amiteshwar Kaur, who is 17 years old girl from Bengaluru was asked to remove her turban while entering Mount Carmel PU (Pre-University) College. She is also the President of college student union. As per sources, she politely declined. She clarified that it goes against her faith. While the college stated that the staff at entry gate was following court’s guidelines for “Students to refrain from wearing religiously symbolic clothes such as “saffron shawls, hijab and religious flags” inside the institutes where uniform is mandatory.
Amiteshwar kaur has taken Amrit, a religious ceremony that was started by Sri Guru Gobind Sahib ji, way back in time. Every person who has taken amrit has to follow “Rehet Maryada” and keeping head covered is a part of the maryada among other regulations. It is worthy to mentoin here that the college has no uniform based mandatory rules it is clearly visible that such steps are taken either without taking proper clarity on the subject or under some influence.
Whatsoever may be the reason, these incidents are not only disturbing the peace of educational environment but are also spreading a wave of discomfort, hatred and mis-understandings in the society. Educational institutes should work on keeping the balance of society intact rather than hampering it with such incidents. When girl’s father S. Gurcharan Singh was approached to put some light over it, he said that he has been living in the city from last 17 years and no one has ever reported any such issue or objection with respect to his turban. He said that he feels that respecting one’s religious attire like hijab or turban should be respected and if required, colour of cloth can be matched with the uniform to keep in sync with it.
He further said that he has consulted sikh lawyer H.S. Phoolka on the matter and has also written to the Singh Sabha head of city S. Jeetinder Singh on the subject. He clarified that niether he, or his ward Amiteshwar kaur faced any issues in the college. He told that the students who had complained about her entry with turban were later on convinced by the principal and that there are no issues in the college. Mr. Gurcharan Singh said that we also stand with the muslim girls on wearing hijab and covering one’s head has never been resulted being a threat to the society. He said that turban clad sikhs have served the country all levels from defence chiefs to President and Prime Minister chairs and sikhs have always been an integral part of the country along with other religions that are equally respectable to us.
A delhi based lawyer Neena Singh said that the court has not mentioned anything about sikh attire or turban in the order. If the court wanted to put a ban on sikh turbans, it would have mentioned the same clearly in its order passed earlier in the month of February. BJP leader from Delhi S. Manjinder Singh Sirsa and SGPC President has also intervened condemned the issue and asked the college authorities to refrain from such activities.
Sources:
https://thelogicalindian.com/trending/karnataka-hijab-turban-row-34118
