Harsimrat writes to EAM, wants UAE govt to be sensitised on Sikhs' five articles of faith
In a letter to the minister, the Bathinda MP said she was making this appeal in the wake of a recent "advisory" by the Indian Embassy in UAE directing Indians not to carry sharp objects while visiting the country in view of Article 405 of the UAE penal law which prohibits the same.
This move has caused deep distress and mental agony to Sikh travellers and residents alike, Harsimrat said, noting that there have been instances of Sikhs being detained and compelled to remove their 'kirpan'.
She also cited a recent case of an elderly man being detained in Abu Dhabi for wearing the 'kirpan' and turban.
Badal asserted in her letter that such incidents had caused distress within the Sikh community as they contravened the rights of Sikhs to practice their faith besides raising serious concerns about the protection of religious freedom for minorities in the UAE.
"The Sikh community has always contributed positively to societies worldwide, including in the UAE, and demand the freedom to practice its faith in accordance with its tenets.
"Denying Sikhs the right to wear their five 'kakkars' , particularly the 'kirpan', is a curtailment of religious freedom and contrary to the principles of mutual respect and pluralism that India stands for," she said.
The former union minister also requested Jaishankar to consider sending a high-level delegation, including representatives from the National Commission for Minorities and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee , to engage with UAE authorities and relevant international agencies and sensitise them about Sikh articles of faith.
She asserted that the 'kirpan' was a sacred symbol and an inseparable part of Sikh identity mandated by Sikh tenets since the time of Guru Gobind Singh.
"Its significance is spiritual and symbolic, representing the duty to uphold justice and protect the oppressed, and not as a weapon for aggression or harm. The 'kirpan' is worn at all times by 'Amritdhari' Sikhs as a matter of religious obligation and conscience", she added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Terror and sports cannot go together': Congress on Asia Cup matches against Pakistan
The Chandigarh Congress has opposed the proposed India-Pakistan cricket matches scheduled to be held during the Asia Cup in September, urging the Union Government to withhold clearance for the fixtures. The party has argued that 'terror and sports cannot go together,' questioning the moral and strategic logic behind resuming cricket ties with Pakistan. Rajiv Sharma, chief spokesperson of the Chandigarh Congress, said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to play against Pakistan at a neutral venue. He said the people of Chandigarh and other places in the country are upset with what he termed an 'unwarranted agreement,' particularly at a time when Operation Sindoor, launched in response to cross-border terrorism, is still ongoing. 'It is extremely disappointing that while not a single perpetrator of the Pahalgam attack has been brought to justice, the cricket boards of both nations are moving towards friendly sporting ties,' Sharma said. He warned that Indian sponsors' funds could inadvertently benefit the Pakistan Cricket Board, which, he claimed, may use the money to further terror activities against India. The Congress leader also questioned the BCCI's rationale behind opting for a neutral venue to accommodate Pakistan's interests, stating that India holds the right to host the tournament and should not compromise its position. Calling the decision an 'insult to the self-respect of the people of Chandigarh and the nation,' Sharma urged Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari to raise the issue in Parliament. He also slammed the office-bearers of the Union Territory Cricket Association for their silence on the matter, accusing them of compromising national pride for personal or political gains.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
7 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Draft Bihar poll roll not final list, clarifies Election Commision
The Election Commission on Sunday hit out at those who, it claimed, were creating an impression that the draft voters' list to be published in Bihar will be the final roll. The poll authority said it is "not able to understand" that when a full one-month period from August 1 till September 1 is available to point out wrongful inclusion or wrongful exclusion of any name, "why are they creating such a big fuss now?" The EC's statement came on the conclusion of the month-long phase one of Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list, where house-to-house surveys were held to distribute semi-filled enumeration forms to the electorate that were to be returned after being filled up. Enumeration forms from 7.24 crore electors have been received. The EC also said that 36 lakh people were found to have either permanently shifted or were not found. It pointed out that seven lakh Bihar electors were found to have been enrolled at multiple places. "Why not ask their 1.6 lakh booth-level agents to submit claims and objections from August 1 till September 1," the Commission quipped. Booth-level agents appointed by political parties work with the EC's booth-level officers in preparing or updating the voters' list. "Why are some persons trying to give an impression that the draft list is the final list, which it is not, as per special intensive revision orders," the EC statement said. Various opposition parties in the state, which goes to the polls later this year, have claimed that crores of eligible citizens will be disenfranchised during the roll revision for want of documents. They have also claimed that the ruling BJP will benefit as the state machinery in Bihar will target people opposed to the ruling alliance in the state. Stepping up its attack, the Congress on Sunday said the Election Commission should not have "institutional arrogance" and asked it to stop the SIR in Bihar. At a joint press conference with CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD MP Manoj Jha and CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the exercise being undertaken by the EC has become a "citizenship test" and questioned its legality. "I humbly request the Election Commission, this is not a matter of political obstinacy. It is not a matter of institutional arrogance. Please reconsider it. Everyone is urging you," he said. The BJP hit back at the INDIA bloc parties for their opposition to SIR, alleging they were trying to "rob" Indian democracy on the back of foreign infiltrators. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Election Commission's drive is aimed at bringing required changes in electoral rolls through transparency. He alleged that the INDIA bloc parties have been winning in places where the presence of infiltrators has brought maximum changes in demography.
Mint
7 minutes ago
- Mint
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says India no longer has to be golden bird, time to become a lion
India has to become strong and also wealthy from an economic point of view as the world understands power, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday. Bhagwat also said that India no longer has to be the 'golden bird' and it was time for it to become a 'lion'. 'It is necessary because the world understands power. So Bharat should become strong. It also has to become wealthy from an economic perspectives,' he added, while speaking at the national education conference, 'Gyan Sabha', organised by the RSS-linked Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas in Kochi. The RSS chief went on to say that 'Bharat' should not be translated as otherwise it would lose its identity and along with it the respect it enjoys in the world. According to a PTI report, Mohan Bhagwat also said that Bharat, a proper noun, should not be translated as its identity is respected 'because it is Bharat'. "Bharat is a proper noun. It should not be translated. 'India is Bharat'. That is true. But Bharat is Bharat. That is why, while talking, writing and speaking, be it personal or public, we should keep Bharat as Bharat. 'Bharat must remain Bharat. The identity of Bharat is respected because it is Bharat. If you lose your identity, whatever other meritorious qualities you may have, you will never be respected or secure in this world. That is the thumb rule,' PTI quoted the RSS chief as saying. Just a day ago, Bhagwat had said that the education system in the country was developed under the long-term influence of colonial ideas and for a developed nation, an alternative based on Indian philosophy needs to be formulated. For that, the focus should be 'deep, realistic, and completely Indian-based,' Bhagwat said. According to the statement issued by the Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, Bhagwat said during the conference that the workers should become competent in the field they work, be role models in it and develop friendly relations in order to lead others forward. Before the meeting began, RSS chief Bhagwat visited the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya and lit a traditional lamp (Nilavilakku) to mark the start of the conference, held at the Chitvilasam auditorium. Around 100 delegates from across India, including national coordinators of the Nyas and experts in education, are taking part in the discussions. The focus of the two-day meeting is on building a roadmap for educational reforms to support the vision of a developed India (Viksit Bharat).
