AMN/New Delhi
Last month, officers of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) did not allow a Sikh citizen to travel on Metro at Dhaula Kuan Metro Station because he was wearing a kirpan.
The Sikh citizen showed them an order of the Union Aviation Ministry saying that Sikhs are allowed to carry a 6-inch-long kirpan on all domestic flights in India, but the CISF officers were not impressed.
Upon receiving a complaint from the said Sikh citizen, Delhi Minorities Commission has written to the director general of CISF informing him that the Indian Constitution’s Art. 25 allows Sikhs to carry kirpans. The Commission said in its letter, “we tend to believe that the above incident took place out of ignorance…. But if it is repeated in future, we will take appropriate action.” The Commission has ordered CISF to disseminate this information to all concerned at Metro and railway stations, airports and other places where CISF is deployed.