Govt amends rule to allow Sikh employees to carry Kirpan on flight

New Delhi: The central government has allowed Sikh employees to carry kirpan (a short sword or knife) amending its rule in the wake of objections by community leaders.

Ruling BJP's senior member Manjinder Singh Sirsa informed about the government decision and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'swift action.'

He shared the corrigendum issued by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Twitter saying that the earlier order restricting Sikh employees from carrying kirpan at airport during duty has been changed.

"The corrigendum removed objectionable restriction," he said. The corrigendum has removed the clause which stated that "no stakeholder or its employees at airport (including Sikh) and working in any terminal, domestic or international, will be allowed to carry Kirpan on person".

A Sikh employee had recently been stopped from performing his duty at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar as he was carrying kirpan.

Sikh organisations protested against this and demanded to revoke the order disallowing Sikh employees from carrying kirpan.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami had also written a letter to Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to scrap the rule.

Kirpan is a religious symbol of Sikh community and is allowed to be carried in domestic flights provided the length of its blade does not exceed 6 inches.

"The 'Kirpan' is an important religious symbol of Sikhism. As per Indian law, Passengers travelling on flights with point of origin and destination both being within India, on an Indian registered aircraft are permitted to carry a 'Kirpan' in person. The dimensions of the 'Kirpan' must not exceed a total maximum length of 9 inches (22.86 cms.), including the length of the blade not exceeding 6 inches (15.24 cms.) and the length of the handle not exceeding 3 inches (7.62 cms)," Air India said on its website.

It further said carriage of 'Kirpan' is not permitted in the cabin of an aircraft either on person or in the hand baggage on any international flight or on any domestic flight operating through an international terminal security hold area.

"The same must be carried by the passenger in the checked-in baggage only," Air India further said. (UNI)