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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Harsimrat urges EAM to sensitise UAE govt on Sikhs' five articles of faith
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to initiate a dialogue with the UAE government to sensitise it about the religious significance of the five articles of faith, especially the 'kirpan', for the initiated Sikhs. 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' (Sikh articles of faith worn by baptised Sikhs), 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 (SGPC), 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 (initiated Sikhs) as a matter of religious obligation and conscience", she added.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Harsimrat writes to EAM, wants UAE govt to be sensitised on Sikhs' five articles of faith
Chandigarh, Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to initiate a dialogue with the UAE government to sensitise it about the religious significance of the five articles of faith, especially the 'kirpan', for the initiated Sikhs. 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.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Harsimrat urges Jaishankar to sensitise UAE on ‘kirpan' ban advisory
Bathinda SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday appealed to external affairs minister S Jaishankar to sensitise the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government about the Sikh articles of faith, particularly regarding the wearing of the kirpan and kataar. Her appeal came in response to a recent advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in the UAE, cautioning Indian citizens against carrying sharp objects in line with Article 405 of the UAE penal law. The advisory has led to 'deep distress and mental agony' among Sikh residents and travellers, as the kirpan, a sacred article of faith, falls under the category of restricted items. In her letter, Badal cited increasing instances of Sikhs being detained or forced to remove their kirpan and kataar in the UAE. She referenced a recent case in which an elderly Sikh man was reportedly detained in Abu Dhabi for wearing his kirpan and turban, incidents she said have caused 'mental agony' to the global Sikh community. 'The kirpan is not a weapon of violence but a spiritual and symbolic emblem of justice and responsibility as mandated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Denying Sikhs the right to wear their five kakkars, especially the kirpan, is a serious infringement on their religious freedom,' she said. Badal called on the ministry of external affairs to send a high-level delegation, including members of the National Commission for Minorities and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), to hold constructive dialogue with the authorities in the UAE and international agencies. The aim would be to sensitise them about Sikh beliefs and ensure respect for religious practices. She emphasised the positive contribution of the Sikh community globally, including in the UAE, and underlined that mutual respect for religious identity was essential in upholding India's values of pluralism and diversity.
Hans India
7 days ago
- General
- Hans India
India's Legal System Actively Safeguards Minority Rights: Khalid Naveed Calls for Balanced Narrative
Mahbubnagar: Highlighting that India's legal system is actively safeguarding the rights of minorities, social activist, Khalid Naveed, who is also President of Youth Welfare organisation, in Mahbubnagar, has called for a more accurate and balanced portrayal of the condition of Indian Muslims, urging both domestic and international observers to move beyond alarmist narratives. In a press statement on Tuesday, Khalid expressed concern over misleading information flooding the international media and emphasized the need to counter misleading portrayals by certain international media outlets and human rights organizations, which he said paint an exaggeratedly grim picture of Muslim safety in India. "Is it really that bad?" Naveed asked, pointing to a host of legal, governmental, and civil mechanisms that actively protect minority rights in India. He cited high-profile legal actions against hate speech as strong evidence of India's commitment to rule of law and secular values. He highlighted the cases of Yati Narsinghanand and Maharashtra MLA Nitesh Rane, where law enforcement agencies acted swiftly against communal incitement. Multiple FIRs were filed in Ghaziabad against Narsinghanand for derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad, while Rane was booked for inflammatory speeches on so-called 'love jihad' and 'land jihad.' 'These cases demonstrate that even political figures are not immune from legal accountability when communal boundaries are breached,' he noted. Naveed further underlined the robust legal framework that underpins minority protections in India. He pointed out that the Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed secularism as a constitutional cornerstone—most notably in its interpretation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, where it asserted that citizenship cannot be decided solely on religious grounds. State High Courts in Punjab and Kerala, he said, have also stepped in to protect Muslim land rights and religious properties from encroachment, showcasing the judiciary's vigilance at multiple levels. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM), a statutory body, plays a key role in monitoring safeguards and addressing grievances of minority communities, including Muslims, he added. Alongside legal protections, Naveed stressed that India has significantly expanded its welfare infrastructure for minorities in recent years. Building on the 2006 Sachar Committee report that exposed deep socio-economic gaps, the Ministry of Minority Affairs now runs more than 50 schemes aimed at educational support, skill development, and financial inclusion. In 2022–23 alone, thousands of scholarships were awarded to Muslim students under pre-matric, post-matric, and merit-based programs. Initiatives such as Nai Manzil provide vocational training for school dropouts, while the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has widened banking access in Muslim-majority districts. He also cited the 2021 Pew Research Center survey, which revealed that 95% of Indian Muslims expressed pride in their Indian identity, and 85% believed Indian culture was superior in some ways—a powerful indication of inclusion and belonging rather than alienation. Naveed praised the role of civil society and grassroots organizations in maintaining communal harmony. He pointed to the NCM's 2023 initiative that formed rapid response teams—comprising Muslim leaders, police, and human rights advocates—to respond swiftly and fairly to communal incidents. "India's pluralistic ethos stands strong even under scrutiny," Naveed said, drawing comparisons with Western democracies where Muslim minorities often face deeper marginalization and political underrepresentation. He urged observers to distinguish between isolated incidents and the broader institutional mechanisms that protect minority rights. "In spite of challenges, India remains a safe and inclusive country for minorities, especially Muslims. The legal, social, and governmental structures in place speak for themselves,' he observed.
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Commission on minorities to have 19 members
The Senate Sub-Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday vetted the National Commission for Minorities Bill 2025. The sub-committee's meeting was held under the chair of Senator Ali Zafar. During a briefing on the bill, Human Rights secretary said that the commission's chairperson would be appointed from the minority communities while the Prime Minister will have the authority to appoint the commission's head. The National Commission for Minorities will consist of 19 members with a background in human rights services. The commission will include three members each from the Hindu and Christian communities, and one each from the Sikh, Parsi and Kalash communities. Two members of the commission will be Muslim. One member each will be taken from the Islamic Ideology Council and the Evacuee Trust Property Board. One member each will be appointed from all provinces and the federation. The maximum age for commission members will be 40 years. The commission is being established to protect the rights of minorities and will be responsible for formulating a National Action Plan. It will be vested with the powers of a civil court. It could seek reports from government or any other department, according to the Human Rights secretary. Minister of State for Religious Affairs Khael Das Kohistani supported the bill, saying it is good to approve the bill as early as possible.
