AMRITSAR: Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), has strongly objected to a college in Bangalore, Karnataka, asking an Amritdhari Gursikh girl to take off her turban and come to the college.
In a communication to the Karnataka Chief Minister in this regard, SGPC asking him to ensure the preservation of religious freedom of Sikhs in the state and also reminding them of their contribution to India.
Advocate Dhami, president of the Shiromani Committee, said that it was intolerable to force Sikhs to take off their turbans in their own country.
He said that it was an unconstitutional decision which would never be accepted.
Advocate Dhami said that turban is very important in Sikhism and it is an important part of Sikh dress. Forcing anyone to take off their turban is a violation of Sikh traditions and principles.
SGPC chief said that the Sikh community has sacrificed more than 80 per cent for the freedom of the country and if the culture of the country is alive today then it is due to the Sikhs.
He said questions were being raised about the turban of Sikhs in India, whose president, prime minister, chief justice and army chief were also learning.
. He said that today Sikhs all over the world were working in various capacities wearing turbans while the turban was being challenged in their country India. He said that the suppression of religious freedom of the Sikh community could never be in the interest of the country.
Meanwhile, the SGPC President has also demanded the Prime Minister of India to intervene in such matters and issue instructions to every state to uphold the religious freedom of the people.
He sternly demanded from the Karnataka government to take stern action against the perpetrators of this heinous act and to hold accountable those who were obstructing the religious freedom of the Sikhs.
He said that the Sikh community would never tolerate any act of suppression of their religious freedom and it would be strongly opposed.