JALANDHAR: A province that once marched with turbaned Sikh soldiers in the world wars now asks its descendants to take off those same turbans to work in classrooms, police stations, courts and other public institutions. This contradiction is not only sad but also deeply unfair. This was said here today by the Executive Director of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), Mr. Satnam Singh Chahal, through a press release issued here
NAPA strongly condemns Quebec's Bill 21, a law passed in 2019 that prohibits teachers, police officers, judges and other public servants from wearing visible religious symbols. Turbans, hijabs, kippahs and crosses are all targeted under the claim of "state neutrality". But neutrality should never mean erasing identity, and equality should never require abandoning one’s faith.
The Sikh community has served Canada with pride for generations. On April 19, 2017, when then-Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar, he represented both Canada and the Sikh heritage woven into the fabric of the country. Yet in Quebec, a young Sikh who wants to serve in public life is told to remove his turban or step aside. This is not secularism – it is discrimination.
NAPA calls on Quebec leaders, federal officials and human rights organizations to reexamine this law, protect minority rights and ensure that no Canadian is forced to choose between their profession and their religion. A turban that once defended freedom should never be barred from public service.