The Ministry of Civil Aviation has given great relief to Sikh passengers on air travel and now they will be able to travel with Kirpan. For this, guidelines have been issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. According to the guidelines issued by the ministry, the length of the blade of the kirpan should not exceed 15.24 cm, and the total length of the kirpan should not exceed 22.86 cm. The ministry has said that Sikh passengers have got this permission to travel in Indian aircraft operating only from domestic terminals.
The ministry, in a revised order, has now removed the part in its earlier order, which said that no employee shall be allowed to personally carry a kirpan at any domestic or international airport terminal. .
Advocate Dhami had also sent a letter to the Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India on the decision to ban the use of Kirpan by Sikh pilgrims. In this letter, objection was expressed while condemning the notification of the government in strict words. He had said that this decision should be withdrawn immediately. He said that this is a big attack on the religious freedom of Sikhs in their own country, it will not be allowed to be implemented at any cost.
Kulwant Singh Ankhi, patron of ‘Amritsar Vikas Manch’, had also opposed the government’s decision. He said that it is necessary to withdraw this decision to maintain communal harmony and freedom of Sikhs. He said this is a violation of the rights provided by the Constitution of India under Article 25, which allows an Amritdhari Sikh to carry ‘Kirpan’ as part of his religious requirements. Our organization demands from the Civil Aviation Minister and the Union Home Minister that the decision should be withdrawn immediately, so that there is no discrimination against any employees of the airport.
