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A Sikh pilot in India has petitioned a court for permission to carry a religious dagger during flights and within airport premises.
Angad Singh, a pilot employed by Indigo, a private airline in India, has filed a petition with the Nagpur branch of the Bombay High Court to request authorization from the Indian government to carry a “kirpan”.
The Kirpan is a curved blade dagger that is worn by Sikhs as one of their five physical symbols that represent their identity. The other symbols include uncut hair, a steel bracelet called “kara”, a wooden comb known as “kanga”, and underwear referred to as “kacchera”.
Mr. Singh, the petitioner, contended that individuals of the Sikh community employed in the aviation sector should have the right to bear their religious symbol. This is protected by Article 25 of the Indian constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
Passengers of the Sikh faith are currently permitted to bring a kirpan with them when flying.
In March of 2022, the DGCA, which is India’s organization responsible for regulating aviation, released guidelines allowing Sikh travelers to bring kirpans with blades less than six inches long on civilian flights under “special regulatory permission.”
A revised announcement was issued a few days later, allowing Sikhs who work at airports to carry kirpans as well.
According to Mr. Singh, this rule should also apply to the workers in the field.
He mentioned that he was unable to bring his religious dagger through airport security, and as a result, it was taken by airport officials.
According to Mr. Singh, a Delhi High Court ruling stated that there should be equal treatment for Sikh travelers and ground staff.
According to the petitioner’s argument, refusing to allow them to carry a kirpan while traveling, despite other passengers being allowed, is a logical and practical decision. This is because it is easier to monitor and control the actions of stakeholders and employees, like the petitioner, rather than all passengers on the flight.
It is illogical and unjustifiable that the petitioner should not be allowed to carry a kirpan while traveling, especially when other passengers are permitted to do so.
A notice has been sent to the Ministry of Aviation, the Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force, and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, requesting their responses regarding the matter.
The next court date for this case is set for January 29, 2024.
Source: independent.co.uk
