SGPC condemns Ban on wearing kirpan in public schools at New South Wales, Australia

Decision is against religious freedom – Bibi Jagir Kaur

Amritsar, May 19 (Punjab Post Bureau) – Bibi Jagir Kaur president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has condemned the Ban on wearing kirpan in public schools at New South Wales, Australia. She termed the decision of education minister Sarah Mitchell unfortunate and against religious freedom of Sikh children in schools.

                      Bibi Jagir Kaur said that as per the information received, the ban on kirpan in public schools in New South Wales will come into effect from Wednesday, May 19, 2021. She said the ban was imposed following an incident at a Sydney school on May 6, 2021, when a 14-year-old Sikh student who had been bullied at the school used his kirpan and unfortunately injured another student.

                 SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said, “The government there should have taken proper advice from the representative bodies of the Sikh community before deciding to ban the kirpan. It is one of the five kakaars (symbols of faith) of Sikhism. For an Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh, Kirpan is an integral part of his body. It has been worn by Sikhs for over 300 years.”

                 She said it is believed that the education minister had an online meeting with two members of the Sikh community when she informed them about the ban. Bibi Jagir Kaur said, “The ‘kirpan’ is not a ‘knife’ or a ‘dagger’ but for the Sikhs it is a symbol of faith with deep meaning and purpose. And this decision of ban on kirpan has deeply hurt the minds of the Sikh community at home and abroad and is being widely opposed.”

               Bibi Jagir Kaur said that SGPC urges the Government of India and the Indian Ambassador to Australia to take up the matter with the government in Australia and make efforts for revoking this decision. SGPC would soon write letters to the governments of India and Australia in this regard.”