Sikh women challaned for not wearing helmets: SGPC member, Mohali Dy Mayor opposes move
Notably, in October 2018, the central government, in a clarification to the Chandigarh Administration, asked the UT authorities to exempt all Sikh women from wearing a helmet.
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The CBI has already filed the charge-sheet against all the accused in connection with the corruption caseIn Mohali, just days after AI cameras began issuing challans, a controversy has erupted over fines imposed on Sikh women. SGPC and Mohali Deputy Mayor have voiced their opposition to these challans.
Addressing the matter, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Hardeep Singh recalled that a similar issue arose nearly a decade ago when Chandigarh and Punjab Police began issuing challans. At the time, after discussions with the Governor of Punjab, the state government issued a notification stating that Sikh women bearing the names “Singh” or “Kaur” would be exempt from helmet fines, Hardeep added.
Notably, in October 2018, the central government, in a clarification to the Chandigarh Administration, asked the UT authorities to exempt all Sikh women from wearing a helmet. Later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court questioned the Punjab government on the reason to exempt Sikh women from wearing the helmet. The high court in November last year stated that only Sikhs wearing turban will be exempted from wearing a helmet while riding two-wheelers.
When Mohali SP Traffic H S Mann was contacted regarding this matter, he stated that they had no information about such a notification. He added that if any notification had been issued, they would investigate the matter, consult their legal officer, and take further action accordingly.
“Challans are cross checked after examining the background of the offender. We will cross check it from Vahan and Saarthi platforms. If the vehicle is registered in the name of a Sikh woman. That is the only tweaking we can do. Technology is value neutral. We will find a way,” Rai said.
Meanwhile, Mohali Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi has written to the Chief Minister of Punjab, strongly condemning the issuance of helmet challans to Sikh women and demanding their immediate cancellation. Copies of his letter have also been sent to the Director General of Police Punjab, the Deputy Commissioner and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mohali.
Bedi claimed the use of CCTV cameras for issuing challans is a commendable initiative by Mohali police and entirely unjustified. Citing Sikh Rehat Maryada (Code of Conduct), he emphasised that Sikh women are not required to wear helmets. Given that Mohali is named after Sahibzada Ajit Singh, he described such challans as particularly unfortunate and unacceptable. Bedi urged the Punjab government to immediately halt the issuance of these challans and revoke any previously issued fines. While he suggested exploring alternative enforcement methods, he insisted that the current approach is inappropriate. Warning of potential controversy, he called on the government to take swift action and instruct authorities to stop issuing helmet challans to Sikh women.
When ArriveSAFE president Harman Singh Sidhu was consulted on this matter, he stated that this issue was raised 10 years ago, and even in Chandigarh, challans for Singhs and Kaurs were stopped. Therefore, Mohali police should have been fully aware of this, and an unnecessary controversy should not have been created over the matter. He further said that if these AI cameras are so smart, they should also be able to detect individuals wearing religious headgear and ensure that their challans are not issued.
There were others who felt there should be no controversy with regard to the matter and women without a keski (a turban of sorts) should wear a helmet for personal safety.
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