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Journalism of Courage
Following ‘anger in the Sikh community’ after a baptised Sikh student was allegedly denied entry to the Rajasthan High Court Civil Judge recruitment exam while wearing a kirpan, the Rajasthan government has reiterated that Sikh students be allowed entry to competitive examinations while wearing their religious symbols.
Citing a December 2019 circular issued by former Congress government under Ashok Gehlot, the Bhajan Lal Sharma government has said that “the candidates of Sikh religion should be allowed to appear in the examination wearing religious symbols like Kada, Kirpan and Pagdi etc. in various competitive examinations conducted by Rajasthan Public Service Commission, Rajasthan Staff Selection Board and other departments such as Technical and Higher Education, Medical Education, School Education, Director General of Police, etc.”
The government has said that general instructions can be issued to the candidates of Sikh religion to report to the examination centre an hour before the examination. But, “if during screening, any Sikh candidate is found carrying any suspicious device within the mentioned religious symbols, then they should not be allowed to take it in the examination hall”.
On Sunday, candidate Gurpreet Kaur, a native of Tarn Taran district in Punjab, had made a video outside the exam centre in Jaipur claiming that she was denied entry because she was wearing articles of Sikh faith.
This had led to criticism from various quarters, including from Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, the Officiating Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
“This is a serious violation of the Indian Constitution and religious discrimination against Sikhs,” Gargaj had said. He cited Article 25, Explanation I of the Constitution, which affirms the right of Sikhs to wear the kirpan as part of their religious practice.
The Jathedar noted that a similar incident took place during last year’s recruitment process in Jaipur and Jodhpur, and said written communication from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and other Sikh organisations had already been sent to the Rajasthan government. “Despite that, the same injustice is being repeated,” he had said.
The Rajasthan State Minority Commission had also sent a letter to the concerned officials after the latest incident, while citing some other similar incidents. The directive by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Bhaskar A Sawant states: “Due to the non-effective compliance of the [2019] circular, such incidents have taken place and there is anger in the Sikh community”.
The latest directive also cites the 2019 circular on the Freedom of Religion as enshrined in the Indian Constitution and a Delhi High Court order to allow carrying of religious symbols in examination halls.
BJP’s Sadulshahar MLA Gurveer Singh said: “We acknowledge and thank Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma ji for addressing this vital issue with clarity and sensitivity. Now the onus is on Sikh students to uphold the sanctity and morality of the symbols”.
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