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Journalism of Courage
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday raised the turban issue with President Nicolas Sarkozy after it triggered an outcry among the Sikh community in France.
France had imposed a ban in 2004 under which Sikh students were prohibited from wearing turbans to schools, a decision that incurred world-wide protests from the community.
The matter figured during the summit talks between Singh and Sarkozy in Paris.
After their talks, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said the French President told the Prime Minister that he was looking into the issue.
The President also said it was a sensitive matter, Menon said.
The Prime Minister told the French President that Sikh community delegations have met him to voice their concern on the matter.
Insisting that France is not discriminating against Sikhs wearing turbans, Sarkozy on Monday said that he expects the community to respect the customs and traditions of the French people.
