Sikh pilot requests Bombay HC to let him carry religious dagger ‘Kirpan’ on flights| Oneindia News

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A Sikh pilot in India has approached a court to seek a permit to carry a religious dagger, ‘Kirpan’ while flying and inside airports. Watch what happens next? Is he allowed to follow his religion in his profession?    #Sikh #Kirpan #SikhsKirpan #IndigoAirlines #Pilot #Indigo #IndianAirlines #Flights #Aviation #Sikhism #OneindiaNews                  ~HT.178~PR.274~ED.103~GR.121~

Transcript

00:00 In a significant legal move, Sikh pilot Angad Singh, employed with Indian private carrier

00:10 Indigo, has taken his request to the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.

00:16 He seeks permission from the Government of India to carry his religious dagger known

00:21 as the Kirpan, both while flying and inside airports.

00:26 This case underscores the intersection of religious freedom and aviation regulations,

00:31 sparking a dialogue on the accommodation of cultural practices with professional settings.

00:37 Kirpan, a dagger with a curved blade, is one of the five physical symbols worn by Sikhs

00:44 which are considered markers of Sikh identity or five Ks of Sikhs.

00:51 The others are Kesh or uncut hair, Kara which is a steel bracelet, the Kanga, a wooden comb

00:58 and Kachera or underwear.

01:01 The petitioner's Mr. Angad Singh contends that Sikh individuals employed in the aviation

01:06 industry should have the right to carry their religious symbol, the Kirpan, as it protects

01:12 under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, ensuring religious freedom.

01:17 Notably, Sikh passengers are already permitted to carry a Kirpan while travelling by air.

01:23 In March 2022, India's Aviation Regulatory Authority, the Director-General of Civil Aviation

01:30 (DGCA) issued directives for exceptional regulatory sanction.

01:35 These directives allowed Sikh air passengers to carry Kirpans with blades not exceeding

01:41 six inches on civilian flights.

01:43 A subsequent correction notice extended this permission to Sikh employees working at airports.

01:49 However, Mr. Singh argues that the same should be applicable to all employees in the aviation

01:56 industry.

01:57 He emphasized a Delhi High Court judgment which asserted that there should be no discrimination

02:02 between Sikh passengers and stakeholders working as ground staff.

02:07 Mr. Singh's plea raises questions about uniformity in religious accommodations within the aviation

02:13 sector, especially regarding the carrying of the Kirpan.

02:17 A notification has been formally issued to the Ministry of Aviation, the Director-General

02:23 of the Central Industrial Security Force and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, urging

02:29 them to provide their responses on this crucial matter.

02:33 The case is set for its next hearing on 29 January 2024, signalling a continued legal

02:40 discourse on the rights of Sikh individuals within the aviation industry and the accommodation

02:47 of their religious practices.

02:48 For more information on the Sikh-related cases, please visit www.sikhair.org.au/sikhi-cases.

02:49 For more information on the Sikh-related cases, please visit www.sikhair.org.au/sikhi-cases.

02:50 For more information on the Sikh-related cases, please visit www.sikhair.org.au/sikhi-cases.

02:51 For more information on the Sikh-related cases, please visit www.sikhair.org.au/sikhi-cases.

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