Chandigarh, June 7 – Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today appealed to External Affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar. She urged him to initiate a dialogue with the UAE government. The purpose is to sensitize the UAE about the religious significance of the five ‘kakkars’. This is especially true for the kirpan and kataar. It is important to allow Sikhs to observe their faith without fear or restriction.

Dialogue : Harsimrat Badal Urges MEA to Act on UAE Kirpan Advisory

In a letter to the External Affairs minister, the Bathinda MP said she was making this appeal. This was in the wake of a recent Advisory by the Indian Embassy in UAE. The advisory directs Indians not to carry sharp objects while visiting the country. This is due to Article 405 of the UAE penal law, which prohibits the same. This move had caused deep distress and mental agony to Sikh travellers and residents alike. Harsimrat Badal stated that authorities have detained Sikhs in several instances, forcing them to remove their kirpan and kataar. She also cited a recent case in which authorities detained an elderly man in Abu Dhabi for wearing the kirpan and turban.

Harsimrat Badal Seeks Action to Protect Sikh Religious Rights in UAE

Mrs Badal asserted in her letter that such incidents had caused distress within the Sikh community. They contravened the rights of Sikhs to practice their faith. These incidents also raised serious concerns about the protection of religious freedom for minorities in the UAE. “The Sikh community has always contributed positively to societies worldwide, including in the UAE, and demand the freedom to practice its faith in accordance with its tenets. Denying Sikhs the right to wear their five kakkars, particularly the kirpan, restricts religious freedom. It goes against the principles of mutual respect and pluralism that India stands for”. Mrs Badal also requested Mr S Jaishankar to consider sending a high-level delegation. This delegation should include representatives from the National Commission for Minorities and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Their goal is to engage with UAE authorities and relevant international agencies. They aim to sensitise them about Sikh articles of faith.

 Kirpan: Sacred Symbol of Sikh Identity and Duty

She asserted that the kirpan, one of the Five Ks (panj kakaar), was a sacred symbol and an inseparable part of Sikh identity, mandated by Sikh tenets since the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. “Its significance is spiritual and symbolic, representing the duty to uphold justice and protect the oppressed, and not as a weapon for aggression or harm.“She added, ‘Amritdhari Sikhs wear the kirpan at all times as a matter of religious obligation and conscience.’”