Following an incident on 16th May, when Sikh students were excluded from classes for wearing their turban at the St Joseph’s Higher Secondary school, the Principal has said that Sikh students may wear their turban to school.

“We congratulate the brave stand taken by the Sikh students of St Joseph’s school, to project the principles of Sikhism by wearing their turban to school, even though, this meant their exclusion from classes. UNITED SIKHS thanks the school principal for now coming around to understanding the need to promote unity through religious diversity, said Gurpreet Singh, UNITED SIKHS Director

“After how things turned out, I feel proud to wear a turban. I would like to give a message: Sabat Soorat Dastaar Sira (Let your total awareness be the turban on your head),” said one of the students who was excluded from class for wearing a turban, whose name has been withheld at his parent’s request.

Highlights:

• On 16th May, some 40 Sikh students of the St Joseph Higher Secondary School, Baramulla, Kashmir, were excluded from classes for wearing their turban;
• On 21st May, UNITED SIKHS advocated for these students’ right to wear the turban by writing to the principal, the Education Ministry, The Catholic Church of India, The National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Minorities of India;
• On 25th May, the Principal called for a meeting with the Baramulla Gurdwara Parbandhak Commitee and some parents and said that the students may return to school wearing their turban;
• On 28th May, Sikh students attended classes wearing their turban
• On 15th June, UNITED SIKHS directors, Bhai Esher Singh and Gurpreet Singh, will visit the Sikh community in Baramulla and honour the Sikh students and parents who stood their ground and made it possible for Sikh students to wear their turban at St Joseph’s School. The will also conduct motivational workshops for Sikh youths and their parents.

Baramulla, Kashmir, India – 10th June 2012: Turbaned Sikh students have been attending classes for the last fortnight following their earlier exclusion for wearing their turban at the St Joseph’s Higher Secondary School in Baramulla, 50 km from the State Capital, Srinagar. From 16th May, the 107year old school, which has 300 Sikh students, had excluded turbaned Sikh students from classes saying that the turban is against the school’s uniform code. Following a letter writing campaign by UNITED SIKHS to the school and State and national authorities, the school principal called a meeting with parents of the affected students and the Sikh community representatives, on 25th May, when he announced that the students may return to school wearing their turbans.

On 21st May, on behalf of some parents and the Baramulla Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, UNITED SIKHS had written to the school principal, Fr Sebastian Nagathunkal and to Rt. Rev. Peter Celestine, the Bishop of the Diocese of Jammu-Srinagar that runs the school, asking them to uphold the Sikh students’ religious right to wear their turban.

“We also wrote to the Education Minister of Jammu and Kashmir asking him to intervene. These letters were copied to the Cardinal of the Indian Catholic Church of India, the National Human Right Commission and the National Commission for Minorities,” said Mejindarpal Kaur, UNITED SIKHS International Legal Director.

“UNITED SIKHS is very grateful to all parties who helped resolve this issue expeditiously. We are very pleased that this incident has opened the way for students to wear a turban at the St Joseph’s school in Baramulla, where historically the wearing of the Sikh turban was a rare occurence,” she added.

“With the grace of god, about 25 students wore the turban to school (on 28th May 2013). This is a positive sign,” said Dr Tara Singh, member of the Baramulla Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, who met the school principal with some parents, after the issue was raised by UNITED SIKHS.

You may read a previous press release on UNITED SIKHS’ advocacy for the right to wear the turban at St Joseph’s School here.

Issued By:
Mejindarpal Kaur
International Legal Director
UNITED SIKHS
law@unitedsikhs.org
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