Ottawa, August 21, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
The World Sikh Organization of Canada condemns the kirpan policy introduced by the NSW Department of Education in Australia. The new kirpan policy fundamentally alters the nature of the kirpan by requiring that it be no more than 8.5cm in length and have “no sharp edges or points”.
While there had been a legal exemption for Sikh students and school staff in NSW to wear the kirpan until June 2021, following a school incident, a blanket ban had been imposed.
Notably, the kirpan has been accommodated in Canadian schools for decades without such unreasonable modifications and restrictions.
WSO President Tejinder Singh Sidhu said in a statement today,
“The NSW school kirpan policy cannot be accepted by the Sikh community. It is an unreasonable infringement on the rights of the Sikh community.
A kirpan without an edge or a tip is no longer a kirpan.
This policy compels Sikhs to fundamentally alter a sacred article of faith at the orders of the NSW Department of Education. This is a dangerous precedent that we condemn in the strongest terms.
As we have noted before, the NSW Department of Education has punished the entire Sikh community based on a single unfortunate incident. Items such as scissors and pencils have been used in several incidents of assault and have not been removed from classrooms.
No kirpan government policy can regulate the shape and attributes of the kirpan. At most, kirpan policies in Canada and other jurisdictions contemplate limits on the size of the kirpan or require the kirpan be worn underneath the clothes
We encourage the Sikh community in Australia and worldwide to condemn the NSW policy as an unacceptable infringement on the rights of the Sikh community. The WSO is prepared to offer any assistance necessary to challenge this unjust policy.”
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