US University Says Sorry After Sikh Student's Detention for Wearing Kirpan Leads to Uproar

A Sikh student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the United States of America was detained on the campus on Thursday for wearing kirpan, one of the integral parts of five Sikh Kakars. As the video of the incident led to an uproar, university chancellor Sharon Gaber apologised on Friday for the campus police officer’s action.

“UNC Charlotte dispatch received a 911 call reporting someone with a knife in the building. Police officers responded to the scene and engaged the individual in question. During this interaction, the individual was placed in handcuffs while officers took possession of the object. The handcuffs were removed after the object was retrieved. Further investigation showed the item was a kirpan, an article of faith in Sikhism,” Gaber said in a message to the campus community posted on the university’s website, UNCC.edu.

“State law and University policy prohibit the possession of a knife or other edged instruments on campus, but we will use this as a learning opportunity by engaging in constructive dialogue with Sikh students and employees. Together, we are confident we can find reasonable measures and educational opportunities that both protect the safety of our campus and the religious practices of our community members. Our diversity makes us a better, richer, more successful community. We want every Niner to feel welcomed, supported and safe. We apologise that is not what this young man felt in our union yesterday. We are committed to ensuring it doesn’t happen again,” read the message.

The video was shared by the student on Twitter. He said he was “handcuffed” for resisting the campus police officer who wanted to take his kirpan out of the miyaan.

“I wasn’t going to post this, but I don’t think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte. I was told someone called 911 and reported me, and I got cuffed for “resisting” because I refused to let the officer take my kirpan out of the miyaan.”

Soon, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa retweeted it, demanding an apology. He added he was in touch with the Indian embassy in the US and Ministry of External Affairs to get the student “released with due respect”.

“Despite numerous global campaigns to create awareness about Sikh Kakaars, it’s disheartening to see the Campus Police at University of North Carolina detain a Sikh youth for his Kirpan. I condemn the discriminatory attitude of University authorities towards Sikh students,” Sirsa tweeted.

He condemned the incident and demanded an apology from the Campus police and University Administration that detained the youth. “We demand an apology from Campus Police and Univ Admn at @unccharlotte that detained a Sikh youth for his Kirpan, a quintessential part of Sikh Kakars. We are in constant touch with @IndianEmbassyUS and @MEAIndia to ensure the Amritdhari student is released with due respect,” Sirsa, a former legislator, said in a tweet.

“I must appreciate the Sikh student who explained the significance of Kirpan with such faith. We demand an apology from @unccharlotte admn on this racial attitude. I also urge @DrSJaishankar Ji to address the issue of discrimination faced by Sikh students at global level,” he added.

THE REACTIONS

The video that got more than 2.2 million views invited strong reactions from the Twitterati.

A Twitter user wrote that it was “very unfortunate that you got arrested with no provocation or threats made. Many Americans legally carry small handguns in their holsters, they don’t get arrested. I hope the complaint gets dismissed & an apology is issued”.

Another user wrote, “This must be looked into and the officer must be reprimanded and trained so that he knows the legality of baptised Sikhs carrying religious items. There have never been any problems with Sikhs carrying these for many years.”

A person wrote about the significance of having a basic understanding of religion in the multicultural society of America, “Everyone should have basic knowledge Of all religions, including Sikhism and the 5 K’s”

THE KIRPAN

The kirpan is an integral part of the Sikh religion and Article 25 of the Indian Constitution allows the wearing and carrying of kirpans by Sikh persons. It is one of the five Kakars. Sikhs wear them as a reminder of their commitment to the tenets of their faith, including justice, charity, morality, humility, and equality.

Mandated to be worn always, it is an integral part of the Khalsa Sikh’s person, and not wearing the kirpan at any time, day or night, constitutes a grievous transgression for a Khalsa Sikh.

With ANI inputs

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