New Delhi: Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK was told to remove his turban during a security check at the Rome airport. However, he, along with other members of the DSGMC delegation, refused to do so and decided not to board their Dubai-bound Emirates flight.
Manjit Singh, who is also Delhi chief of Akali Dal (Badal), said the delegation, however, allowed let the staff touch their turbans and run a metal detector over it, but the Italian security insisted on them taking the turbans off. The delegation was returning from Italy's Cremona city after attending a Dastar (turban) Awareness Day event, organised by a Europe-based TV channel. He was accompanied by DSGMC's dharma parchar committee chairman Paramjit Singh Rana, committee members Gurvinder Singh, Inderjeet Singh Gulati and Gurbachan Singh Cheema, and another invitee, Puneet Singh Chandok.
The issue led to Sikhs protesting outside the Italian embassy in Delhi on Wednesday and Punjab chief ministerParkash Singh Badal saying he would take up the matter with the Prime Minister. Badal on Wednesday urged the central government to mount pressure on foreign countries so that turbans worn by Sikh travellers are not ordered removed for security checks at airports. "Removal of turban in the name of security check in foreign countries is a direct assault on Sikh identity. Any disrespect to the identity in any form is not tolerable," Badal said.
Manjit described the attitude of the security personnel at Rome airport as insensitive. He said when the staff asked him to remove his turban, he tried to tell them that this was not possible as it defied the teachings of Sikhism. "But they refused to understand. We even offered that the staff could touch the turban on the head and run a metal detector over it to ensure that security was compromised. But they refused and did not allow us to take the flight," he said. "We have reported the matter to the Indian embassy in Rome. There are around 40 gurdwaras in Italy and we were here to attend the International Sikh Dastar (Turban) Awareness Day at the invitation of the Sikh Channel (UK) at Cremona," Manjit added.
A statement issued by DSGMC office in Delhi quoted Manjit: "The Indian embassy in Rome intervened with the local officials and airport administration at the highest level but their efforts were unsuccessful. The Italian embassy in New Delhi and the Indian embassy in Rome had been informed about the visit of this delegation to Italy," he said. The Italians insisted on removing the turbans despite having accepted it as a religious symbol in 2011. Italy had at that time declared that Sikhs will not have to remove their turbans at airports for security screening, after strong protests by Sikhs and the Indian government.
