Centre passes new rule, now Sikhs can carry Kirpans in any India airports

A document on Monday stated, that Aviation security regulator BCAS has allowed  Sikh aviation sector employees to carry kirpan with them on the airport premises. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on March 4, order a ban on Sikh aviation sector employees from carrying kirpan in any Indian airport premises, and this order has been highly criticized by the Sikh body Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

However, on March 12, the BCAS removed the ban. A kirpan is a curved dagger, which is worn by Shiks next to the body. In the earlier order on March 4th BCAS said, "Kirpan may be carried only by a Sikh passenger, on his person, provided the length of the blade does not exceed six inches and the total length does not exceed nine inches".

Now Kirpan is allowed while traveling by plane on Indian aircraft within India, it added. "This exception shall be for Sikh passengers only as stated above. And, no stakeholder or its employee at the airport (including Sikh) and working in any terminal, domestic or international, shall be allowed to carry Kirpan in person," it added.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami on March 9th wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, saying that the March 4 order is an attack on the Shik religion. Therefore, on March 12, the BCAS removed the ban on the March 4th order.