Sikh Council of France Write Letter to Whole Panth

Posted: 26 Jan 2016 09:05 AM PST

 

FRANCE, Europe—Representatives of the Sikhs of France have written to the Sikh nation at large to describe their plight of suffering prejudice and religious repression in France.
The Conseil Représentatif des Sikhs de France, expressed their situation in a plea written by their Director of Public Affairs, Ranjit Singh.
Sikhs in France have faced great difficulty in practising the most basic aspects of the faith laid down by Guru Nanak. Namely the wearing of the turban has been prohibited in official buildings, schools and during the production of ID cards. These restrictions have been a great burden for Sikhs throughout the country.
Numerous attempts at intervention by Sikh organisations and leaders from India and other countries appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
The letter by the French Sikh Council is produced here in it’s entirety:

“Global Appeal to the Panth
Paris, 26th January 2016
We appeal to the Panth to recall the situation of Sikhs in France. The Dastaar Struggle is still on the table. Even after the success in the United Nations, the situation of Sikhs in France did not change at all. Each time, a French Sikh wants to enter the School building, we are asked to remove our Dastaar, our Patka or our Rumal! Each time, a French Sikh wants to apply for an Identity document, we are asked to remove our Dastaar on the picture. We need the support of Sikhs around the world, what is happening today in France can spread throughout Europe and hire in all Western countries.
Unfortunately, even after a Sikh Indian Prime Minister, the situation did not change. We still have problem with French schools and French administration. The French Sikh community is struggling for their identity in French society since few years. The law of 2004 on banning Dastaar in public school and the Government regulation of 2006 on ID picture, in which they forbade all head cover such as Dastaar, are going to erase the Sikh Identity in the French society.
Sikhs and France have a great shared history, friendship between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and King Louis Philippe 1er, to the French love in the province of Kapurthala. It is important to remember these strong historical connections that strengthened the French-Sikh friendship. This same friendship will occur during the Great Wars in France. The Dastaar was not an issue to defend the Freedom in France, today a duty of memory is required.
Even this year, we had a new type of difficulty affecting French Sikh. As they become major, they have to spent one day in military class, which is called “Journée Citoyenneté et Defense”. Without any law, they ban Sikhs to participate because we were Dastaar. This year: Bhupinder Singh, Sumeljyot Singh and Kuldeepak Singh were refused to access to the “Journée Citoyenneté et Defense”. As every year, we had to bargain with school director (in le Bourget) to let Sikhs children to wear a Rumaal (kerchief), which keeps Kesh, unshorn hair, on the top of the head. Directors told to Sikhs children to cut their long hair or to not come back at school!
We urge the Panth to take up these issues with the French official, especially during the visit of French President in India on 26th January 2016.
Safeguarding the Sikh Identity is a duty for each of us.

M. Ranjit G. SINGH
Directeur des Affaires Publiques
Conseil Représentatif des Sikhs de France
(+33) 6 50 45 11 07
direction@sikhsdefrance.fr”