The student should not be allowed to carry the Kirpan:Sikh Council of Australia

School students should not be allowed to carry the kirpan, says the Sikh Council of Australia, the apex representative body of Sikhs in the country, about the dagger worn as an article of faith by baptised Sikhs.

Bawa Singh Jagdev, secretary of the council, told IANS, "Kirpans should not be allowed at schools at all. The wearer or the initiate must understand its (kirpan's) significance, utility and consequences if used for any purpose other than what it is meant for. Now the question of student wearing this kirpan in the school, does he understand the significance or its utility?"

"The council is of the view that although it's an article of the Sikh faith and if some family wants his 10 or 12 year old to be initiated, they can leave the kirpan at home and go to school, come back and wear it. The reason being it can be harmful to the wearer. Suppose two or three boys get together and remove his kirpan, they can harm him," he adds.

In one of the most multicultural countries in the world, it can be a challenging task to strike a balance between protection of religious freedoms and the safety of other students.

An inquiry into dress codes and uniforms in schools in Victoria by the Education and Training Parliamentary Committee recommended "that the Department of Education and Early Childhood development require all Victorian schools to accommodate clothing and other items with religious significance where appropriate, within a framework developed by the Department".

Courtesy:ibnlive.com
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