Delhi Sikh Body to challenge CBSE dress code diktat in SC
A Jaipur resident, who appeared in the AIPMT exam, has also complained to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) that he is baptised but was only allowed to enter the examination hall after he removed his religious signs.
The Central Board of Secondary School Education's (CBSE) strict dress code for All India pre Medical Test (AIPMT) aspirants may have prevented unfair means to some extent but it has irked the Sikhs after the turbaned candidates were not allowed to enter the examination halls at many places.
While a number of Sikh candidates walked out the examination halls without appearing in the test, many in Pujab and other states followed the directions and removed the items which were not allowed in the examination halls.
A Jaipur resident, who appeared in the AIPMT exam, has also complained to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) that he is baptised but was only allowed to enter the examination hall after he removed his religious signs.
The CBSE has banned turbans, Hijabs,Scarves ,full sleeve shirts , earnings, nose rings , shoes, earphones, hair band, belts, cap besides the bluetooth devices in the examination halls, after a high-tech method to get the answer keys via a bluetooth -fitted device was detected in Rohtak on May 3 this year. The decision has however, annoyed Sikhs and Muslim communities as their religion has made the Hijabs, turbans or Scarf mandatory.
"If minority Sikh community is religiously discriminated in this manner in their own country then what can we expect from the governments of other countries especially where Sikhs are already being discriminated for their distinct identity,"questioned DSGMC President Manjit Singh GK after receiving complaint of discrimination from the victim student Jagjit Singh on Saturday.
The Sikh leader said that the SBSE directions were not only discriminatory but also against the right to faith and worship which were protected by Article 25 of the Constitution.
He questioned that when the Sikhs could go to the Supreme Court or the Parliament wearing their religious symbols, then how could a Sikh student be stopped from appearing in examinations.
"It is unfortunate that in our own country we have to resort to legal course to save our distinct identity," adding that such a decision would give a major blow to Sikh's image and identity at international level.
General secretary of DSGMC, Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that DSGMC would go to the Supreme Court to defend the Sikhs' right of wearing their religious symbols .
"We are preparing to file a case against the management of Sadhu Vaswani School, Adaresh Nagar, Jaipur for discriminating with a Sikh student and forcing him to remove his religious symbols," alleged Sirsa.