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
[email protected]”
We understood the plight of Sikhs in France and recorded our protests at the Embassy of France in Canada from the very beginning. WE IN Canada are also facing the problem with our Sikh Articles of faith in Quebec Province Our efforts will continue until the French Government come to Realise that they are Committing a Crimes against Human Dignity by not allowing Sikhs to Practice their Faith.
I needed to get Name and phone number of Committee member and the address of Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Paris, France Bobigny. I will appreciate if someone can provide this information, please.
Ajit Singh Sahota,
Email:
Just lobby with
1) French Law makers
2) French People and society
3) US President
For your share of “FRENCH PIE”
I have to say what the rest of you are saying – Sikhs fighting in their wars no problems in fact they were happy to see Sikh Soldiers in the front line – as enemy feared because Sikh do not turn their back and will fight to the end but now they do not want us to practice our religion. My father was his father before him fought in World War 1 and 2 – my father telling me that the Sikhs were so well respected and their dastaars were provided as they did with things like oil for their long hair to ensure that they were looked after because they were fighting for them……..
This is so unjust ! makes me feel so angry…
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We must win this war! We are with our brothers in France. We are heroes of two world wars. We were not told to remove our dastar before going to the battlefield to defend freedom! The French Preident must be made aware of this! He must be told that it is not a choice for us to wear the dastar; it is mandatory! It is a part of our ethnicity; the dastar is us! PM Davis Cameron can help in this endeavour. And we in Australia will do anything to make this happen! We must win this war. And we will!
I agree 100% but it may be our Sikh brothers (and sisters) in France will have to follow the painful example what the British Sikhs did when they faced similar discrimination and repeatedly invited arrest for wearing a turban instead of a motorcycle helmet. IN that instance with the constant publicity of refusing to remove the dastaar as a point of religious sovereignty we effectively shamed the British Government (who like the French were embarrassed when confronted with the historical fact that Sikhs had shunned the helmet for their dastaars fighting two world wars in the pursuit of Britain’s liberty rather than theirs). Because of one Sikh’s courting of arrest the law (he used to be fined in court and then go out and immediately get back on his motorcycle with the turban and be arrested again within minutes) in the UK the law changed to allow Sikhs to wear their dastaars instead of motorcycle helmets and safety helmets.
Some suggestions
1) Never Never Never Give up your rightful share of French pie.
2) We need remind to French people by setting up museums, web sites ,writing books and making movies of Sikhs hero’s who fought for France in there difficult times.
3) French Sikhs must enthusiastically contribute to the Growth of France and its citizens.
Sikhs marched in their turbans down the Champs-Élysées in Paris in the first world war and wore those same turbans in place of helmets when they fought and died for French liberty in the trenches. Thank you for France for your gratitude, now you can take your place next to India and Britain who also suffer from amnesia and hypocrisy when it comes to the Sikh blood spilled for your nation’s survival.
The ‘secularism’ practised in French schools and in the administration is not universal but has a religious zeal to it, which has led to a system of apartheid for the community. Why is this allowed to happen?
I suggest just lobby with
1) President of USA
2) law makers
3) Prayers