CHANDIGARH, Punjab—On March 30, the Punjab & Haryana High Court bench headed by Justice R.K Jain and Justice Harnaresh Singh Gill granted conditional relief to the Sikh candidates aspirant of appearing in the Haryana Civil Services examination. The High Court has directed the Haryana Public Services Commission to allow Sikh candidates to wear their Kakaars during the examination, but the Sikh candidates have been directed to report at the examination center an hour before the commencement of the exam so that their Kakaars could be “scrutinized”.
Interestingly, the High Court has also said that the Sikh candidates might be denied entry along with Kakaars if the authorities find it suspicious. The Sikh candidates, who will not report an hour before the examination time, won’t be allowed to enter into the examination center along with their Kakaars.
It is may be recalled here that the Haryana Public Services Commission had announced that no candidate will be allowed to enter into the examination hall along with any kind of religious symbol. The HPSC had termed the move as an attempt to put control over cheating.
Advocate Charanpal Singh Bagrhi had challenged the HPSC’s decision in the Punjab & Haryana High Court to defend the rights of baptized Sikh students.
It is pertinent to note here that it is mandatory for every baptized Sikh to wear the Sikh Kakaars (articles of Sikh faith) namely Kes, Kanga, Karha, Kirpan and Kachhehra.
Its a joint responsibility
Of authority implementing it with responsibility and senstivity
And of students and their parents to counsel on misuse of this leverage for anything illegal which lowers the dignity of being a SIKH in itself.