SGPC President writes to Indian Ambassador to USA Taranjit Singh Sandhu

Amritsar : The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami has raised objection to the policy of the New York Police Department (NYPD), of stopping Sikh policemen from growing their beard. The SGPC President has written a letter in this regard to the Indian Ambassador to the United States of America (USA) Taranjit Singh Sandhu. He has also sought intervention from the Union Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar.

Earlier, on July 28, a news appeared in the section of media wherein it was reported State trooper Charanjot Tiwana, based in Jamestown, New York, requested permission to grow his beard to the length of one-half inch (1.27 centimeters) in March 2022 for his wedding but the Tiwana’s request was denied on the basis that it posed a safety issue regarding the use of a gas mask, according to his union, the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association.

SGPC president on the basis of news in his letter to the Indian Ambassador to the USA, Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the NYPD policy of stopping a Sikh policeman from growing a beard on the basis of safety issues is not rational.

“Stopping Sikh policemen from growing a beard on the basis that it posed a safety issue regarding the use of gas mask is wrong. Even if a Sikh trooper has a fully grown beard, the gas mask can easily be worn by tying the unshorn beard while serving on such a duty. An example of this is the Sikh soldiers serving in the Indian Army, one of the world’s top military forces”, said Dhami.

“Initiated Sikhs do not cut hair and keeping hair unshorn for a lifetime is one of the commitments towards the Sikh religion and the Gurus (masters). By adopting such a discriminatory policy, the Sikhs are being forced away from their religion by the NYPD, thus also limiting employment opportunities for the initiated Sikh community in a democratic country like the USA. As per the Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of conduct) of Akal Takht Sahib, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs at Amritsar in Punjab, India, an initiated or practicing Sikh has to mandatory keep five symbols of faith i.e. kirpan (sword), karha (iron bracelet), kes (unshorn hair), kangha (wooden comb), and kachhehra (prescribed shorts)”, said Harjinder Singh Dhami.

He added that the contribution of Sikhs in the all-round development of the USA cannot be ignored, as from American politics to the field of security, technology, and science; the Sikhs have made great strides with their talent, hard work, and honesty. In a country like the USA, the religious beliefs and customs of Sikhs are no longer a matter of introduction and the community has the right to practice their religion, he added.

The SGPC President requested Indian Ambassador to raise strong objection to his counterparts in the USA, to the said policy of NYPD of forcing Sikh troopers to cut their hair. He also requested that the Indian Embassy in the USA at Washington DC shall also follow up on this case to ensure that such a discriminatory policy of NYPD is amended to protect the rights of the Sikh community.