Amritdhari Sikh student denied admission to college, barred from BA examination

Amritdhari Sikh student denied admission to college, barred from BA examination

New Delhi, February 7 (Manpreet Singh Khalsa):- On February 5, a Sikh student was stopped from appearing for his BA examination at DSM Degree College in Kanth area of ​​Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh for carrying a kirpan. The incident is being seen as an insult to Sikh religious symbols and a violation of constitutional rights, as according to the Supreme Court and other government orders, Sikh students are allowed to carry a large and small kirpan to examination centres. Sikhs say that on Wednesday morning, a student was not allowed to enter the examination centre because he was wearing a kirpan, due to which he was deprived of the BA first year examination. The angry Sikh community has submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister to the SDM. The complainants say that Sardar Japan Singh, a resident of Mohalla Bishanpura, is an Amritdhari Sikh. According to religious rules, an Amritdhari Sikh cannot separate or remove his kirpan. Japan Singh, a first-year BA student of DSM Degree College, had gone to appear for the Hindi examination on Wednesday. It is alleged that the college staff stopped him from entering with the kirpan. He said that first remove the kirpan and then come in. On receiving information about this, many people from the Sikh community reached the college. They say that despite being told about the religious tradition, Japan Singh was not allowed to enter the examination hall with the kirpan. Due to this, he could not appear in the examination. After this, a Sikh delegation submitted an eight-point demand letter addressed to the Chief Minister to the SDM. They alleged that on January 27, the college staff did not allow Japan Singh to enter the examination hall until he removed his kirpan. Those who submitted the memorandum included Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha Kantha Patron Sardar Kirpal Singh, President Sardar Kulwant Singh, Sardar Tajinder Singh, Amarjit Singh, Simrandeep Singh, Japan Singh, Amrik Singh, Jaspreet Singh and others. Meanwhile, the college principal Dr. Sompal Singh told a media that he was on leave in Delhi. He said that the college staff told him over the phone that a Sikh student had been deprived of his examination due to late arrival. He said that he was not aware of any such condition regarding the kirpan. SDM Sant Das Panwar said that some members of the Sikh community had met him. The memorandum submitted by them has been sent to the concerned department, where they have been asked to investigate and take action.