New Delhi, India (August 8, 2013): It is learnt that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK and accompanying four others, namely Paramjit Singh Rana, Gurvinder Pal Singh, Puneet Singh Chandhok and Gurbachan Singh Cheema; were asked to remove their turbans at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on August 07, 2013. As per media reports the entire delegation refused to remove their respective turbans but the delegates requested the Airport Security to scan it manually with metal detector without removing it, which was also not agreed by Airport Security.
DSGMC Officials protest outside Italian Embassy in New Delhi [August 07, 2013]
According to a news reported by YesPunjab.Com, a news portal by senior Punjab journalist H. S. Bawa, [t]he security officials at the airport demanded the delegates to remove their turban in a private room one by one in order to remove or they can’t board.
“Considering the principles and preaching’s of Sikh Religion, the delegates refused to remove their respective turban and were offloaded by Emirates Airlines due to non-boarding” YesPunjab.Com news reads further.
According to YesPunjab.Com: [t]he security officer said to the delegates “you have to remove your hat and individually go one by one in a private room where the entire physical frisking will take place by removing it” the delegates termed his statement as unethical word for the Sikh Dastar (Turban), which is the pride of Sikh Religion and refused to remove the same.
“The Embassy of India in Rome intervened with the local officials and airport administration at the highest level but their efforts were unsuccessful. The Ambassador of India in Rome was personally monitoring the situation”, the news reads further.
As per information when the news reached Delhi (India), the general secretary of DSGMC Manjinder Singh (irsa along with other office bearers Ravinder Singh Khurana and Harmeet Singh (Kalka) approached Italian Embassy in New Delhi to lodge their protest.
“Later in the day a large number of Sikhs staged protest outside the Embassy and raised the slogans against the incident and submitted a memorandum to the embassy officials”, YesPunjab.Com has reported.
As per information the high ranking DSGMC Delegation was on their way to Dubai after attending “International Sikh Dastar (Turban) Awareness Day” at the invitation of Sikh Channel (UK) on 3rd of August of 2013 at Luna Park, Cremona Italy. It’s prudent to mention here than more than 5000 persons all across from Europe attended this event.
The delegation was later scheduled to meet the Indian Community in Dubai and visit Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Dubai. The Embassy of Italy in New Delhi and The Embassy of India in Rome were well informed about the visit of this delegation to Italy.
The delegation is currently waiting in Rome and the Embassy of India in Rome is coordinating and facilitating their safe passage.