Sikhs working at Indian airports will continue to be able to carry a tiny kirpan with them while on the job.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has updated an aviation security (AvSec) circular that permits Sikh travellers on domestic flights inside India to keep a kirpan up to 9 inches long (22.86 cm), with an edge no longer than 6 inches long (15.24 cm) on their person. It omitted "employees" from the scope of this order due to an oversight.
Because of the new restriction, a Sikh employee wearing a kirpan was recently prevented from fulfilling his duties at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar, which Sikh organisations objected to. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) raised the issue with the aviation ministry after Amritdhari Sikh employees were denied the right to wear their kirpan whilst working at Indian airports. It had requested that the March 4, 2022, order be revoked.
"We got representations from the Sikh community about the same and accordingly have addressed that issue by issuing a corrigendum order on March 12. There's nothing new in the order. It simply seeks to remove the confusion caused by a recently amended circular," reported The Times of India quoting one of the BCAS officials.
Clarification by BCAS
BCAS DG Jaideep Prasad issued an order on March 12 that clarified, "In place of (the confusion-causing para), following shall be substituted- 'Kirpan may be carried by a Sikh passenger, on his person, provided the length of its blade does not exceed 15.24 cms (6 inches); and the total length of a Kirpan does not exceed 22.86 cms (9 inches). It is allowed while travelling by air on Indian aircraft within India (domestic routes of fully domestic flights only)."
