PM takes up turban
issue with French foreign minister
New Delhi, October 28, 2004
PTI
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh specially took up the turban issue with
the visiting French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and impressed upon
him the need to allow Sikh students in that country to wear turban in
some government schools, Minorities Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh
said on Thursday.
Tarlochan, who met Barnier at a dinner on Wednesday night, said "the
French foreign minister told me that both the Prime Minister and External
Affairs Minister Natwar Singh had raised the turban issue during their
meetings with him yesterday."
He said that the French minister said they had already admitted around
100 Sikh students to various public schools where the law against wearing
the headgear was not applicable. Only three cases were pending which
too would be solved by the second week of November, he had assured Singh.
The French minister assured him that Sikh students would not lose their
academic year, Singh said.
Tarlochan said that the issue was almost settled and they are in continuous
consultation with the Sikh community there.
The law was not against any religion, but to prevent the growth of
fundamentalist approach by community schools, Singh said quoting Barnier.