FEBRUARY 12, 2004

NEW DELHI: A delegation of Punjabi and Sikh dignitaries met the French ambassador here on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum with 100,000 signatures appealing to the authorities in France to reconsider their ban on "religious symbols" in public schools.

Led by Vikramjit Singh Sahney of the World Punjabi Organisation, Prehlad Singh Chandhok of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee and Lt Gen (retd) M S Bhullar, the delegation stressed that the Sikh turban is an integral part of the Sikh way of life and not just a religious symbol. "We are confident the French government will revisit the premise on which this issue is based and revise its decision".

As matters stand, Sikh children in French government schools will no longer be able to wear turbans or patkas from the next academic year in September. Muslim children too will not be allowed to wear the hijab, or head-scarf. The law also bans "large crosses", yarmulkes etc.

There have been widespread protests across France, England and India on this order of the French government.

In fact, speculation is rife that the Sikh community in France was even mulling leaving the country due to the new law.

(Source TIMES NEWS NETWORK)