Rusticate students for ‘Sardar jokes’, SC told

R Sedhuraman

Advertisement

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, November 25

Two top Sikh bodies have urged the Supreme Court to include rustication of students and dismissal of employees in the list of proposed steps to check “Sardar jokes” and other forms of slur in educational institutions and work places.

The suggestions have been given by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) in response to the apex court’s directive to come up with draft guidelines for dealing with the issue.

The DSGMC, however, said no student of class 8 or below should be rusticated. “Racial slur and objectification on communal basis should be brought under the ambit of ragging, which is banned,” the SGPC said.

It said any act of ragging, bullying, ridiculing and mocking on account of religion, race, caste, ethnicity and physical appearance should be dealt with by punishments ranging from warnings, suspension, withholding of scholarships and other benefits and examination results, besides expulsion.

The educational institutions should also be subjected to penalties such as suspension and cancellation of affiliation and financial aid for their failure to take adequate steps, the SGPC said.