Sikh deportees 'made to remove turbans' before boarding flight

Sikh deportees were allegedly made to remove their turbans before they boarded the US military aircraft that landed on the Amritsar airstrip late Saturday night.

Upon reaching Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, when the deportees were in the queue to furnish the formalities pertaining to immigration and requisite documentation, Sikhs were noticed without turbans.

It is learnt that there were around 24 Sikhs in the flight.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) staff member Sandeep Singh and others, who were present at the airport, instantly provided them with ‘patkas’ and ‘parnas’ (a sort of small turban) to cover their heads.

The matter was also brought to the notice of SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami who condemned the US authorities for being ‘insensitive’ towards Sikh religious sentiments.

SGPC secretary Partap Singh said that the deportees were being treated as if they were ‘extremists’ or criminals.

“The US authorities have not only handcuffed and chained the deportees, they have violated the fundamental religious rights and hurt sentiments of Sikhs by removing their turbans. We condemn it strongly. The deportees were not criminals but were victimised and needed to be consoled. Rather, they were meted out with such shameful treatment by the US authorities on the pretext of security concerns. We urge Union External Affairs (MEA) Minister S Jaishankar to take it up with his US counterpart, keeping in view the Sikh sentiments,” he said.

Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and his Cabinet colleague Harbhajan Singh ETO were there to receive the deportees.

Later, during their interaction with the ministers, they revealed that they were asked to remove their turbans and were later handcuffed by the US authorities. When they were about to land at the Amritsar airport, their handcuffs were removed but were not given any ‘cloth’ to cover their heads, it is learnt.

Nonetheless, the SGPC runs a special counter at the airport to assist the passengers, who wish to visit the Golden Temple on their arrival to Amritsar.

SGPC’s staff member Sandeep Singh said that they were prepared to assist the deportees as another flight is expected to come tonight. He said that arrangements were made for their ‘langar’ and even accommodation for their night stay at the ‘sarais’ in the Golden Temple complex. “We will also provide them transport for their homes, if need be,” he said.