The president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has raised objections to the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) policy of preventing Sikh policemen from growing their beards, citing safety concerns. The SGPC has called on the Indian Ambassador to the United States and the Union Minister of External Affairs to intervene and ensure that the policy is amended.
In a letter to the Indian Ambassador and the External Affairs Minister, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed that the NYPD’s policy of restricting Sikh policemen from growing beards on safety grounds is not reasonable. He argued that Sikh troopers can easily wear gas masks even with a fully grown beard by tying it while serving on duty, similar to Sikh soldiers serving in the Indian Army.
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Dhami emphasised that maintaining unshorn hair is a religious commitment for initiated Sikhs and limiting their employment opportunities based on discriminatory policies goes against their religious beliefs. He asserted that in a democratic country like the USA, Sikhs have the right to practise their religion and should not be forced away from their religious obligations.
The SGPC president urged the Indian Ambassador to raise the issue with US counterparts and requested the Indian Embassy in Washington DC to follow up on the case and ensure that the NYPD’s discriminatory policy is amended to protect the rights of the Sikh community.
