SAD writes to EAM on US Army beard ban

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday appealed to Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar to "take up the issue of the ban on beard in the United States Army with the US govt to ensure Sikhs can practise their faith without any discrimination".

In a letter to the external affairs minister, the SAD president said the Sikhs all over the world were deeply anguished and concerned over the US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth's statement effectively banning beards for the Sikhs serving in the US defence forces.

He urged the minister to take up the issue at an appropriate level to ensure this discriminatory decision was not implemented and Sikhs continued to be allowed to practice their faith as before.

Badal, while drawing the attention of the external affairs minister to "an impending ban on Sikhs in the US Army maintaining their religious identity with regard to the five cardinal symbols (the five kakaars), including turban, hair and beard", appealed for an early initiative on behalf of the Indian govt in this regard.

The SAD chief said: "The decision ran against the principle of freedom to practice one's religion, a cornerstone of the US democracy."

He said: "The US govt categorically acknowledged the right of the Sikh members of the US armed forces to preserve their external symbols of religious identity, including turban and beard, allowing a plea in 2010 by two Sikh officers, Capt Simran Preet Singh Lamba and Dr Maj Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi."

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