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India 'Patit' Sikh Students Can't Study At SGPC-run Colleges: SGPC President

Jan 6, 2005
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3,762
Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
'Patit' Sikh students can't study at SGPC-run colleges: SGPC president

Our Correspondent
Khanna, March 13


SGPC President Jathedar Avtar Singh declared that 'patit' Sikh students would not be allowed to continue their study in SGPC-run colleges and schools until they grow their hair. He made this declaration at the convocation ceremony at Mata Ganga Khalsa College for Girls, Kottan today.

He appealed to the students and staff to become the true disciples of Sikhism. He said this order would also be binding on staff of the colleges and school. However, he clarified that non-Sikh students would not have to abide by this direction and continue practising their religion.

He said that the SGPC would donate one crore rupees to help youth, belonging to families hit by 1984 riots, pursue higher studies.

As many as 532 girl students were conferred degrees at the ceremony. College Principal Jatinder Kaur Kottan presented the college report. Dharminder Singh Ubha, Director, SGPC Colleges, Inderjeet Singh Lopon, vice president of the college were also present on the occasion.

source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130314/punjab.htm#13
 

Harry Haller

Panga Master
SPNer
Jan 31, 2011
5,769
8,194
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Q: so tell me, you have beautiful hair, why do you grow it, what is the fundamental reason behind the keeping of your hair?

A: Well iin Sikhism it is important to keep the hair otherwise one angers ones parents, and cannot go to school, ohh, lots of very good reasons!

Q: So what does your hair mean to you?

A: Something I can be emotionally blackmailed with! :mundakhalsaflag:
 

Kanwaljit.Singh

Writer
SPNer
Jan 29, 2011
1,502
2,173
Vancouver, Canada
It is a double edged sword. You wish to do good for the community. And by community, we don't mean people living in an area. Just Sikhs. And you let people take up admission as Sikhs. They wear turbans first. And then they don't 'honor the commitment'. What can you do? There has to be a criteria for short listing!
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
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rory ji

That might not be possible once a student has already been admitted as a Sikh. There are subtexts to this article that would be pretty obvious to those individuals in India who keep track of the issues surrounding khalsa schools. Much of this is tied up in legal questions, and some issues have even been to court. As a westerner I myself have to ponder articles like this and don't have the background to fully understand what prompts speeches that the students must keep hair. None of the subtexts are really about conforming with parent or community expectations. But seriously, here are some of those subtexts:

1. Schools like the Mata Gangha School for Girls are funded by the SGPC. They are not exactly like private schools as we know them in the west.

2. Such schools are comparable to schools with religious affiliation... e.g., a Lutheran college funded by the Luther conference in UK or North America.

3. Students from other religions are admitted if the school wants also to accept government support. That equals a nondiscrimination policy, and along with that the religious beliefs of the nonSikh students have to be respected. Example: Muslim students attending a Lutheran college would not be asked to accept Jesus as their personal savior.

4. The schools also offer financial support, scholarships, and can enforce regulations covering eligibility for scholarships.

5. Most students would be Sikh anyway, keeping the need to make exceptions to the rules at a minimum.

6. There have been court cases where judges have ruled that keeping hair is a legitimate policy at khalsa run schools. The court ruled in a famous case that SGPC could forbid tweezing of eyebrows, arguing that keeping hair is a fundamental component of Sikh identity.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiat..._unshorn-hair-avtar-singh-makkar-high-priests

http://archives.dawn.com/archives/41587

This speech was given at a girls' school. I suspect that the intended message was directed at girls who might be contemplating shaving or tweezing. The speech was about rules and regulations... unless of course, and we don't know... the message about hair was intertwined with a message about Sikh identity.

Was the speech also an inspirational speech that extolled keeping hair to preserve Sikh identity? Can't tell from this article.

In the west the story is likely to be turned in the other direction against the minority religion. A muslim girl might be told she cannot wear a burqa; a Sikh boy might be ordered to cut his hair. This story is different. The school's majority religion is laying down the law for girls who are members of the majority religion.
 
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GSingh1984

SPNer
Mar 28, 2013
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a Sikh boy might be ordered to cut his hair.

They better have 20 million barbers.

Anyway, these folk are parasites on the Sikh community and want it to grow so they can feed.

Deleted. English is the official language of the forum.
Check your karma and keep your negativity under control. spnadmin
 
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