Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has appealed to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to initiate a dialogue with the UAE government to sensitise it about the religious significance of the five Kakaars, particularly the Kirpan and Kataar, and to ensure that Sikhs are allowed to practise their faith without fear or restrictions.

In a letter to the External Affairs Minister, Badal expressed concern over a recent advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in the UAE, warning Indian nationals against carrying sharp objects while visiting the country. This advisory follows Article 405 of the UAE Penal Code, which prohibits the carrying of such objects.

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Badal stated that the advisory has caused “deep distress and mental agony” to Sikh travellers and residents in the UAE. She cited several instances of Sikhs being detained and forced to remove their Kirpan and Kataar including a recent case of an elderly man being detained in Abu Dhabi for wearing a Kirpan and a turban.

She stressed that these actions contravene the rights of Sikhs to practise their faith and raise serious concerns about the protection of religious freedoms for minorities in the UAE.

“The Sikh community has always contributed positively to societies worldwide, including the UAE, and demands the freedom to practise its faith in accordance with its tenets. Denying Sikhs the right to wear their five Kakaars, particularly the Kirpan, is a curtailment of religious freedom and contrary to the principles of mutual respect and pluralism that India stands for,” she stated.

Badal also urged Dr Jaishankar to consider dispatching a high-level delegation comprising representatives from the National Commission for Minorities and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to engage with UAE authorities and relevant international bodies to raise awareness about the Sikh articles of faith.

She emphasised that the Kirpan – one of the five Kakaars mandated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, is a sacred symbol and an inseparable part of Sikh identity. “Its significance is spiritual and symbolic, representing the duty to uphold justice and protect the oppressed. It is not a weapon of aggression or harm. The Kirpan is worn at all times by Amritdhari Sikhs as a matter of religious obligation and conscience,” she added.