The North News
Chandigarh, October 6
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has strongly condemned the United States government’s reported decision to ban beards for Sikh soldiers serving in the US Army, calling it “highly condemnable and unfortunate.” Sandhwan said the move was an affront to the Sikh faith and an insult to the Sikh soldiers who valiantly fought in historic battles such as Saragarhi and the World Wars. “Maintaining unshorn hair is an essential part of Sikh religious identity,” he said, urging the Indian government to take up the matter with Washington at the diplomatic level. He added that New Delhi must apply pressure on the US administration to reverse the decision, saying it undermines the principles of religious freedom and diversity that both nations claim to uphold.
