London: January 22nd 2011; In August 2010 the NSO launched a campaign following a terse plea from Shammi Puri, a Gursikh geophysicist working with the UN in Poland. In 2010 the Polish Border on grounds of security began a policy of asking Sikhs to remove their turbans and place them on the conveyor for inspection. With the help of UK gurdwaras and other Sikh organisations, the NSO took advantage of a Prime Minister led Polish trade delegation to India to get the Indian government to criticise the Polish behaviour. External affairs minister Preneet Kaur outraged by the behaviour of the Polish authorities towards her fellow Sikhs made her feelings known to the Polish Prime Minister in no uncertain terms, leading to the Polish authorities grudgingly halting their harassment of Sikh visitors to Poland.
The present position is that while the insulting requirement for Sikhs to remove their turban has been temporally suspended, there has been no change in the rules, and the requirement. could be quietly re-introduced at any time. An indication of bad faith is that The Polish Border Guards are prosecuting Mr Puri for earlier impeding them in their duty. Mr Puri in response has reluctantly taken out a counter claim alleging undue harassment by the Polish Border Guards. The two cases poignantly highlight the difficulties Sikhs are facing in airports across Europe in a post 9/11 era.
On 12th January 2011, In the first substantial hearing of the counter action brought by Mr Puri, evidence was heard from 10 officers of the Border Guards who on their own admission were familiar with the claimant but insisting that they were doing their duty. The next Hearing has been listed for the 16th March 2011.
Shammi told the NSO that despite the ensuing legal proceedings, on a flight earlier this week from Warsaw to London, he was again targeted and searched, furthermore he was checked in a “puffer machine” and the machine detected the presence of some “forbidden substances” He was later to be vindicated by the Border Guard, following the use of a second screening machine, which highlighted the first had malfunctioned. Shammi informed the NSO that he felt this recent incident had added to the toll the legal action was taking. He feels it may have been designed to intimidate him deliberately in the middle of a trial.
Dr Indarjit Singh, Director NSO comments:
“Shammi Puri and Sikhs travelling to Poland and other parts of Europe deserve the full support of UK Sikhs. The NSO is already helping with the cost of the action in Poland . We appeal to other UK Sikh organisations and individuals to pledge their financial support to help us meet this challenge to Sikh identity.”
The present position is that while the insulting requirement for Sikhs to remove their turban has been temporally suspended, there has been no change in the rules, and the requirement. could be quietly re-introduced at any time. An indication of bad faith is that The Polish Border Guards are prosecuting Mr Puri for earlier impeding them in their duty. Mr Puri in response has reluctantly taken out a counter claim alleging undue harassment by the Polish Border Guards. The two cases poignantly highlight the difficulties Sikhs are facing in airports across Europe in a post 9/11 era.
On 12th January 2011, In the first substantial hearing of the counter action brought by Mr Puri, evidence was heard from 10 officers of the Border Guards who on their own admission were familiar with the claimant but insisting that they were doing their duty. The next Hearing has been listed for the 16th March 2011.
Shammi told the NSO that despite the ensuing legal proceedings, on a flight earlier this week from Warsaw to London, he was again targeted and searched, furthermore he was checked in a “puffer machine” and the machine detected the presence of some “forbidden substances” He was later to be vindicated by the Border Guard, following the use of a second screening machine, which highlighted the first had malfunctioned. Shammi informed the NSO that he felt this recent incident had added to the toll the legal action was taking. He feels it may have been designed to intimidate him deliberately in the middle of a trial.
Dr Indarjit Singh, Director NSO comments:
“Shammi Puri and Sikhs travelling to Poland and other parts of Europe deserve the full support of UK Sikhs. The NSO is already helping with the cost of the action in Poland . We appeal to other UK Sikh organisations and individuals to pledge their financial support to help us meet this challenge to Sikh identity.”
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