Grave Assault on Sikh Identity: J&K Student Forced to Remove Karah During CUET UG 2025 in Mohali, Matter Escalated to Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
||Black & White Digital News||
||Tejveer Singh May 27,2025||
Mohali/Jammu :– In a shocking and deeply distressing violation of Sikh religious rights, a young Sikh student from Jammu & Kashmir was allegedly forced to remove his Karah, a sacred article of faith, during the CUET UG 2025 examination held at Eeraj Online Examination Centre, IT City, Sector 83, Mohali, on May 24, 2025.
This grave incident, which has sent ripples of outrage across the Sikh community, has now been formally brought to the notice of the Apex Temporal Seat of Sikhism, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, with a fervent plea for intervention and justice.
A Sacred Article Desecrated:
The Karah, one of the revered Panj Kakars, is a divine symbol of the Sikh faith representing discipline, strength, and an unbreakable connection to the Guru. Forcibly removing it is not just a personal affront but a profound desecration of Sikh Rehat Maryada. For the young student, this humiliation was inflicted not in a foreign land but in Punjab itself, the spiritual homeland of Sikhs.
The student, appearing for the Central University Entrance Test (CUET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), was allegedly directed to remove the Karah by the examination staff, reportedly citing security protocols. Despite protests and emotional distress, the student was compelled to comply under pressure.
Past Echoes and Precedents:
This is not the first instance of such insensitivity. Over the past decade, there have been sporadic reports of Sikh students and passengers being asked to remove Kirpans and Karas during exams or airport screenings. Despite repeated assurances from government and regulatory bodies, enforcement of constitutional religious freedoms remains inconsistent and often arbitrary, especially in centralized testing environments.
What makes this incident even more painful is the fact that it occurred in Punjab, where awareness of Sikh tenets should be highest. The lapse reflects a systemic failure to sensitize institutions and staff regarding Sikh identity and rights.
Call for Immediate Action by Sri Akal Takht Sahib:
In a strongly worded submission addressed to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the complainant has demanded:
1. Suo Moto Action by Sri Akal Takht Sahib on the incident.
2. Summoning of NTA and Examination Centre Officials to explain this religious violation.
3. Issuance of Directives to all national and state examination bodies to respect Sikh articles of faith.
4. Reinforcement of Sikh Rehat Maryada within all public and institutional frameworks.
The appeal highlights how such incidents, if left unchecked, can normalize religious insensitivity and slowly erode the constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion. It urges Sri Akal Takht Sahib to send a clear and resolute message that no Sikh shall ever be forced to compromise his Rehat, identity, or dignity, under any institutional or bureaucratic pretext.
A Crisis of Faith in the Homeland:
“This is not just a student’s trauma, it’s the community’s pain,” remarked S. Gurmeet Singh, President, Prabhandak Committee, Gurudwara Baba Fateh Singh Ji, Sanjay Nagar, Jammu. He further added, “The fact that it happened in Mohali, in Punjab, is nothing short of a betrayal of the collective Sikh conscience, We expect immediate correction, accountability, and assurance that this will never happen again.”
The Sikh community across the country is watching keenly, awaiting a robust response from both Sri Akal Takht Sahib and government authorities.
For now, the dignity of a student stands violated and so does the sanctity of Sikh identity in a secular republic.
