Tags: Chandigarh

Chandigarh, May 30: Observing that keeping hair unshorn is an essential component of the Sikh faith, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today upheld denial of admission to some students to a medical college on grounds of having plucked eyebrows or trimmed beard.
"Having dealt with the historical background of the Sikh religion, the legislative enactments and views expressed by scholars, we are satisfied all this leads to one unambiguous answer that maintaining hair unshorn is an essential component of the Sikh religion," the Court said.

Making these observations, a Division Bench dismissed a writ petition filed by Gurleen Kaur and other students who were denied admission to a medical college on grounds of having plucked eyebrows or trimmed beard.

The Bench comprising Justice J S Khehar, Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal ruled the Sikh minority quota could be restricted to candidates maintaining "Sikhi Swarup" or keeping their hair unshorn.

It said "the Sikh rehat-maryada (religious sanctity) requires Sikhs to keep their hair unshorn and even an act of dishonouring hair is taken as a taboo. An act of dyeing one's hair is treated as an act of dishonouring hair." Maintaining that "hair unshorn is a part of the religious consciousness of the Sikh faith", the Court said if the religious community wishes to enforce the aforesaid norm as a pre-condition for admission, there is nothing wrong in this.

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