Above: Legendary Olympian and field-hockey Centre Forward Balbir Singh (Sr.), a triple gold medallist, and India’s winning Captain in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Sports
Sikh Athletes, Spectators Wearing Kirpans Welcomed to London 2012 Olympics
by ALAN BALDWIN
Sikh athletes and
spectators will be allowed to Kirpans into
London Olympic venues next year, despite the intense security
arrangements, as part of a multi-faith approach to the Games.
"We want to make sure the Games are accessible to everyone,"
a spokesperson for organisers LOCOG said on Monday.
"The policy has been set by the LOCOG security team, who
have liaised with wider stakeholders, and is part of our
multi-faith approach.
"The Kirpan will be presented at
security, but it will not be unsheathed. Wearing the Kirpan
alongside the other articles of faith is both an everyday
occurrence for Sikhs and an important part of observing their
faith."
Organisers said the Kirpan would have to be worn beneath
clothing and Sikhs carrying it would also have to demonstrate
the four other articles of their faith that they must wear at
all times.
Britain boasts one of the largest Sikh communities outside of India
with nutheir numbers estimated around 1 million and more.
Organisers have recruited 193 chaplains, representing nine
faiths, to assist some 17,000 athletes and officials attending
the Games as well as up to 200,000 staff and volunteers and
20,000 media.
The International Olympic Committee requests facilities for
five faiths - Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists -
but London 2012 organisers have added Sikh, Zoroastrian, Jain
and Baha'i to the list.
The Olympics,
starting on July 27 next year, represent the biggest security challenge
since World War II for a country that remains on high alert for a
terrorist attack.
Defence Minister Philip Hammond said this month that all
necessary measures would be taken, including possibly the use of
surface to air missiles, to defend against an airborne attack.
[Reporting by Alan Baldwin.
[Courtesy: Reuters]
November 23, 2911
Conversation about this article
1: Karam Singh (Vermont, U.S.A.), November 23, 2011, 8:13 AM.
If there is a will, there is a way! In India, where there is no will to look beyond the primitivity of hindutva, all we have is ignorance, corruption, discrimination and anarchy.
2: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), November 23, 2011, 1:05 PM.
Respect the kirpan and the 5K'S with your heart and soul, and the world will join you.
3: B. Singh (Canada), November 23, 2011, 3:47 PM.
This is definitely great news and a step in the right direction towards a more tolerant society. Perhaps the French could take a lesson?
4: Sahib Singh (Fremont, California, U.S.A.), November 23, 2011, 8:35 PM.
I am glad that the British government has taken into account the importance of the 5K's to the Sikh faith.