THOOTHUKUDI: The Tamil Sikh Sangat has appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to recognise Tamil Sikhs as a minority community and acknowledge their religious conversions. The organisation raised the issue with Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission Chairman Fr Joe Arun during his recent visit to Thoothukudi, stating that Tamil Sikhs were facing difficulties in establishing their identity.
According to the Sangat, many people in southern Tamil Nadu, particularly in Thoothukudi, are embracing Sikhism, but revenue officials are rejecting applications filed by converts seeking to change their religious status in community certificates.
Sardar Jeevan Singh, founder of the Tamil Sikh Sangat and national president of the Bahujan Dravida Party (BDP) headquartered in Thoothukudi, said community certificates must explicitly mention “Sikh” alongside social status — whether Scheduled Caste, Backward Class, or otherwise — as guaranteed under Articles 25-28 of the Constitution.
Members of the community also alleged harassment by police for carrying the kirpan — a customary dagger and one of the five sacred symbols of Sikhs. They said they were frequently stopped and questioned in malls and other public places.
Korkai P. Palani Singh, who embraced Sikhism two years ago, told TNIE that he had filed an application at the Kariapatti tahsildar office in Virudhunagar to change his certificate. Instead, he was issued a Hindu-SC certificate, which he refused to accept. “The tahsildar accused me of cheating, claiming there is no gurdwara in the region, without even conducting a field inspection,” said Singh, formerly known as P. Palanichamy. He added that the officer insisted he obtain a conversion certificate from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
S. Selva Singh (S. Selvakumar), chairman of the Tamil-Sikh Cultural Brotherhood and Educational Foundation, said the state must ensure minority status for Tamil Sikhs and guarantee their constitutional rights. It may be noted that Article 25 (2)(b) of the Constitution categorises Sikhs as part of Hinduism.
When contacted, Rameet Singh Kapoor, expert member of the commission, told TNIE that the challenges faced by the Sikh community have been taken up for resolution. “We will instruct district police about the kirpan so that Sikhs are not harassed. Since Sikhism is new to this part of Tamil Nadu and the community is at a micro level, many officers are unaware of its practices,” he said.
On the issue of community certificates, Kapoor added that the commission would recommend a policy-level decision. “It will be forwarded to the principal secretary for a necessary government order to formally recognise Sikhs,” he said.