Two French schools undo turban ban

AMRITSAR: Two French schools have withdrawn their decision of not allowing Sikh students with unshorn hair tied up in top knots and covered with handkerchiefs.
The schools - Lycee Leon Blum in Creteil and Lycee Romain Rolland in Goussainville - had asked two Sikh students Amarjit and Harpal in the beginning of this month to undo their unshorn hair, which they had tied as a joora (knot) covered with a handkerchief or to cut their hair.
The schools withdrew their orders following a flurry of active advocacy, according to NGO United Sikhs' legal director Mejinderpal Kaur. She said on Sunday that Harpal's parents contacted them after the supervisor of Lycee Romain Rolland refused to admit him if he didn't follow rules.
"We wrote letters to the head teacher of the school, the education inspector of Goussainville (district level), the mediator and Rector of Versailles (department level) and sought meetings. Earlier, we had written to Amarjit's school," said Kaur.
She said ever since a ban was imposed in 2004 on wearing a turban to school, French Sikh students had been wearing a handkerchief on their joora, in place of a patka or turban outside school.