Sikh Women to Be Exempted from Wearing Helmet, A Home Ministry Advice

If you thought road safety rules were equally applied to everyone in this country, then it’s time to rethink. The female members of the Sikh community will be exempted from wearing helmets during two-wheeler rides, as per the advisory letter from the Home Ministry.

The letter from the Director (DP) MHA, Shreeshail Malge, states, “I am directed to refer to the Chandigarh Administration’s letter dated 6.9.2018 on the subject mentioned above and to advise the Chandigarh Administration to follow the notification issued by the Delhi government giving an option for Sikh women as indicated in the Government of Delhi, Transport Department notification dated 28.08.2014. This issues with the approval of competent authority.”

Now, this Home Ministry advice follows Rule 115, Delhi Motor Vehicle Act 1999 that allows a Sikh woman the freedom to choose between whether she wants to wear a helmet or not. And this rule applies not only to the drivers, but also pillion riders.

Earlier, the Chandigarh Administration issued this rule that all men and women are bound to wear helmets during a bike or scooter ride, except for the Sikh men and women who wear turbans. This order, however, gathered massive protests from the Sikh groups as the group members felt it hurt their “religious sentiments”.

The head priest of the Akal Takht which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh opposed the law mentioning, “A woman whose surname is Kaur and who does not trim her hair is considered a Sikh as per Sikh Rehat Maryada (code of conduct). Wearing a turban is not mandatory for her. However, on this ground, helmet cannot be made mandatory for her,... A Sikh woman is a Sikh even if she does not wear a turban. Wearing a helmet or any other kind of topi or cap is a violation of Sikh tenets, and Sikhs cannot be forced to wear a helmet,”.

Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh

Kiranjot Kaur, SGPC member and the president of the women’s wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal remarked, “Helmet is a kind of loh (iron) top (cap), which is prohibited.”

While the Sikh community members perceive the wearing of a cap or helmet, as a sign of slavery, also believe, one cannot impose a law on a community when religion is involved.

Then what about road safety? How does the law prepare to deal with the lives of several Sikh women on road?

An official data of Chandigarh traffic police reveals that since 2013, 43 women two-wheeler rides have died of road accidents in Chandigarh and Haryana, and most of them have been victims to major head injuries. And this goes without saying, the risks will only increase every moment.

However, the road safety experts are not ready to welcome this new amendment. They have pointed out a vital factor that when a woman rides without a helmet or turban, what would be the parameters to judge if she belongs to the Sikh religion.

After Delhi, Chandigarh is to become the second city in India to put the helmet exemption rule into effect for the Sikhs. And this leads us to the evident question, what carries the real essence of a society - orthodox religious notions or an awareness to a safe and healthy life? Let us know your views.