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ISSUES  
Kirpan | Turban | Language | Census | 1984 Carnage
'Kirpan'
Wearing the 'Kirpan' is an essential part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. Sikh Community around the world is facing the challenge from the Governments of their respective home countries to allow them to wear 'Kirpan'. In Australia the case is no different. The Sikhs in Australia (individually as well as through various Sikh organisations) have taken a range of steps to inform the Government (at all levels, Local/Council, State as well as the Federal), Departments (such as Customs, Police, Roads etc) as well as the wider Australian Community about significance of 'Kirpan' for a Sikh.
Amendment of Knife Legislation
Turban

Unshorn hair ('Kesh') are also an essential part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. This makes Turban an essential part of a Sikh's attire. Like the 'Kirpan' issue, this is another issue where the Government and its departments as well as the wider Australian community need to be informed about the importance of the Turban for a Sikh. More importantly, in order to tackle the hate crimes and discrimination based on the 'looks' the Australian community is being educated about the distinction between a Sikh and other members of the community who may also wear a Turban or cover their head or perhaps may look the same due to other items of clothing (for example the salwar and kameez for the women).

In a recent speech the Minister of Citizenship Peter McGauran has committed that Australia will never ask Sikhs to do what the French Government has asked (in 2004) and in fact he has gone a step further by promising that he will find ways to put pressure on the French Government to lift the ban on the Turban for Sikhs.

Hopefully the Government will introduce measures which will allow the wider Australian community to be more aware and tolerant and not discriminate against someone wearing a Turban and not assume that they might be a terrorist.

Language Punjabi as a Language is mostly learnt by children born or bought up in Australia due to the fact that it is spoken at home. However, this is not always the case and in order to save the Punjabi Language in Gurmukhi Script, the Sikhs in Australia have, in partnership with the Education Department and Board of Studies, prepared a K-7 Punjabi Syllabus. The next stage, for 8-12 is currently being prepared.
Census
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is being approached to add extra categories so that true picture of the number of Sikhs in Australia can be determined. These categories include 'SIKH' under religion and 'PUNJABI' under language/mother tounge.
1984 Carnage
Sikhs were butchered in India in 1984. They were made to abandon their own homeland and as a result many of them found refuge in countries such as Australia. This very emotional issue is being explained to the relevant athorities in Australia, so that people responsible for this carnage are kept away from Australia for ever.
Please contact SCA if you like to add other issues that you feel that the Sikhs in Australia are facing and need to be resolved.
   
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