Sikh Boy'S Hair Cut At Ns Camp, Parents Cry Foul

[guruvah]

Parents of a Sikh teenager attending national service training is crying foul after their son woke up on Sunday to find that about two and a half feet of his hair had been cut off.

(The above picture, it shows the current length of the boy's hair, while the Singhni's hand points till where the length of her sons kesh USE TO BE)[/color]

In the Sikh religion, the cutting of hair is strictly prohibited as part of a practice known as kesh.

Surinderpal Singh, 47, said he and his wife are very distraught and they now refuse to allow their son to continue attending the course.

"He is very traumatised after the incident. Tomorrow, worse things might happen," said Surinderpal when contacted by Malaysiakini.

The son, whose name had been withheld by the parents, began his ordeal after a long day of training on Saturday and slept soundly that night.

According to the boy's police report, he realised something amiss the following morning when combing his hair and immediately contacted his father at about 6.30am.

"He realised that he couldn't make a knot," said Surinderpal, who incidentally is a Sikh temple priest in Jalan Gurdwara, Ipoh.

The boy's hair which initially reached his buttocks, is now only chest length.

The teen does not know who was responsible for the incident and was unable to find any traces of his lost hair or the instrument used to cut it.

Not returning to camp

Surinderpal said that he and his wife immediately left for the Seri Impian training camp in Sungai Bakap, Penang.

At the camp, they waited for about an hour to meet the camp commandant who was away as it was a Sunday.

During the meeting, the commandant allegedly said trainees are barred from possessing scissors and nail cutters, suggesting that the instrument used to cut the teen's hair may have been brought in by parents during weekend visits.

The commandant was then said to have promised an investigation but only agreed to allow the teen to go on leave until Jan 23, after some initial hesitation.

Surinderpal said, that given his son's ordeal, he would not allow him to return for training unless the authorities offer him a guarantee over the safety of his son and all trainees.

"I don't have confidence in them (camp authorities). I am also scared more harm would come to my son... My son kept his hair for 18 years. In just two weeks, (most of) it is gone.

"He is quite shaken up. We, as parents, are also shaken up. We are in a dilemma now. Today, this has happened to my son. It can happen again to other children of any faith. Can the authorities convince parents that the training camps are safe?" he asked.

NS DG: Isolated incident

The boy lodged a police report on Jan 16. In it, he claimed that the camp commandant had stated that this is something "normal" done by "naughty youths".

"I have to report back to the camp on Jan 23 but I don't want to continue my training. I am not satisfied with the incident because it involves religion.

"I want legal action to be taken and this matter must be thoroughly investigated," read the boy's report, a copy of which was made available to Malaysiakini.

Contacted today, National Service Training Programme Department director-general Abdul Hadi Awang Kechik said that the case is an "isolated incident" and that parents should not be overly alarmed.

"This is a special case, but we need to check (the facts) in detail. I cannot comment on the parents' views. My job is to check (the facts) in detail and take action accordingly," he said.

He was responding to a question on how the department plans to instill confidence in parents that their children are safe in the training camps.

Abdul Hadi was unable to provide further comment as a full investigation is in progress.

However, he confirmed that he has received a preliminary report on the matter.

He stressed that it is not part of the department's standard operating procedure to require Sikh trainees cut their hair.

Abdul Hadi is scheduled to hold a press conference in Putrajaya this evening to provide further details.

[Guest SarabjeetSingh]

Are we sure that he did not cut his hair himself and made it all up .

Last time it happened abroad , I think the boy did it himself and used racism as scapegoat.

[Singh559]

Where's the source? Please provide the source, I want to know exactly where this occurred.

How is this not being taken seriously? The Sikh Coalition needs to be notified IMMEDIATELY (If this took place in the United States) as the wordings of the supervisors can have serious legal implications.

Please provide the locatio nand the link to the article you copy pasted this from.

[Guest Bloom]

Also Get International Sikh Bodies To Condemn This !!!!

[guruvah]

this happened in Malaysia..and the case is genuine. The incident is a genuine tragedy. He is NOT making it up.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sikh-father-upset-over-hair-cut-prank-at-ns-camp/

its even on the sikhsangat news now, thanks admin!

http://www.sikhsangat.org/2011/01/sikh-boys-hair-cut-at-ns-camp-parents-cry-foul/

[Mehtab Singh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pEbCWRtHic

[Singh559]

Objectives of the PLKN

• Develop a young generation who are patriotic and with love and devotion for their country
• Enhance unity among the multi-racial communities in the country
• Instill a spirit of caring and volunteerism among society
• Produce an active, intelligent and confident generation
• Develop positive characteristics among the younger generation through good values
• Develop a generation that is obedient and loyal to the government

http://en.wikipedia....ves_of_the_PLKN

What the hell? This is absolutely ludicrious, this needs international Sikh attention. How can this happen at a Governmently held camp? This is absolutely horrible.

The lack of proper protocol renders the leaders responsible for what happened. They should take legal action against the entire institution. I don't know how the laws work in Malaysia but they can have a very, very powerful case in the United States.

[Guest Bloom]

All International Sikh Bodies Must Condemn This !!!! Further All International Sikh Bodies And Lawyer Groups And Sikh Bodies In Malaysia Must Get Justice !!!

This Vicious And Vile Act Must Also Be Condemned In Strongest Language By The Government Of Malaysia And The Organization! This Demonic And Cruel Act Must Be Taken Most Seriously! The Government And Organization Must Apologize To The Individual And To The Entire Sikh Community Worldwide! The Government Must Further Take Steps To Correct This Act Of Evil And Give Justice To The Individual And Take Steps To Educate The Country Of The Great Sikh Faith In All Curriculums Including Schools And Governments! Sikh Dharma Is Greatest! The World Will Know This!

Love Of And For Khalsa Dharma Will Rise WorldWide !!!!!

[JagjeetSingh555]

Important link

[Guest SarabjeetSingh]

We should all stick together and support him rather than doubting him . He needs us and we need each other,