A Sikh man was asked to remove his turban by guards inside a Chennai Metro station.
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited rendered an apology to a Sikh man, who was asked to remove his turban inside the metro by the security officials on Tuesday (September 1).
According to a report in the News Minute, Tandeep Singh, a resident of Chennai, decided to take his first ride on the metro when he was allegedly asked to remove his turban at the Vadapalani station. Despite telling the officials that removing the turban went against his customs and he cannot be asked to do it, the guards said that those were the instructions given to them.
Following the incident, Singh took to social media site Facebook to express his shock over the demand. The Facebook status read, “This is not the first time something like this has happened to me, unfortunately. Let me tell you I’ve traveled in and around USA as well and I’ve never been asked to take my turban off. However this ridiculous request is made only in India. I’m shocked and appalled by this. I thought Chennai has actually changed and finally we are moving on as a city and be more accepting of different cultures and races.”
“I had to be quite stern with him. I asked him to get the supervisor. Then he relented and let me go,” he added on the post.
Singh expressed his concern over such incidents. He said, “I don’t blame the security guy for this instance, it is nothing but pure ignorance. CMRL (Chennai Metro Rail Limited) you are at fault here, you need to educate your staff more about such issues. I was in two minds to throw a raging fit there and make a scene. I refrained from doing so, because that is what my culture, my faith teaches me to do. To be patient and understanding with the ignorant.”
“This issue must be looked into right away. It is bad enough Chennai as a city has such an unfriendly reputation from most of India. It’s time to be more welcoming and accepting,” he added.
According to the New Minute report, Chennai Metro Rail Limited contacted and apologized to Singh, after the incident came to light. An official said that they were sorry for the incident and would look into the issue. However, it is not known what exactly did the officials tell Singh.
