Kol man writes to Sikh committees after Bangkok kirpan ordeal
Times of India | 21 April 2025
Kolkata: A Kolkata-based entrepreneur and community leader, Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, alleged racial and religious discrimination at a Bangkok hotel on April 12, 2025, after being denied check-in due to his kirpan — a sacred article of faith for practising Sikhs. Ahluwalia, a member of the West Bengal Minorities Commission and general secretary of Gurdwara Behala in Kolkata, complained to Sardar Pinderpal Singh Madan, president of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Association in Thailand, and to Sardar Harjinder Singh Dhami, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, calling for wider support from the global Sikh community.
Ahluwalia said despite repeated efforts to explain the religious significance of the kirpan, hotel staff allegedly refused to accommodate him unless he agreed to deposit his kirpan with security upon every entry and exit. The incident took place on Khalsa Sajna Diwas, a holy day in the Sikh calendar, he alleged.
Ahluwalia named several hotel staff members in his letter, including the assistant security manager, the duty manager, and the security manager. According to his complaint, their response was marked by insensitivity and rigidity, even after an operations manager — an Indian national — tried to mediate and clarify the cultural importance of the kirpan.
"I arrived at the hotel at 7:00 am and was subjected to harassment until 11:30 am. This wasn't a matter of security; it was a denial of my religious identity," Ahluwalia stated in his letter to Madan. He later checked into another hotel in Bangkok, where, he said, his kirpan was accepted without issue.
Highlighting the growing number of Indian visitors to Thailand — 2.1 million in 2024, making India the third-largest tourist market — Ahluwalia expressed disappointment over the lack of cultural sensitivity in a country where the Sikh community has made significant contributions. He has called for a formal inquiry into the incident by the hotel and Thai authorities, a public apology from the hotel, the issuance of clear guidelines by Thai hospitality establishments regarding religious freedoms, and active support from the Sikh community in Thailand. "The incident isn't just about me — it's about ensuring dignity and respect for all who carry their faith with pride," he wrote.