The bar on an Australian woman wearing clinically approved bandages on her feet to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple has raised hue and cry among the Sikhs. An embarrassed Sikh Diaspora has set off a heated debate on whether the holy shrine is affable towards the disabled.

Last week, Bevery Simpson, an Australian lady on her visit to the Golden Temple was forbidden by a sevadar (person manning entry) apparently on the pretext that she had bandages on her feet because of a crippling illness. The happening came to light after her husband Tom Simpson sent a letter to Sikh minstrel in Australia Mr. Daya Singh expressing his anguish, upset and annoyance at the incident.

As per the Sikh tradition, only a person with uncovered feet could enter the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. But an exception was granted to Queen Elizabeth of England during her trip to the Golden Temple in 1997. She was allowed by SGPC, the apex body of the Sikhs, to enter with her socks on. But the recent discrimination has raised questions on the principles followed by the SGPC.

In his correspondence Tom Simpson says,

My wife and I, after hearing a number of your concerts and your views on your faith, decided to firstly research Sikhism and then decided, on impulse, to visit the Golden Temple on a pilgrimage last month. Beverley suffers from weak veins in her legs and feet. She has to bandage her feet, otherwise the lack of blood flow leads to swollen feet and great pain. But Beverley was stopped from entering. This is probably only a small matter to you, but to us, it was like being cheated of paying our obeisance at one of the most sacred places on this planet.

The incident is against the basic tenets of the Sikhism. The Sikh religion was founded to ensure equality in the society and proponents of it inspired people to fight against discrimination and religious fundamentalism. But now the self-styled protectors of this glorious faith are becoming so radical that they could not distinguish between an old and critically ill lady and people wearing socks.

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via:TIMESOFINDIA