Mumbai: Airport customs authorities in Marol on Wednesday handed over 35 Sikh religious items, including kirpans, which were confiscated from passengers during security checks.Sikhs occasionally wear the kirpan (holy dagger) on their person as an article of faith. However, it is not permitted on flights if the size and specification do not conform to given standards. “When a kirpan is taken away, it is not just a possession but a symbol of faith. Our responsibility is to ensure these articles are treated with reverence,” said S Puran Singh Banga, secretary of Sat Sri Akaal Welfare Trust, which has reached out to airport customs to recover such items. “Every year, Sikh flyers unintentionally leave kirpans. While airport officials handle these items as per the security protocol, many articles end up locked away, unclaimed. Our trust has stepped forward to ensure every confiscated Sikh religious article is retrieved and given a dignified return or disposal as prescribed in tradition,” said Banga. The trust is requesting customs’ verification of Sikh religious items currently in custody. “Upon identification, these articles will be handed over to the trust and local gurdwara management committees, which will either return them to families where possible or respectfully dispose them,” said Banga. “All legal procedures, protocols and documentation will be followed.” Customs officials in Mumbai recently handed over religious items, including holy books, souvenirs and trinkets to members of Christian and Muslim communities. “We have returned copies of the Holy Quran and the Bible as well as zamzam water to passengers. The Muslim leaders even wrote us a letter of appreciation. Such items are often found in baggage that is mishandled and later retrieved. Passengers fail to claim them since books and symbols have low monetary value. In fact, the cost of collecting or shipping these lost and found items may be higher than the price of a new product. We sort missing items and appropriately dispose them, except religious articles,” said an officer.
