'Sikh' jokes no more, campaign seeks to tap students' support

New Delhi: Terming Sikh jokes as "sick jokes", the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has started a campaign among students of around 18 schools run by the community to meet the target of "one-lakh signatures" for its online petition in this regard.

The move comes days after the Supreme Court agreed to hear a PIL seeking direction to ban websites displaying cracks on Sardars and projecting them in poor light. The litigant said that there are more than 5,000 such websites.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjit Singh GK promised "technical and logistic support" to the schools for facilitating the signatures of the students.

"The committee has also given options to school teachers to get signatures on separate sheet for students who do not have email ids and does not use online accounts. Students will also be encouraged to get signatures of their parents and non-sikhs," he said.

The "Ban Sikh Jokes" online petition on the Change.Org portal has already garnered over 16,000 signatures.

Earlier, Singh held a meeting with Principals, teaching community and students of Guru Harkrishan Public School at the Gurdwara Rakabganj where the decision to launch the campaign was taken.

"The need of the hour is to let the Indian society know that we love humour but not racism. We are proud Indians and the country has benefitted from our contributions in almost every field. It is time that Sikh children should not face bullying or insults in the name of casual fun," he said.