CANTON, Mich. — Tensions have erupted here over a Sikh fourth-grader who brought a religious sword to his elementary school.
After they are baptized, Sikh males are expected to carry the 3- to 5-inch blunt saber, called a kirpan. The principal initially decided to allow the boy to have it last month, but after concerns from parents and a legal review, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools decided to ban the kirpan because it violated local, state and federal polices against bringing weapons or items that look like weapons to school.
"It's not an assault weapon," said Tejkiran Singh, 47, of Canton, Mich., a Sikh community leader. "It's so small, so blunt. ... The whole purpose of wearing it is that it's a reminder of our spirituality."
It symbolizes their commitment to fighting against evils, such as greed, he said. Similar disputes have erupted in other parts of the U.S.
On Dec. 16, Kenneth Jacobs, Plymouth-Canton Schools deputy superintendent sent a letter to parents alerting them to the incident involving the kirpan. The district did not release the boy's name.
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