Would President Chirac refuse to meet Dr Manmohan Singh?
Manmohan Singh’s announcement, on Wednesday, that he was “hopeful of a positive outcome” for turban-wearing Sikhs in France is welcome. The French government’s ban on all visible religious symbols, including headscarves, large crosses and turbans, has been objected to not only by the Sikhs, but has also created a worldwide controversy. National Security Adviser J. N. Dixit, who interacted at the highest levels of the French government during his visit last month, reportedly received positive assurances from the French, although Paris has yet to come out with a specific decision on a vital issue for all Indians. The ban has evoked strong reactions from many communities within France too, since it prohibits all visible religious symbols and affects all religious groups. From various reports, it is clear that the turban was not even considered by the committee that originally examined the issue of French nationals conforming to the “secularity law,” which is based on a narrow but aggressi
