New Delhi: The French headscarf bill is not the first time that Sikhs are protesting for their religious Rights. In 1976, they had to fight against helmets in Britain, and of late, protests in Canada helped them get turban-wearing Rights in the Army.

However, the US Armed Forces still bar Sikhs from serving due to their outer appearance.

"There have been issues from time to time when Sikhs had to fight against discrimination at workplace due to their articles of faith, mainly turban and beard," says Dr Rajwant Singh, President, Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), Washington.

"In England, Canada and US, there have been many cases where Sikhs struggled for their Right to work without sacrificing their symbols," he says in an e-mail response, noting these cases prop up here and there mainly in the private sector.

Attributing such cases to lack of knowledge about the Sikh faith, Tarlochan Singh, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities, says, "most Governments and people all over the world are still ignorant about what Sikhism stands for".

"The fault lies with us. We have to educate foreigners about our religion, what it stands for and the fact that articles of faith like turban and beard are an integral part of a Sikh's life," he says.

However, he says in USA, after 9/11, many Sikh groups have come up which are trying to educate the public about their faith.

Generally, Sikhs have prevailed in these situations but the situation in France is unique. It is primarily a reactionary step by the French authorities to curb the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. It is not directed against Sikhs or their appearance. But we have become victims of this situation, says Dr Rajwant.

"People need to know who Sikhs are and what their beliefs and observances are. The education has to be on the Sikh identity at all levels, whether it is Governmental, in schools, at workplace or private industry," he says.

"The first step has to be taken by us. No one is going to stop to ask us who we are. It is essential that we take the initiative to educate others in a pro-active manner and show how peaceful and mature community we are," he said noting, "We can't be reactive all the time".

Agrees the Minorities Commission chairman, saying "the turban issue props us every now and then all over the world. But Sikhs have been able to overcome it, once they are able to educate their bosses or Governments."

In Canada, the courts ruled in favour of Sikhs, for their Right to wear turban in the Army while in Britain, way back in 1976, the Transport Act was amended to exempt Sikhs from wearing helmets, he says.

In fact, the Northern Consul of Sikh Temples, Leeds, in a report writes about the whole struggle against helmets in Britain and is recorded in the Sikh Cyber Museum.

"Ever since the promulgation of the Transport Act (in Britain), a bitter controversy has been raging between Sikhs and British Government as the Act adversely affects the individual freedom of the Sikhs in the country," the report says.

This simple and straightforward issue has become fogged and unnecessarily bungled up. There is an urgent need for dispelling the barriers in communication, so that a sensible appreciation of the underlying issue can be suitably obtained, it says.

The report also records various letters, which were written in support of the turban case by various Sikh and British intellectuals to the British Government.

However, the Act was finally amended in 1976, which "exempted turban-wearing followers of Sikh religion from the requirement to wear a crash helmet while riding a motorcycle."