This viral video of a Sikh college student getting arrested for wearing a kirpan at a US university sparked outrage around the world. While a Twitter user said he had worn his kirpan for five years at the same university without any issue, others said the universities there should teach students about the religious practices of minorities. The video has garnered over three million views on Twitter. The kirpan is a ceremonial dagger carried by Sikhs who undergo the ceremony of “Amrit Chakhna” (baptism in Sikhs). Following this, they must possess 5 articles of faith: karha (a steel bracelet), kachha (underpants), kanga (a wooden comb), kesh (hair) — they can’t cut their hair — and the kripan (a dagger). This is said to embody the Sikh principles of faith, wisdom and warrior.
