<div align="justify">A Sikh man in Australia was asked to take off his kirpan and "get out" of a bus when a passenger called police in panic after seeing the ceremonial knife, a media report said today.<br /><br />Police boarded a busy commuter bus in Auckland yesterday after a passenger was seen carrying a ceremonial knife, traditionally worn by Sikhs.<br /><br />"We looked out the window and we could see and the police car behind us with sirens blaring and armed men all around us. One policeman stormed into the bus with a gun in his hand and said to the guy, 'Get your hands up so we can see them and get out of the bus'," New Zealand Herald quoted a witness as saying.<br /><br />The passenger, thought to be in his 20s, was wearing a turban and had a long, curved "sword-like" kirpan strapped behind his back on the left side, which the police removed, said the witness.<br /><br />A police spokeswoman said officers were called after a member of the public reported seeing a kirpan.<br /><br />She said the armed offenders squad was not sent and the officers were not armed.<br />"Police spoke with the man, who is a Sikh."<br /><br />"He was in possession of a ceremonial kirpan, which is customary for Sikhs. The man, who is lawfully living in New Zealand, was polite and cooperative and no further action was taken," the report said<br /><br />The spokeswoman said the ceremonial kirpan was not confiscated.<br /><br />A baptised Sikh has five articles of faith and the kirpan is one of them. The other four articles of faith are - kesh (uncut long hair), kanga (a comb), kara (an iron bracelet) and kachehra (under shorts).<br /><br />Sikhism is a small but growing minority religion in Australia that can trace its origins in the nation to the 1830s.<br /><br />Australia is home to more than 72,000 Sikh, a population that is expected to rise in this year's census. <br /></div>
<div align="justify">A Sikh man in Australia was asked to take off his kirpan and "get out" of a bus when a passenger called police in panic after seeing the ceremonial knife, a media report said today.<br /><br />Police boarded a busy commuter bus in Auckland yesterday after a passenger was seen carrying a ceremonial knife, traditionally worn by Sikhs.<br /><br />"We looked out the window and we could see and the police car behind us with sirens blaring and armed men all around us. One policeman stormed into the bus with a gun in his hand and said to the guy, 'Get your hands up so we can see them and get out of the bus'," New Zealand Herald quoted a witness as saying.<br /><br />The passenger, thought to be in his 20s, was wearing a turban and had a long, curved "sword-like" kirpan strapped behind his back on the left side, which the police removed, said the witness.<br /><br />A police spokeswoman said officers were called after a member of the public reported seeing a kirpan.<br /><br />She said the armed offenders squad was not sent and the officers were not armed.<br />"Police spoke with the man, who is a Sikh."<br /><br />"He was in possession of a ceremonial kirpan, which is customary for Sikhs. The man, who is lawfully living in New Zealand, was polite and cooperative and no further action was taken," the report said<br /><br />The spokeswoman said the ceremonial kirpan was not confiscated.<br /><br />A baptised Sikh has five articles of faith and the kirpan is one of them. The other four articles of faith are - kesh (uncut long hair), kanga (a comb), kara (an iron bracelet) and kachehra (under shorts).<br /><br />Sikhism is a small but growing minority religion in Australia that can trace its origins in the nation to the 1830s.<br /><br />Australia is home to more than 72,000 Sikh, a population that is expected to rise in this year's census. <br /></div>