Pundit thanks Stuart on sindoor issue

ARANGUEZ-BASED Pundit Satyanand Maharaj raised Minister of National Security Stuart Young for stepping in to resolve a controversy in which the Point Fortin Immigration Office had told a woman to remove her sindoor to take a passport photo. A sindoor is a red mark on the forehead denoting a Hindu woman is married.

In a statement Maharaj said after his complaint on social media last Saturday, Young had resolved the situation by acting with “promptitude and alacrity.”

Maharaj said originally the immigration officer ordered the sindoor removed, despite its deep religious symbolism and the fact it had been accepted for the woman's previous passport photo.

He said, “This morning the lady was contacted by the Immigration Division and asked to come in to take her photo with her sindoor.

“Additionally, the Immigration Division directly contacted me and indicated that on the intervention and instructions of the minister the division now has clear policy guidelines in which to treat with issues such as these.”

The pundit said that in the past, these issues were essentially left to the discretion of the interviewing immigration officer.

He also said, “Thanks to the public disclosure of Minister Stuart Young's cell phone number by Devant Maharaj I was able to communicate directly with the minister on a situation that the minister was not even aware of.

"Minister Young must be commended on how this issue was handled.”

Pundit Maharaj told Newsday a sindoor is worn in a Hindu marriage ceremony, and then proudly worn by many Hindu wives afterwards.

He said immigration officers should not have personal discretion whether to permit a sindoor but be bound by the guidelines that allow it.

Newsday sought to contact the woman but owing to the nature of her job she did not want publicity.

Newsday was unable to contact Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews.