Sikh Activists Upset Over Inmate's Haircut

Oct. 6, 2008— -- Sikh groups are decrying the treatment of a Florida inmate who was forced into the cutting of his hair, a revered symbol of piety.

The Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is considering legal action against the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, saying that cutting Jagmahon Ahuja's hair after he entered the jail system violated the state's statute on religious freedom.

And for devout Sikhs, Ahuja's haircut represents hundreds of years of persecution.

"It's essentially like saying, 'I don't care about your religion. I don't care about who you are,'" said Rajbir Datta, national director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, which has been following Ahuja's case.

Ahuja, 36, was jailed April 29, charged with a probation violation and an order of protection related to a domestic violence case. He was convicted, sentenced to 714 days in jail and is expected to be released in May 2010, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's Department of Corrections Web site. Court documents show Ahuja has filed an appeal.

His hair was cut and his face shaved in July.

Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford declined to comment to ABCNews.com, with a spokeswoman in his office citing possible litigation. And the Department of Corrections did not respond to a request for a telephone interview with Ahuja.

Datta hasn't spoken to Ahuja directly, but said the effect of such an event for a Sikh would be devastating.

"For a lot of people, it is essentially akin to death," Datta said today, noting that his own hair falls to his waist.

Sikhs do not cut their hair, including facial hair, for the duration of their lives, a tradition stemming from the early 18th century guru Gobind Singh.

Hair, Datta said, is "given by God." Back in the days of Gobind Singh, turbans were worn by men of wealth and status, and the Sikhs adopted the turban for all men, poor and rich alike, to reject the idea of a caste system.

The long hair, he said, also signifies Sikhs' not being focused on their outward appearance. Historically, Datta said, opposing religious groups and governments persecuted Sikhs by cutting off their hair.