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Of all the peoples and religions of the East, the Sikhs are the most admirable.
They wear the turban in order to stand out as representatives of their religion. This is done for two reasons: to encourage the Sikhs themselves to live an upright and honorable life, and to signal to non-Sikhs that there is someone nearby who is sworn to protect the weak and downtrodden, even at the cost of his own life if necessary. They carry knives for defensive purposes, and will use them if it is justified!
Any Hindu or Muslim woman in India knows that she can call upon any nearby Sikh man to defend her if her safety is threatened.
We have absolutely nothing to fear from the Sikhs. (Unless you start a fight with one, and then you had better run for your life.) I think the military and police should accept them for who they are, and allow them to keep the beard and wear an appropriate turban as alternate headgear.