Speaking on the contentious issue of Sikh students not being allowed to wear turbans in French schools, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] on Wednesday said that he had raised the issue with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, during his recent visit to France [Images] to attend the India-European Union summit.

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The prime minister took up the issue with Sarkozy after a delegation of Sikhs met him in Paris and urged him to talk to the French President.

When pressed for details on what he said to Sarkozy, Dr Singh said, "I told him that the turban is a very essential part of a Sikh's way of life because Sikhs are not allowed to cut their hair and the turban enables them to keep their hair bridled.   Sikh children face problems when they go to school and they are discouraged from wearing their turbans or asked to remove their turbans. These are some inconveniences that Sikhs face. And I told him about them".

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