Harkirat Singh still remembers the time he had the police called on him while speaking at a multicultural event.
The person was concerned by his 'kirpan', a religious dagger worn by initiated Sikhs that represents a commitment to protect the weak and stand up for justice.
It's usually worn within a sheath and is held in a holster known as a 'gatra', which is worn over the right shoulder and across the body.
"Someone saw it and called the cops. I was asked to step down [from the stage]," said Singh, who is a member of Gurduara Council of Victoria (GCV), the peak body for Sikh places of worship in the state.
"Even though kirpan is exempted and we are legally allowed to wear it, the officer on duty was not aware of it, and I had to show him an exemption card before being allowed to continue."
Singh said similar experiences are common among kirpan-carrying Sikhs, who have been asked to remove the dagger while entering premises or out in public.
For instance, Sikhs were not allowed to carry kirpans inside Indian megastar Diljit Dosanjh's concert at Sydney's CommBank Stadium on 26 October.
For initiated Sikhs, removing the kirpan is a violation of a mandatory religious observance.
The GCV told SBS Punjabi it regularly receives distressed calls from kirpan-wearing community members who've had unfortunate encounters with authorities, despite a legal exemption that permits them to carry it in public.
"We receive at least two calls in a month on our helpline from 'amritdhari' (initiated) Sikhs who have had an unfortunate encounter due to their kirpan," Singh said.
'We need to educate people'
Some members of the Sikh community are worried about how they'll be affected by recently expanded Victoria Police powers, giving officers the legal right to stop and search people in and around the Melbourne CBD without a warrant until 29 May 2026.
When the changes were announced in late November, police said they hoped to make the city safer for all during the holiday season.
A Victoria Police spokesperson told SBS News: "These operations are an invaluable tool in assisting police with removing weapons from the streets, as knife crime in Victoria has risen."
Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) warned the powers would infringe on civil liberties and the freedoms of people visiting the city, with IMCL CEO Nadia Morales describing them as "complete overkill".
Fearing that the new police powers could make Sikhs feel uncomfortable travelling to the Melbourne CBD, the community is calling for campaigns to increase awareness about the kirpan.
"Historically, we know that if a person looks different, they have a higher chance of being singled out by the police," Singh said.
"We need to educate people about different cultures and identities to ensure better social cohesion and rule out any prejudice."
In response to more recent questions from SBS News, Victoria Police said: "Members of the Sikh community can be assured that carrying a kirpan for religious purposes is exempt under the Control of Weapons Act."
"While members of the Sikh and broader community may be stopped and searched at any time in Melbourne until the end of May, police are well trained to identify if an article is being used for religious purposes."
Data obtained by the Racial Profiling Data Monitoring Project through Freedom of Information requests shows certain communities are disproportionately subject to stop-and-search measures by police.
The data showed that, compared to white people, Aboriginal people were 15 times more likely to be stopped and searched by police officers in 2024.
People perceived to be African were about nine times more likely to be searched, and those perceived as Middle Eastern were five times more likely to be searched.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said the force has "zero tolerance towards racial profiling".
"Police respond to a person's behaviour, not their background."
This article was produced in collaboration with SBS Punjabi.
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