Labour Government urged to stop racial discrimination against recruitment of British Sikhs into Armed Forces

The British Sikh Federation (BSF) has urged the Secretary of State for Defence to bring an end to racial discrimination against the recruitment of British Sikhs into the Armed Forces. British Sikhs should be allowed to serve whilst wearing their Holy Turbans only, without any requirement to wear hard hats.

British television and newspapers have shown British troops wearing cloth berets only on active armed duty in conflict areas, where there was on-going fighting and sniping, in Kosovo and Northern Ireland, e.g. on the following dates

Oct 98 : 18 Jan 99 : 30

March 99 : 25, 27, 30 April 99 : 12, 20

June 99 : 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,19, 20, 21, 22, 25,

July 99 : 3, 30, 31

Some 1.5 million Sikhs fought for this country during both World Wars wearing their holy turbans only, with 83,000 giving up their lives whilst 110,000 were wounded. Sikhs in the Indian Armed Forces have successfully fought in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, as GOCs, Generals, Colonels, Brigadiers, Infantry, Artillery, Pilots, Sailors, etc. Many Sikhs have been awarded Victoria Crosses and other bravery medals for their intellect and bravery in battle during both World Wars and subsequent wars, e.g. during the Indian wars with Pakistan and China, mountains of Kashmir, Sri Lanka operations, Liberation of Bangladesh under GOC Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora and General Shabeg Singh, the Air Chief Marshall of India was Arjan Singh until his recent retirement, etc.

During the British Empire days, 45% of all Indian sub-continent Army Officers and soldiers were Sikhs.

In the past, the Punjab Armed Forces, commanded by Sahib Kaur (female) defeated the Maratha Army at the battle of Ambala on 15 March 1794, General Baghail Singh captured Delhi in 1790 the Capital of the Indian Moghul Empire with an army of 40,000 Sikhs, King Ranjit Singh (ruler of the country of Punjab) easily defeated the Gurkha Army of Nepal, General Hari Singh Nalwa defeated the armies from Afghanistan, 1000 years of successive invasions from Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia were stopped by blocking up the Khyber Pass with a ring of forts, etc.

If British troops wearing cloth berets can serve on active armed conflict duty, then it should be possible to allow British Sikhs to serve whilst wearing their turbans only. The Labour Government should stop its racial discrimination against the 600,000 British Sikh Community.