The Battle of Saragarhi was fought on 12th September 1897 between two sub-nationalities of the subcontinent – the Sikhs, who were in the service of Britain, and the Pashtuns, who were fighting for their freedom. 21 Sikh soldiers defended Saragarhi, an outpost 40 miles from the then British town of Kohat (now in Pakistan) against 10,000 Afghan tribesmen.
While the battle has been a lost chapter in the history, several efforts have been made in recent times by Sikh soldiers, defence networks and Armed Forces to pay tribute to the courage, vallour and bravery of those 21 Sikh soldiers. Sargeant Sarvjit Singh is a Squadrant Quartermaster Sergeant (STS) at 2 ATR Pirbright.
“It was a proud moment for us as Sikh soldiers because that was the longest stand of those 21 Sikh soldiers in history. We have learnt so much from the chronicles of their experiences, why and how they retained the position. It reflects their passion to serve their country and every year we pay commemorate those unsung heroes by organising a ceremony.
“And for young people movies like Kesari can be a starting point to learn about the history of the battle besides other books and documentaries.”
Over the last decade, there has been a significant number of measures taken to celebrate the diversity within the Armed Forces in the UK. In 2009, Sarvjit became one of the first Sikhs to guard Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II outside the Buckingham Palace in his turban.
“It was a positive change which reflected the diversity of the Armed Forces. Every time you mount on the guard duty at the Buckingham Palace you have to wear a Bearskin hat but we were allowed to continue to wear our turban instead. It was an extremely proud moment and it was an iconic change with the British Armed Forces becoming a role model for other countries to be inclusive and respectful of all religions.
“We live in a very diverse society today and the Armed Forces have given us the freedom to practise our culture and religion. The value systems and disciplinary routines are quite similar in British Armed Forces and Sikhism. Both our faith in our religion and our passion for the army give us mental, physical and emotional strength to continue to serve at the line of duty across the world.”
In recent times, Sikh Defence Network and regiments have been emphasising on the significance of Kirtan and Sangat and organising various such ceremonies that fosters community cohesion.
