The British Sikhs, famous as a community for their gallantry and bravery, have welcomed the proposal of recreating a Sikh regiment- as suggested by the Head of the British army.
A Minister told the Commons on Monday that the Chief of the General Staff is examining the feasibility of a Sikh unit, including the possibility of a reserve company, and it “may well have merit”. He added that a new unit would acquire many of the “proud traditions of Sikh regiments” from the Army’s past.
Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill has also called for the establishment of the new British Sikh regiment similar to those from India who fought during both World Wars.
Revival of the Sikh unit has been suggested several times in the past. However in 2007 the Ministry of Defence of rejected it, amid fears that the move could be branded racist. But the British Sikh leaders backed the idea pointing to the Royal Gurkha Rifles - members of whom are recruited exclusively from Nepal.
Thousands of Sikh soldiers fought and died for Britain in the 19th century and in the First and Second World Wars. Numerous regiments were deployed by the British Indian Army during the Great War and World War II during which Sikhs awarded a record 14 Victoria Crosses. Historically the Sikh regiments were used to garrison India, particularly along the restive North West Frontier Province in what is now Pakistan.
A commemoration was held in September at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and it featured a re-enactment by 36 Sikh volunteers.
Sir Soames, who is a former Defence Minister, praised the "extraordinary gallant and distinguished service by Sikhs" to the UK and raise a Sikh regiment that would make up a "very serious gap" in the British military. He urged the government to do away with the "political correctness" that has hampered previous attempts to establish such a military unit.
His proposal received the backing of the Chairman of the Defence select committee, Tory MP Rory Stewart, who has requested armed Forces minister Mark Francois to look at the feasibility of setting up a Sikh company within the army's reserves to begin with.
It is believed that the British Army is trying hard to engage more and more soldiers from the ethnic community and Prince Charles as also supported the idea. Buckingham palace recently recruited its first Sikh guards, making Lance Corporal Sarvjit Singh and Signaller Simranjit 'Sim' Singh the first Sikhs to guard the Queen. The latest manning figures show that the Armed Forces have around 160 Sikhs in their ranks, including 130 in the Army.
Last year an official British Armed Forces Sikh Association was formed. Lord Singh, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, said a Sikh unit was something “that would be nice if it happened”.
However he warned that it had been suggested many times and had always proved difficult.
He further said: “There aren’t that many Sikhs in the Army. A regiment needs a bit more. There needs to be some enticement to go, but with all the defence cuts, the Army may not look that tempting.”
However the recent disclosure that former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher may have advised Indira Gandhi over her 1984 Operation Blue Star in Amritsar's Golden Temple, have perhaps led to some bad feeling among Sikhs in Britain, though he suggested this would pass with time.
