E-Paper
Helmets for Sikh soldiers: Akal Takht, SGPC object to army’s proposal
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said any attempt to place a helmet over a turban will be seen as an attempt to finish our identity
Akal Takht and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Thursday protested against the Indian Army’s proposal to purchase helmets for Sikh soldiers and asked the Central government to withdraw the decision.
Reacting to recent reports that the army has issued a request for an emergency purchase of around 13,000 helmets for Sikh troops, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, in a video message, said the turban is a symbol of our identity, while SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami has written a letter to Union defence minister Rajnath Singh.
“I have come through media that the government of India is trying to introduce a wearing of helmet for Sikh soldiers. Such efforts were made by the British government during World War 2, but the Sikhs rejected the idea then. The turban is not just a cloth, it is a crown which has been placed on the heads of Sikhs by Guru Sahib, and it is a symbol of our identity. Any attempt to place a helmet over it will be an attempt to finish our identity, and the panth will never tolerate it,” Giani Harpreet said in the video message.
“At the time of World War 2, the Sikh soldiers fought valiantly. Similarly, in subsequent wars in 1965, 1962 and 1971, Sikh soldiers fought wearing turbans. The army and the Indian government should reconsider this issue,” jathedar added.
Similarly, the SGPC president, in his letter to the defence minister, has asked for the withdrawal of this decision.
In the letter, Dhami said that the decision to introduce a special helmet for Sikhs serving in the Indian Army is an attack on Sikh Maryada (code of conduct). “The commitment of Sikhs to the turban reflects their pride and adherence to the Guru’s command,” Dhami said in the letter.
Sikh scholar and researcher Satinder Singh said, “Government of India must respect the religious sentiments of Sikhs. In future, they can always consult Akal Takhat and SGPC on any rule amendments affecting Sikhs.”
