Sikh prayer books issued to British military personnel, a first in 100 years

UK Military: The British military had first issued Nitnem Gutkas more than a century ago.

For the first time in 100 years, Sikh personnel in the British military received Sikh prayer books, BBC reported. The books called Nitnem Gutkas were issued by the UK defence Sikh network at a ceremony in London and has been printed in three languages in durable and waterproof material, the report added.

UK Military: The books called Nitnem Gutkas were issued by the UK defence Sikh network at a ceremony in London.

The British military had first issued Nitnem Gutkas more than a century ago when it included steel daggers, bracelets and wooden combs as well. Since then, it has now been issued for the first time.

UK's ministry of defence said in a statement that it hopes to "directly support Sikhs practice a key component of their faith".

“By providing a Nitnem Gutka for serving Sikhs across the UK MOD we hope to directly support Sikhs practice a key component of their faith wherever they travel and work in whatever conditions," a ministry of defence spokesperson told the BBC.

Major Daljinder Singh Virdee, who is in the British army and spent two years campaigning for the change, told the BBC, “For Sikh's our scriptures are not just words, they are the living embodiment of our guru. We draw moral strength and physical strength from reading the scriptures every day, it gives us discipline and it grows us spiritually.”

Major Singh- chairperson of the UK defence Sikh network- said that he spent the past two years on the project.

"The Army has been providing Christian religious texts for many years and I saw the opportunity there to open the door for the Sikh faith to provide Sikh texts," he was quoted by the BBC as saying.