Md Nazrul: The Akal Takht and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Committee have lodged a protest against Indian Army’s proposal to purchase nearly 13,000 helmets for Sikh soldiers.
The Sikh bodies have asked the Union government to withdraw the decision, citing that the turban is the singular symbol of Sikh identity and must not be replaced by a helmet. According to Sikh leadership, Turban is an integral part of Sikh attire which is explicitly mentioned in the Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of religious conduct), and making Sikhs wear any other protective headgear is considered against Rehat Maryada.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has noted how efforts by British authorities to get Sikh soldiers to wear helmets in the World War II had been rejected too. “The turban is not 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.”
Singh also noted that Sikh soldiers have fought several wars in turbans, including those in 1956, 1962 and 1971. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami has written to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the same topic. The move will affect Sikh pride, he stressed.
The decision to implement a special helmet for Sikhs serving in the Indian Army will destroy the unique Sikh identity and Sikh Maryada and culture. Furthermore, Dhami said, the commitment of Sikhs to the turban also reflects Sikh pride and adherence to the Guru’s command. Ordering a Sikh soldier to take off his turban and wear a helmet just because it offers better protection to his head, is ignorance to the Sikh’s psyche, and his attachment to turban.”
Delhi Akali Chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said, “When the Sikhs elsewhere in the world have successfully secured the right to work with their proud turbans in jobs requiring helmets, BJP government back home has initiated a plan to bring in so-called special helmets for Sikh soldiers in the Indian army, which is completely unacceptable.”
