"… I have known Sikhs to pick bullets out of their turbans during and after battle. In fact the turban absorbs the shock of a bullet possibly rather better than a tin helmet. If the turban is properly tied, it will also form an effective buffer too, for instance from a toss from a motor bicycle.
Mai Bhago became the Guru’s personal body guard and an important military leader for the Sikh armies of the day. I shared her inspiring story with my children through a short animation called “Kaur.”
"Freedom and liberty for all." That phrase, which closely follows the words from our own nation's pledge of allegiance, is one of the basic tenets of Sikhism.
If my time in the Army taught me anything, it's that when adversity strikes we band together and find solutions. This policy might be bureaucratically complicated, but the solution is as simple and straightforward as it gets.
The ACLU and United Sikhs are suing the U.S. Army for not allowing a 19-year-old college student to join because his devout faith requires that he wear a turban and grow a beard.
The United States should change its policy to allow more Indian Americans to join the military without compromising on their religious beliefs and practices, the only three Sikh soldiers in the U.S. Army say.
On Wednesday 20th November, history was made as the British Army invited Sikhs to the prestigious Indian Army Memorial Room at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Sikhs who served Great Britain.
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst hosted a unique event last week as serving Sikh soldiers joined Sikh schoolchildren at a book launch which explored the history of Sikhs in the British Army.
As I applauded these soldiers, I also felt regret. Members of my community — Sikh Americans, who have a celebrated martial history around the world — are denied the same opportunity to serve because our religious articles of faith....
Sikhs have a unique and fascinating story of interaction with the British, something that as a third generation British Sikh I am very proud of and want to ensure people from all backgrounds appreciate too.
A central part of the problem is that Sikhs have not been allowed to contribute to one of the most powerful forces that binds Americans as a people: shared sacrifice in an all-volunteer military that works tirelessly to defend and promote our common values as Americans.
The room reverberated with talk of Tongpeng La, Raja Hill, Burki, OP Hill, Poonchh, Siramani and Tiger Hill 1999 - battles long ago emblazoned on the Sikh Regiment's glorious history.
As major institutions around the world work to establish equal rights and equal opportunities for all citizens, the military ought to be ahead of the curve, not behind it.
The ban is a double-bind faced by Sikhs in this country: While others continue to look at Sikhs as foreign and alien, Sikh Americans are unable to counter this stereotype by giving their lives to this country.
Guardsman Jatinderpal Singh Bhullar, 25, who joined the Scots guards this year, has been given permission to wear a turban outside Buckingham Palace, breaking hundreds of years of tradition.
Remembering and honouring the fallen is the greatest tribute we can give to all those who gave their lives for our tomorrow. One wonders if they knew in which part of the world they were when they died. The Sikhs in Greece and elsewhere will continue to pay respect to the fallen at this cemetery in the future.
What happens when defenders of a nation become 'enemies' in the eyes of its government? What happens to ordinary people forced to choose between their religion and their country? Militancy throws up such questions all over the world.
They call it "rahowa" - short for racial holy war - White supremacists, neo-Nazis and skinhead groups are preparing for it by joining the ranks of the world's fiercest fighting machine, the U.S. military.
If we want a world where every person is treated with human dignity, the U.S. military, for one, must fully embrace what they profess to teach: respect for religious diversity.
The 4 Sikh, the legendary unit associated with the epic Battle of Saragarhi, which was fought against impossible odds, is moving to the salubrious environs of Chandimandir after a stint in the harsh, inhospitable climes of Siachen.
After 33 years in the Army - which includes postings to Germany, Belize and Hong Kong - Singh rightly adds the MBE to his achievements which include the prestigious Meritorious Service Medal for his commitment to recruiting members of the BME community.
Pluralism in Canada’s military family will take another stride forward this Vaisakhi with the formation of the first ever Sikh Cadet corp in the country.
American and Afghan officials investigating the Koran-burning episode that has brought relations between the countries to a new low say that the destruction could have been headed off at several points along a chain of mishaps, poor judgments and ignored procedures, according to interviews over the past week.
The Englishman was asked by someone the reason for his adopting the Sikh form. "Was it due to respect for the weapons or was there any other reason?" The explanation given by him at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is...
