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First Canadian Sikh soldier takes command of BC regiment

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:30:30 +0000

In a historical moment for Sikhs round the world, Lt.-Col. Harjit Singh Sajjan has become the first Canadian Sikh to assume command of a Canadian army regiment. In a ceremony, a change of command in the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own) took place on September 11, 2011, at the Beatty Street Armoury in Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada.

Lt.-Col. Harjit Singh joined the British Columbia Regiment as a Trooper in 1989 and was commissioned in the Regiment in 1991. He was promoted to Captain in 1995 and to Major in 2005. He has served in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as three deployments to Afghanistan.

Singh has been Mentioned-in-Dispatch and has two Chief of Defence Staff Commendations. He is also the recipient of the Commander-in-Chief’s Commendation and the Deputy Minister of National Defence Award for recruiting in the Sikh community.

Prior to joining army Singh was a police officer for 11 years with the Vancouver Police Department. He completed his last assignment as a Detective specializing in organized crime in the Gang Crime Unit. He also spent five years as a certified Technical Search Specialist with Vancouver’s Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team.

Lieutenant-Colonel Singh is a Security Consultant lecturing to a wide audience, including specialised briefings on Counter-Insurgency Operations to both Canadian and US government agencies.

Singh is married to Kuljit Kaur, a medical physician and they reside in Vancouver with their daughter, Jeevut, and son Arjun.

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Saabat Surat Hocket player Rajpal Singh awarded Arjuna Award

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 02:09:47 +0000

The Arjuna Award was instituted in India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. This year, Rajpal Singh (current Indian Hockey team captain) has been granted this award. Currently, Rajpal Singh is the alone sabaat soorat sikh in Indian sports.

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First turbaned sikh becomes UK’s High Sheriff

admin — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:04:05 +0000

Resham Singh Sandhu, a prominent Indian-origin multicultural leader selected as the new High Sheriff of Leicestershire, says he is honoured and a matter of privilege to serve the office.

Singh, who was awarded the MBE in 2002, migrated to Leicestershire from Punjab 38 years ago. He will be the first turban-wearing Sikh in the UK to hold the office of High Sheriff.

“It’s a great honour and privilege. This is going to set a good image of Great Britain. People can see that if you really work hard and deserve it, you can become a civic dignitary. It promotes multi-culturalism,” he told the media in Leicester.

He added: “My family in Punjab always worked with communities and to help other people. When I came over here I wanted to do the same. I didn’t do it because I wanted to be recognised for it I never expected that”.

Singh, a former chairman of Leicester’s council of faiths, was commissioned in 2006 as the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Leicestershire. He will wear the same ceremonial uniform for the role of High Sheriff.

Singh will succeed Colonel Robert Martin in either March or April next year and will be expected to attend royal visits and be entitled to act as a returning officer in parliamentary elections.

The High Sheriff is a volunteer, unpaid and in office for one year, and is the Queen’s representative for law and order in the county, reports from Leicester said.

The Office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular office in the UK after the Crown. Leicestershire has had High Sheriffs since 1172.

Historically, responsibilities included tax collection, conscription and maintaining law and order, but today the role is chiefly attending royal visits and acting as returning officer in parliamentary elections.

Before the High Sheriffs take up office next March, a second ceremony will take place at the Privy Council in London.

At the ceremony, Queen Elizabeth, using a silver bodkin in a practice dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria, will prick their names on a parchment list to give their appointments the royal seal of approval.

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US Army enlists 1st turbaned sikh soldier after 3 decades

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:39:57 +0000

Simran Singh Lamba has become the first Sikh with turban and beard to graduate as a soldier from the army of the United States of America (USA), nearly after three decades. Just hours after becoming US citizen today, Spc. Simran Singh graduated from Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

“When the bullets begin flying, it doesn’t concern anyone what religion you are. I bleed the same colour,” said Spec. Simran Lamba, 26, after his graduation ceremony from basic combat training.

Lamba said his black turban, full beard, unshorn hair and religious beliefs posed no problems during his 10 weeks of training.

“I am proud to be a Sikh, I’m proud to be a U.S. citizen, and proud to be a U.S. Army soldier,” he said.

The US Army already has two recently graduated Sikhs medical officers ( Tejdeep Singh and Kamaljeet Singh) , but it hasn’t had one in the enlisted ranks. Simran Singh was recruited because of his special skills in two languages Indian Hindi and Punjabi.

“The Sikhs are warriors in Indian culture. Once our soldiers heard that, they were all for him,” said Lamba’s battalion commander, Lt. Col. Bryan Hernandez.

Via

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2nd Saabat Soorat Sikh graduates from US Army basic training

admin — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:49:41 +0000

Captain Kamaljeet Singh has become the second sikh soldier after Tejdeep Singh with full articles of faith to have graduated from US Army basc training.

He graduated last week at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio to a great fanfare from the Sikh community.

Last week’s graduation marks another significant milestone in the campaign to ensure Sikhs may freely serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Via: sikh Coalation

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Importance of dastar and the Sikh Turban Day

taranjeetsingh — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:34:01 +0000

A dastar (Punjabi: ਦਸਤਾਰ, dastār ) or pagri (Punjabi: ਪਗੜੀ, pagṛī) in Punjabi and is a mandatory headgear for Sikhs. Dastar is closely associated with Sikhi and is an important part of the Sikh culture. Every sikh is requested to wear the dastar to commemorate Sikh Turban Day on April 11, 2010.

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1st Saabat Soorat Sikh in decades graduates from US Army

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:49:14 +0000

San Antonio, TX – Thirty-one year old Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan today became the first Sikh officer in the US army in over two decades to complete basic training without shedding his turban and other articles of faith.

Rattan, a dentist by profession, graduated from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas making him the first Sikh officer in a generation to complete the basic training with his turban and beard intact.

“I am overjoyed to serve my country, work with my fellow soldiers, and to have completed basic training,” said Rattan.

“Most importantly, in preparation for my work as a soldier, I was able to successfully complete all aspects of my initial training. I had an overwhelmingly positive experience. I am very thankful to the base command, Army leadership, and my fellow soldiers. I look forward to continuing to serve my country,” he said.

Recruited to join the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship Program several years ago, Captain Rattan maintained his turban throughout his dental education.

However, after completing his education, he was told that he must remove his religiously-mandated turban and unshorn hair before he began active duty.

Last April, he submitted a request to the Army asking that he be allowed to maintain his turban and beard while serving the Army. In December, the Army granted his request.

Contrary to the concerns of some, Captain Rattan was able to meet all requirements of a solider during basic training, said a statement issued by the Sikh Coalition, which took up the issue of Sikhs joining the US Army with their religious identity intact.

During training Capt Rattan wore a helmet over a small turban during field exercises. During gas mask exercises, he successfully created a seal. He also built strong bonds with the soldiers in his platoon.

“We are pleased to learn that Tejdeep’s experience demonstrates that Sikh service in the US Army meets military
necessity,” said Harsimran Kaur, Legal Director, Sikh Coalition.

“Turbaned Sikhs previously served the United States’ military with distinction in every major armed conflict over
the past 100 years.” While it is unfortunate that Sikhs were excluded from military for the past two decades, I hope we will soon turn a page and restore Sikh service in the US military,” Kaur said.

In 1981, the Army banned “conspicuous” religious articles of faith for its service members. This included a ban on Sikh turbans and unshorn hair in the Army.

Noting that Sikhs freely serve in the militaries of the UK, Canada and India, and as the UN Peacekeepers, Kaur said: “Whether through Tejdeep’s experience here in Fort Sam Houston or through the experience of hundreds of thousands of Sikh soldiers in militaries throughout the world, we know Sikhs are capable soldiers”.

“We look forward to the day when the US Army again welcomes the service of all Sikhs. Though Captain Rattan was successful in his requests, his accommodation applied only in his individual case. The general policy disallowing Sikhs from maintaining their articles of faith in the military still remains in effect.

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Keep Kesh Wear Turbans (Crowns) & Abandon Caps, Bandanas

admin — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:18:27 +0000

On the post graduation day Dr. Gurbakhsh Singh Ji to receive his PH.D. degree from Ohio State University U.S.A, in 1963 he was wearing a turban. His fellow mates asked him to wear the graduation cap t which he refused saying:

“What’s so great in wearing a cap which we earned by just 2-3 years of effort. But the crown(his turban) Im wearing has been earned by Sikhs after 239 years(10 forms) of Guru Nanak’s effort to help us recoganise Sikhi”

The very next graduation photographs were shown at 4rth page but on the front page a photograph (featuring Dr. Gurbakhsh Singh Ji) of the National Newspaper said:

“A Sikh wearing a crown which he earned after 239 years as compared than others who are just wearing normal graduation caps earned after 2 years of effort.”

Dr. sahib did so when sikhs had just entered US (in 1963). When he could maintain his identity in such difficult times (when not much people knew us in USA) then what’s the problem of youth today. When Sikhs are easily recoganisable.

Operation bluestar was planned by Indian Government and other anti sikh forces to diminish us. But today the sikh youth is itself diminishing their identity by giving up turbans and accepting Caps, bandanas to represent themselves.

Im sorry to say but sikh males dont look a Sikh of Guru Nanak in that. So please take some inspiration from Dr. Gurbakhsh Singh Ji’s example and pledge to abandon caps and bandanas.

Note to sikhs: Please take the print out of above photo and paste it in local gurdwaras and spread them to people so that they know what’s right

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