The British Army is examining proposals to re-establish a Sikh Regiment, along the lines of the erstwhile British Indian Army.
Chief of the general staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, is looking into the feasibility of a Sikh unit, including the possibility of a reserve company, and it “may well have merit,” U.K. armed forces minister Mark Francois told the House of Commons recently.
A new unit would inherit many of the “proud traditions of Sikh regiments” from the army’s past, he said.
Speaking during defence questions in Parliament, former Defence Minister Sir Nicholas Soames urged Ministers to “do away with political correctness” and raise a Sikh regiment. He told Mr. Francois, “You will be aware of the extraordinary gallant and distinguished service by Sikhs to this country down the generations.
Mr. Francois replied by telling that “the idea may well have merit.”
Latest figures show the British armed forces have around 160 Sikhs in their ranks, including 130 in the army.
Thousands of Sikhs had served in the British Indian Army during the two World Wars. They were known for their bravery and gallantry and won as many as 10 Victoria Crosses, the highest British battlefield honour.
In 2007, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence had scrapped a similar plan after the Commission for Racial Equality warned it could be seen as divisive and perceived as “segregation“.
The Network of Sikh Organisations said it was in favour of a Sikh unit.
