Sikhs in America are now planning to join the U.S. Army in large numbers after it issued a new regulation on religious liberty to accommodate people who sport turbans and beards for religious reasons.
In a significant move to enable all religious minorities in America, including the Sikhs, the U.S. Army last week issued new regulations on religious liberty to accommodate people who wear beards, turbans or hijabs. The new set of rules allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level. Previously it was at the level of Secretary.
“This is a historic day for Sikhs in the U.S.,” said Rajwant Singh, secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, which organised an event to celebrate the U.S. Army announcement in this regard. Sikhs are now planning to join the U.S. Army in large numbers, he said.
“This is a well-timed policy change that the Department of Defence and the White House made for the Sikh community since it aligns with the auspicious occasion of the 350th birth-anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, who taught us to stand up for who you are and work for the religious freedom of all,” Mr. Singh said.
Joining the celebration, Dilpreet Kaur Sidhu, an official from the National Security Council at the White House, said, there is lot of work to be done. “The administration worked really hard in achieving in what they did and there a lot more to be done. There are not too many Sikhs working in the Federal government. It is important that we encourage Sikh youth to opt for career in public service,” he said.
“This is the result of that continued struggle but we need to continue. Only one agency has changed the rules and we need to work on other agencies. This would be possible only with the support of the community,” he said. — PTI
