SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 16: The Sikhs of Jharkhand are on the boil over a reported move of the government of India to make helmet compulsory for Sikh soldiers.
The Jharkhand Sikh Welfare Society (JSWS) while strongly protesting the reported order of the government of India, has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to withdraw such a proposal immediately if the government has issued one.
Sardar Sewa Singh, president of Jharkhand Sikh Welfare Society (JSWS) in his letter to the Prime minister has said that the Sikhs of Jharkhand opposed this proposal as there is no practice across the world to make helmets compulsory for Sikh soldiers.
The government of India must withdraw this proposal as the Sikh community in the country is against helmet mandatory, he added.
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“Sikhs are in the army of the British, Canada and Australia but there are no such compulsory helmets. Though the British government had enforced such an order but withdraw the proposal in wake of massive protests. Moreover, Sikh soldiers of the country (India) had fought 1948, 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars and participated in the Kargil operation in 1998 but the issue of helmet compulsory never aroused,” said Sardar Sewa Singh, president of Jharkhand Welfare Society.
Sewa Singh said Society has urged the Prime Minister to withdraw the reported order of helmet compulsory before movement against it takes shape of national agitation at a large scale.
