Date: 6/26/2006
Glorious record of Sikh troops when led by British officers. What a superb and INSPIRING write up. (below)////// But please be informed that those were the days under the British and their officers led the forces to VICTORY./////// In 1947 Hindustan became independent and the Sikh soldiers were degraded by NEHRU who accepted cease fire and WITHDREW them from forward battle lines in Kashmir WHILE THEY WERE ADVANCING. (Spit in face of Broken Bharat, now under SONIA KHAN & ABDUL KALAM!) ////// In 1984 the Sikh troops were used by political "Witch" Indira Khan to attack Sri Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar to kill hundreds of unarmed civilians. /////// In 1987 prime minister Rajiv KHAN, notorious as BOFORS CHOR, sent Sikh troops to Sri Lanka to kill the Tamils of INDIAN ORIGIN. /////// Now the Sikh troops and ALL THE TROOPS in India are under the command of Supreme Commander ABDUL KALAM, who is a PAKISTANI by definition under "Act of Partition of India, 1947" that partitioned India between the MUSLIMS and The Rest.////// ================////// The Saraghari Battle/////// A hundred years ago, on September 12th, 1897, 21 Sikh Soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment were beseiged by ten thousand Afreedi Pathans at Saragarhi near Fort Lockhart, District Kohat of North West Frontier Province(now in Pakistan). The fierce battle known by the natives as 'Teera Battle' or Saragarhi Battle was fought on September 12th 1897, under the command of Havildar Isher Singh who caused maximum casualties of the invaders. According to the accounts of the Afreedi Pathans, more than 200 pathans were killed in this battle and about 1000 seriously injured. Near the end of the battle, only Havildar Isher Singh was left alone with twenty bodies of his brave fellow fighters, gursikh soldiers lying all around him. Unfrustated by the attack of the huge enemy, the lone soldier fought the battle for hours showing exemplary courage unparalled in the history of wars. All these twenty one Sikh Soldiers who laid down their lives heroically were awarded the highest gallantry award - the 'INDIAN ORDER OF MERIT' (IOM), by the British Government. Their each family was given Rs. 500 and a big chunk of land as an award. The British Government constructed three Gurudwaras at Ferozpore, Amritsar and Saragarhi, as a permanent memorial to these brave souls. Every year a big three day carnival is organized at Ferozpore and tributes are paid to these great Sikh heroes. /////// Sikh Soldiers in Europe////// When the news of that peerless sacrifice reached England, all the Members of the British Parliament, in their special session paid glowing tributes to the most daring Sikh Soldiers and a two minute silence was observed in their sweet memory. The Members of the House while eulogising the remarkable acts of bravery said: "The English as well as Indian subjects are proud of 36th Sikh Regiment and it is no exaggeration to record that the armed forces which possess valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in a war." /////// Twenty One Gallantry Awards were given on that day to the '21 Sikh Soldiers', which were the highest in strength awarded for any single day.The British were so overwhelmed with the dauntless spirit of the Sikhs, that they made it mandatory for all the school going students to study the history of the Saragarhi Battle. /////// To learn more about Sikh Soldiers during the Great Wars, Download This Report written by an English war historian. /////// Sikhs In the Wars///// Gatka: Martial Art of the Sikhs////// Gatka is one of the most esoteric martial arts around. Even the most jaded martial artist, someone who has heard of or even studied shorinji kempo, ROSS, or lua*, might say, "Oh yeah, that's the movie starring Uma Thurman, the one where style was more important than the plot, right?" Wrong. Gatka is a battle-tested, ancient martial art that survives today as part of the Sikh culture. Sikhism began in fifteenth century India, in the Punjab region. Its founder, Guru Nanak, started the religion as an alternative to the dominant Hindu and Muslim faiths. For example, Sikhism does away with the Hindu caste system; all Sikh men share a common surname of Singh, while all Sikh women share a common surname of Kaur. Devout Sikhs follow several tenets of the religion, but the one most visible to non-Sikhs are the turbans worn by Sikh men. Gatka specializes in sword (called shaster) and shield fighting, but includes other weapons, including the lathi, or staff, the chakram, or quoit, and the exotic chakar, which looks like a wagon wheel with weights at the end of each spoke. //////// The chakram and chakar are weapons unique to gatka. The chakar is wielded by grasping the center (the "hub" of the "wagon wheel") and spinning it around, scoring impact damage upon anyone foolish enough to come too close to the spinning weights, and providing protection for the wielder. The chakram, or quoit, is basically a flat steel hoop, where the outside edge is honed to a sharp edge. The gatka practitioner spins the chakram around the index finger, then lets it fly to its target. The chakram is probably most famous in these modern times as the favorite weapon of television's Xena: Warrior Princess. //////// Gatka has been used over the centuries to great effect. Besides the numerous conflicts and wars in the Sikh homeland of Punjab, or the famous Sikh regiments of World War II, Sikhs armed with lathi were employed as riot police in the rough-and-tumble streets of 1930's Shanghai. The British police instructor, William Ewart Fairbairn, a pioneer in close-quarters battle and riot police tactics, found the Sikhs to be very effective at quelling disturbances due to their gatka-derived skills. /////// Although training in gatka may be hard to find for non-Sikhs, the art is exciting to watch in cultural demonstrations--wait for one near you. In the meantime, consult the following links for more information on the martial art of gatka. /////// The Sikhs are fortunate enough to get the guidance for a splendid way of life under the unique guardianship of the ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev ji to Guru Gobind Singh ji, and also of the immortal and pious Guru Granth Sahib ji. /////// In 1971, a law was enforced in England which made it mandatory to wear a safety helmet to ride a motorbike. The Sikh community tried to educate the British Government about the sacredness of wearing a turban, but to no avail. As a result they started a 'Save Turban Campaign', which lasted three years. /////// When this important issue was discussed in the British Parliament, it was fully debated. A dozen or so Members of Parliament, specially studied the Sikh religion and the glorious words they spoke about the Sikh religion and the Sikh community astonished everybody. /////// **********************************////// Sikh Admiration////// Hon. Mr. Sidney Bidwell, Member of Parliament, while pleading the case for exempting Sikhs from wearing crash helmets, said: /////// "...Let all the members of Parliament know that long hair with a turban is the recognition of the personality of the Sikhs, their dignity and their existence, which they will keep in every situation. I asked one of the Sikh construction worker working at the new car park site outside the Parliament, that if you are told that from tomorrow you will have to wear a safety helmet, what will you do? He gave a very simple answer, that he will quit the job. It appears from this statement that Sikhs respect their religious beliefs and will not give them up for the sake of money." ////// Mr. Bidwell further stated://///// "...Sikhs are very hard working people and are establishing a respectable place in the British society. They are very loyal, law-abiding and dedicated people who can be trusted and can be proud of. If we do justice to such great people, then the posterity will praise and appreciate our present-day generosity and tolerant behaviour, otherwise we will be called prejudiced, non-religious and degraded people." ////// Sir Winston Churchill was very well conversant with the bravery of the Sikhs, who had fought for Britain in the World Wars. Churchill while speaking in the British Parliament said: //////// ".....It is a matter of regret that due to the obsession of the present times people are distorting the superior religious and social values, but those who wish to preserve them with respect, we should appreciate them as well as help them. Sikhs do need our help for such a cause and we should give it happily. Those who know the Sikh history, know England's relationship with the Sikhs and are aware of the achievements of the Sikhs, they should persistently support the idea of relaxation to Sikhs to ride a motorbike with their turbans on, because it is their religious privilege."/////// Churchill, further added://///// "...British people are highly indebted and obliged to Sikhs for a long time. I know that within this century we needed their help twice and they did help us very well. As a result of their timely help, we are today able to live with honour, dignity, and independence. In the war, they fought and died for us, wearing the turbans. At that time we were not adamant that they should wear safety helmets because we knew that they are not going to wear them anyways and we would be deprived of their help. At that time due to our miserable and poor situation, we did not force it on them to wear safety helmets, why should we force it now? Rather, we should now respect their traditions and by granting this legitimate concession, win their applaud." //////// // ********************************** //////// Sir Winston Churchill does not need any introduction. He, probably, is the most venerated Statesman of the twentieth century. The former Prime Minister of Britian, he was known for his leadership qualities. A leader most leaders eulogize. /////// Continuing the debate, at the hour of the dawn on October 5th, 1976, Lord Mowbray, while addressing the British Parliament's special session, said: ////// "....Sikhs are really wonderful people. I cannot refrain myself from telling a splendid example of their discipline, loyalty and the sense of complying to duty. During the first World War, on July 4th, 1915, the Sikh Regiment , comprising of 10 officers and 700 infantry men, went to fight at Galipoli, Turkey. By the evening they were all martyred except 2 officers and 70 infantry men, but they kept on fighting. After all, who were they fighting for? For themselves? No, Never! They were fighting for us or say for the sake of their duty. Their Gurus' and their religion have affirmed and urged them to fullfil their duty." ////// He further stated: /////////"......In the Second World War 112,000 Sikhs voluntarily joined the army and co-operated with us in fighting the war. These numbers were in addition to the regular number of Sikhs working with the army. It is not an ordinary thing. Therefore, we must look after these splendid people as much as we can and try to lessen our debt to them." /////// 000000000
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