Above: Jatinderpal Singh, during training [Courtesy: Dot Hyphen Productions]. Below: compare the guards in bearskin hats with a turbaned British soldier (Simranjit Singh). Jatinder's turban on guard duty will match the traditional uniform colours.
Current Events
Brit Bigots in a Tizzy over Sikh-Briton Royal Guard at Buckingham Palace
MARK NICOL & AMANDA PERTHEN
The unit of the British Army designated to guard the Buckingham Palace is purportedly experiencing a tantrum by some of its members after the first Sikh soldier allowed to wear a turban rather than a bearskin on ceremonial duties has raised eyebrows.
Guardsman Jatinderpal Singh Bhullar, 25, who joined the Scots guards this year, has been given permission to wear a turban while guarding the Buckingham Palace, breaking hundreds of years of tradition.
The decision by Army bosses has proved controversial, it appears, with some of Jatinder’s fellow soldiers.
The Army's Sikh chaplain said that he has endured taunts about his turban and his refusal to cut his hair and his beard.
Jatinder is based at Wellington Barracks in Birdcage Walk. The base is used by soldiers from the Scots Guards' F Company, who at present are responsible for public duties and guarding the Queen.
According to military sources, Jatinder, who is from Birmingham, is expected to parade for the first time next week. When he marches with his colleagues he will become the first guardsman not to wear a bearskin.
Traditionalists in the Scots Guard say the allowances made for Sikh-Briton soldiers - that is, wearing a turban instead of the almost two-foot tall ‘bearskin’ - will make the whole company look ridiculous to tourists and onlookers.
The regiment traces its origins back to 1642 and its soldiers have worn bearskins on parade only since 1832.
Some non-commissioned officers based at Wellington Barracks are reported to be angry that the British Ministry of Defence (“MoD“) had compromised centuries of history for the sake of one soldier.
The argument presented by some of Jatinder’s colleagues was backed by senior members of the Scots Guards' regimental association. Unlike serving personnel - who are not allowed to speak out either in support of, or against, the accommodation - these retired officers are free to speak publicly.
David Cuthill, chairman of the Dundee branch, said today: 'It should be regiment first and religion second. A guardsman is not a guardsman if he's not wearing his bearskin.
'Hundreds of years of tradition should be protected. I appreciate his predicament, but if all the other guardsmen are in bearskins and he is in a turban, it is going to look ridiculous.'
As a devout Sikh, it is mandatory for Jatinder to wear a turban. It is intended to cover his hair, which he never cuts, and to keep it clean.
For centuries, Sikhs have worn turbans in battle and fought as part of the British Army - including Jatinder's grandfather, who served in the Second World War.
Jatinder's father has spoken of his pride and condemned the bullies.
Surinder Singh Bhullar, 47, from Slough, Berkshire, said: 'He deserves respect and he will stay strong. That includes wearing his turban instead of a bearskin, no matter what other soldiers say. He is observing his religion.'
Jatinder was a bricklayer before joining the Army. His first choice was the Parachute Regiment and in and online video he declared his ambition to be the first Sikh Paratrooper.
But he dropped out of airborne training and joined the Scots Guards. He passed out last month. Jatinder has confided in chaplain, Mandeep Kaur. She said: 'He had problems telling (his colleagues) why he has to wear the turban and why it means so much to him.
'It was ignorance and verbals, he said, but he did not call it bullying.
'He was determined to come through everything to explain his religion, the significance of the turban and why it is more important to him than a bearskin.
'He is one of only 20 to 25 British-born Sikhs in the British Army.'
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: 'The Army takes great pride in its diversity. Discussions are underway between this unit, the Sikh community and the MoD. The individual will have the full support of the Army and his colleagues.'
[Courtesy: Daily Mail. Edited for sikhchic.com]
December 2, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Enid McCluskey (London, United Kingdom), December 02, 2012, 7:21 AM.
If they want conformity, I suggest they all switch to turbans. That way, they'll all look alike. And ... visitors won't find them funny, they won't look silly anymore. In fact, they'll look grand ... and royal! And the anti-fur lobby will be happy. There you go: there are always simple solutions to be found, if you are truly looking for them, to the most difficult problems. This one is easy.
2: Hitpal Singh (New Zealand), December 02, 2012, 7:42 AM.
Sikhs must come forward and get themselves recruited with British Army, same as pre-1947. There was also talk of a Sikh Regiment being raised, a few years ago, in England but the matter got held up! Can someone update me on this issue, please? Maybe it is time to revive the idea.
3: Hardeep Singh Gill (United Kingdom), December 02, 2012, 7:58 AM.
Jatinderpal Singh features in a film we made recently, which is on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIVvFrlBplI
4: Gurinder Singh (United Kingdom), December 02, 2012, 10:22 AM.
Jatinder ji: why not wear an Akali Dumalla, in black, and match it with the height of the bearskin? If necessary, add an extra keski to make the bunga taller. Problem solved. Plus, in combat it has proved to be more secure than a floppy teddy bear hat. Though, of course, the current usage is purely ceremonial. "Tyar bar tyar Singh!"
5: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), December 02, 2012, 11:52 AM.
I agree with the soldiers: I mean, wearing a tall fuzzy hat on your head is only ridiculous if everyone else isn't doing it.
6: Dr Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Toronto, Canada), December 03, 2012, 3:37 AM.
Some Sikhs, by ridiculing ceremonial tall 'Bearskin' traditional head-covering worn by Buckingham Palace guards, are falling into the same trap alongside and along with some Brits who ridicule wearing of a turban. Remember, the latter group is the one we are trying to educate to accept diversity. The key here is to show respect for all headwear (traditional or religious), irrespective of their origins and beliefs - let us all in the Sikh community be prudent and accepting and cautious.
7: Jaspreet (Canada), December 03, 2012, 5:06 AM.
I'm sure I read before that there are two Sikhs who are part of the Queen's guard at the Buckingham Palace, and both wear turbans. I guess they do not do ceremonial duty outside the palace. One thing I am sure of, Her Majesty will not mind. I remember reading an article in which a Sikh-Canadian soldier was assigned to escort the Queen and she just kept on smiling at him the whole time and the Governor-General knew the Queen would be happy with him there and so had him there guarding her when on a visit to Canada. Queen Elizabeth is a very classy lady. I know she went to Harmandar Sahib even when India's PM himself said it wouldn't be a good thing to do. Her Majesty's grandmother I believe was Queen Victoria, who had a close relationship with Maharaja Duleep Singh and was godmother to at least one of his kids. I wonder if Queen Elizabeth knew any of his children. I understand one of his daughters was around during WWII and took in some children from London to live in her house so they'd be safe from the bombings. I once heard one of them describe her experiences.
8: Preet Kaur (Birmingham, United Kingdom), December 03, 2012, 12:10 PM.
Well, they did survive the attack on "comformity" when blacks came along and were, thank God, finally allowed to join. Then, women! Another healthy change! They survived that change too. Trust me, they'll survive this latest change too. Especially when they haven't been able to find soldiers all of the same height ... another problem they've survived. "Conformity" is code for ...? You got it!
9: George Bert (UK), December 06, 2012, 5:28 PM.
The British Army and the Scots Guards transcend the preferences of this single individual. There are no individuals in the British Army: what the regiment does not expect is the elevation of individuals and their requirements over the rest of the regiment or the army; you sacrifice your individuality when you become a soldier. This man can easily accommodate the bearskin by wearing a smaller turban, and he should do just that. The regiment or the army shouldn't be asked to suit minority interests. I surely hope the army, and the regiment, stand their ground and insist this man conform - he should not be permitted to take precedence merely because of his religious beliefs.
10: Dr Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), December 08, 2012, 4:04 PM.
I am curious to know the following re Comment #9: a) Is the turban worn by practicing Sikhs merely an element of preference? b) Do individuals make up the British army, or is it a single monolith? c) Does allowing turbaned soldiers to serve elevate them over the others? Also, how integral is the bearskin hat to being a guard at the Buckingham Palace? Is it wise and pragmatic to insist the type of conformity being suggested? Should the conformity merely stick to a few items of the uniform, or should be go all the way - skin colour, gender, height, weight, eye-colour, even religion? I trust honest answers to these questions will automatically provide a sensible direction in which this issue should be taken.
11: Malcolm (Manchester, United Kingdom), December 12, 2012, 1:49 PM.
He looks in every way smart in his turban and I am proud that Jatinder is assigned to this graceful job.
12: Norman Gates (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales), January 08, 2014, 3:55 PM.
I served in the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards in the early 1950s. I feel very proud to have been a Guardsman. I too have done 'Public Duties'. The Scots Guardsman who is a Sikh -- his religion states he must wear a turban. This goes way back before the Guards were formed. Uniform does not make the man, the man makes the uniform. I do hope this Guardsman can stand up to those who ridicule and oppose him for wearing his turban. Remember, Sikhs have fought and died for the British Empire for hundreds of years. Well done, Scots Guardsman, serve your Regiment with pride!