Sikh Regiment Requirements

The assignment of regiments to commissioning is primarily a random factor. Only those who are in the top 20 have a choice or some who have parental rights (father CO or Subedar Major). Others opt for a regiment in which someone serves nearby, or impressed by an instructor/uniform. Many hearts are broken the day the choice of coat of arms is announced. Despite the initial disappointment, the regiment and its troops grow with you. It doesn`t take long to develop the pride of your regiment. Vintage and history, bravery awards, product managers, battle awards, the list of boasting is endless. If you are asked about the election 30 years later, the answer will always be: « This regiment, no other! » The turmoil caused by Operation Bluestar was quickly abandoned and the regiment was very familiar with operations such as Operation Meghdoot, Operation Pawan, Operation Bajrang and Operation Rakshak. As members of the British Indian Army, Sikh regiments fought in many wars around the world, such as the Second Opium War in China, the Second Anglo-Afghan War, numerous campaigns on the North-West frontier, the Western Front, the Gallipoli and Mesopotamian campaigns of World War I, the Third Anglo-Afghan War and the North African, Italian and Burmese campaigns of World War II. He has received numerous bravery awards and combat awards. In my regiment, there is a dangerous expression – « mada jaya » or « madi jayi » (a little).

Nothing is more threatening than hearing this phrase as you receive your subordinate`s report of the day! It could be used to describe anything from a twisted ankle to a fight, from a soldier running away with a gun, to a truck going down the ravine! The Sikh Regiment was formed on 1 August 1846 with the formation of the Regiment of Ferozepore Sikhs and the Ludhiana Sikh Regiment by Captain G. Tebbs and Lieutenant-Colonel P. Gordon and was used in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 with great effect. The results were extremely beneficial to the Sikhs, as their loyalty and tenacity in combat made them the backbone of recruitment for the British Indian Army, which had previously been recruited from the southern regions of India. During this campaign, the Sikhs received their first two battle decorations for operations at the Siege of Lucknow and the Defence of Arrah. In addition, the Sikh regiment was given seniority in rank compared to other Indian sepoys and was given permission to wear the converted red turban (which is still worn by the regiment today), as opposed to the usual blue headgear worn by British Indian Army units at the time. Sikhs make up 25% of all ranks in the Indian Army and 30% of its officers, while Sikhs make up only 2% of the Indian population, making them more than 10 times more likely to be a soldier and officer in the Indian Army than the average Indian. The Sikh Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments in the Indian Army, with 73 battle honours, 14 Victoria Crosses, 21 Indian Orders of Merit First Class (equivalent to the Victoria Cross), 15 theatrical honours and 5 COAS unit citations alongside 2 Param Vir Chakras, 14 Maha Vir Chakras, 5 Kirti Chakras, 67 Vir Chakras and 1596 other awards of bravery. After the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846), Sikhs living in the region ruled by the Sikh Empire (the Punjab region) were recruited into the Bengal Army of the British East India Company.

Among the first all-Sikh units of the Bengal Army were the Ferozepore Regiment (raised in 1846), which later became King George`s 14th Sikh Ferozepore, and the Ludhiana Regiment (also raised in 1846), which later became the 15th Ludhiana Sikh Regiment. After the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849), more Punjabis were recruited into the Bengal Army, forming regiments such as the 1st Bengal Military Police Battalion, which later became the 45th Rattray`s Sikhs.[9] Sikh units generally remained loyal to the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, during which many regiments of the Bengal Army (recruited mainly from Bengal, Bihar and Awadh) mutinied against their British officers. After the rebellion, troops from Bihar and Awadh were recruited less because they had led the mutiny; The recruiting centre then moved to Punjab and the north-west border, resulting in the recruitment of more Sikhs into the Bengal army.