| Second Sikh to be Accommodated by United States Army! |
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(Washington D.C.) December 11, 2009 - The U. S. Army has announced that it will accept a second Sikh recruit, Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan, with his Sikh identity intact. Captain Rattan, a military dentist, had refused to remove his dastaar or shave his hair as a condition of joining the military. On Vaisakhi 2009, the Sikh Coalition launched a campaigncalling on the Army to accept all Sikhs, including Captain Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi and Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan into the military. The Army announced that Captain Kamaljeet Singh would be allowed to serve earlier this fall.
The U.S. Army's acceptance of Captain Tejdeep Singh and Captain Kamaljeet Singh marks the first time in 23 years that the Army will accept Sikh recruits who maintain their articles of faith.
"I am pleased that the Army has accepted me. I thank the Sikh Coalition, the Sikh community and Sikh organizations that supported me. I look forward to the day when Sikhs can freely serve in any field, including the Army, without discrimination." The Big Picture: What This Victory Means for the Sikh Community
The individual accommodations for Captain Tejdeep Singh and Captain Kamaljeet Singh have significant implications for Sikh employees. Though Sikhs have approached several police and sheriff's departments for jobs, they are often told that if Sikhs cannot serve as US soldiers, they cannot serve as police officers either. Most importantly, over the long-term, equal participation of Sikhs in all of society's institutions, including the Army, will go a long way towards reducing the prejudice Sikhs often face in schoolsand on the streets. Next StepsOver the coming year, with the community's active support and in collaboration with other Sikh organizations, the Coalition will continue to work with the US Army to ensure all Sikhs may serve without individual exemptions. We are encouraged that the Army has expressed its willingness to review its general policy of excluding Sikhs from service. A Thank You to Our Community PartnersThe Coalition would like to thank the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, and Amandeep Singh Sidhu, Esq., McDermott's lead attorney on the matter. In 2009 alone, McDermott attorneys have donated over $250,000 in pro bono legal services to the Sikh Coalition on this issue. The Coalition would also like to thank Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) and Jasmeet Kaur Ahuja on his staff for the countless hours they devoted to ensure a successful resolution of Captain Rattan's and Captain Kalsi's matter. Several Sikh groups worked together to achieve this goal. The Coalition would like to thank the Sikh Council on Research and Education for the many hours it invested in outreach on Capital Hill, as well as the SALDEF and United Sikhs. Finally the Coalition would like to thank the thousands of Sikhs who signed petitions to the Army's leadership and contacted their Members of Congress. As always, the Sikh Coalition urges all Sikhs to practice their faith fearlessly. If you are barred from joining the military or any type of employment because of your Sikh faith, please report the incident at legal@sikhcoalition.org. |
