Sikh Light Infantry
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Sikh Light Infantry | |
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Active | 1941 - Present |
Country | India |
Branch | Indian Army |
Type | Light infantry |
Role | Infantry |
Size | 19 battalions |
Regimental Centre | Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh |
Motto(s) | Deg Teg Fateh (Prosperity in Peace and Victory in War) |
Decorations |
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Commanders | |
Colonel of the Regiment | Lt.Gen Devendra Pratap Pandey |
Notable commanders | Gen. V.P. Malik Gen. Bikram Singh Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane |
Insignia | |
War Cry | Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akaal! |
The Sikh Light Infantry is a
The versatility of the Sikh Light Infantry has seen the regiment conduct operations from conventional warfare on the
The motto has great significance from the tenth
History
The Sikh Light Infantry's predecessors, the
Post-independence
After Indian independence, the Sikh Light Infantry was allotted to the newly formed Indian Army.
Independence of Goa from Portuguese occupation
During the 1961 annexation of Goa, the 2nd & 4th battalions, Sikh Light Infantry augmented the strength of the 50th Parachute Brigade. The battalion supported the main thrust of the attack as part of its western column. They moved rapidly across minefields, roadblocks and four riverine obstacles to be the first to reach Panaji.[4]
Operation Pawan
The 13th battalion, Sikh Light Infantry was deployed during
40 Sikh soldiers were left and fought for 4 days without food and water and they had run out of ammunition. They said the Ardas and charged at the LTTE soldiers with their batons and died.
When reinforcements reached the university after a week of heavy fighting, they found the battlefield littered with pieces of Sikh LI uniforms and equipment, along with thousands of .50 BMG shells. According to Sep. Gora Singh, the dead Sikhs were stripped of their weapons, uniforms and equipment and their bare bodies were laid out in a row at the nearby Buddhist Nagaraja Vihar temple. The corpses were then burnt with a barrel of oil. The LTTE claimed to have tried to get in touch with the IPKF HQ at
Units
- 1st Battalion
- 2nd Battalion
- 3rd Battalion
- 4th Battalion
- 5th Battalion
- 6th Battalion
- 7th Battalion
- 8th Battalion
- 9th Battalion
- 10th Battalion
- 11th Battalion
- 12th Battalion
- 13th Battalion
- 14th Battalion
- 15th Battalion
- 16th Battalion
- 17th Battalion
- 18th Battalion
- 19th Battalion
Territorial Army (TA)
- 103rd Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Sikh LI): Ludhiana, Punjab
- 158th Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Sikh LI) (Home & Hearth): Janglot , Jammu & Kashmir
- 163rd Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Sikh LI) (Home & Hearth): Hyderbeigh , Jammu & Kashmir
Rashtriya Rifles (RR)
- 2 RR
- 19 RR
- 49 RR
The 9th battalion has a specialist role, as it conducts special
Culture
Due to the cultural origin of its recruits, the regiment maintains not only a strong Sikh culture but a strong
Most times before entering battle Sikh soldiers said the Ardas and then went into battle. Before the Regiment was formed it was called the Rattray's Sikhs, who notably did not tie their beards and carried 3 foot long swords into battle.The regimental motto, Deg Tegh Fateh ("prosperity in peace and victory in war") is also derived from Guru Gobind Singh. It incorporates his teachings of peace, tolerance and community spirit, but also the duty to unsheathe the sword when a tyrant or oppressor threatens that ethos and refuses peaceful co-existence. The battle cry of the regiment is "Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal!" meaning "He who recites the name of the lord, shall forever be victorious!"
Recruitment
The Sikh Light Infantry is a "single caste" regiment.[7] Its soldiers are recruited only from Mazhabi and Ramdasia Sikhs.[8] Mazhabi Sikhs must provide identification certificates showing their status as Mazhabi Sikhs for eligibility to join the regiment as well as meeting the other minimum standards. Like all Indian Army regiments, officers can come from all regions and communities in India.[citation needed]
Awards and decorations
- 1 Ashoka Chakra[9]
- 15 Maha Vir Chakra
- 16 Kirti Chakra
- 23 Vir Chakra
- 28 Shaurya Chakra
- 182 Sena Medal
- 14 Param Vishisht Seva Medals
- 28 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals
- 13 Yudh Seva Medals
- 17 Vishisht Seva Medals
- 109 Mention-in-Despatches
- 322 COAS's Commendation Cards[citation needed]
Maha Vir Chakra
- Brigadier Babaji Sant Singh MVC & Bar (MVC awarded twice)
- Brigadier PK Nandagopal
See also
- List of regiments of the Indian Army
References
- ^ a b Anniversary Celebrations of Sikh LI Archived 3 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Home, DC; Shebbeare, RH. "The Story of the Renowned and the Redoubtable Sikh Light Infantry". Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Full text of "The Sikhs of the Punjab"
- ^ BHARAT RAKSHAK MONITOR: Volume 4(3) Archived 4 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McQueen. Sir. J.W and Baaghaa. A.S (1994) Unseen faces and untold cases, heroes and villains of Sikh rule, Volume 8 of Series in Sikh history and culture. Bahri Publications p106
- ^ Sikh army regiments infantry valour war
- ISBN 978-0-674-72880-6.
Some regiments, such as the Sikh Regiment and Sikh Light Infantry, are "single class," and therefore recruit combat troops only from members of a specified class, such as Jat Sikhs and Mazhabi and Ramdasia Sikhs.
- JSTOR 2760119.
Moreover, with the exception of Gurkhas (recruited in Nepal), Sikhs remain the only community to have infantry regiments drawn exclusively from their own numbers: the Sikh Regiment (manned, though not officered, by high-caste Jat Sikhs) and the Sikh Light Infantry (manned entirely by Mazhabi, or Scheduled Caste, "untouchable" Sikhs.
- ^ Aggarwal, Rashmi (January 0101). "Ashoka Chakra Recipients".
External links
- Sikh Light Infantry DefenseIndia.com
- Sikhs in British Armed Forces: Gateway to Sikhism AllAboutSikhs.com
- The Sikh Light Infantry Regiments.org
- The Sikh Light Infantry Bharat-Rakshak.com
- History of the Sikh Pioneers - Lt-Gen Sir George MacMunn