Airstrip One

The Lions of Southall - 17th August 2003, 23.08

Whilst attending the first London Mela today at Gunnersbury Park in Acton, I came across the Armed Forces Recruiting stand and climbing pillar.

The Armed Forces had an exhibition extolling the values of the Sikhs and the tradition of war. Apart from a hurried few sentences on how the Punjab was conquered by the East India Company, the panels narrated the sacrifices that Sikhs had made for the King-Emperor in two World Wars.

The stand showed that recruitment strategies of the Armed Forces are more nuanced. They are designed to appeal to communities that have a history of fighting for Britain and take a pride in martial traditions. If one looks at the Sikh community, one finds that it forms an important component of an Anglo-Sikh identity. There have even been suggestions of a Sikh regiment although this is considered divisive.