Three influential Congressmen have asked the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to let Sikh American youths serve the US Army with their religious identity.
Three lawmakers, Carolyn Maloney, Rodney Frelinghuysen and Joseph Crowley, in a letter to Gates have strongly supported the two Sikh American youths who have challenged the Pentagon regulation, which prevent them in serving the US Army with their religious identity.
The lawmakers have asked the Defence Secretary to give full consideration to the soldiers' requests. They, in their letter, cited other Sikhs' service in the US Armed Forces and in its allies' militaries to support their argument that these men should be permitted to serve.
'Throughout our history, our nation's military has succeeded in training individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities to achieve one unifying goal: to protect and defend our nation.
'Providing Lieutenant (Tajdeep S Rattan) Rattan with a reasonable accommodation would simply be an additional chapter in this long history of military success,' wrote Congresswoman Maloney, and Congressman Crowley in a joint letter dated June 17 to Gates.
'I am urging you to give full consideration to this young American's request for a reasonable accommodation that will allow him to continue to serve our nation and to observe his religious faith,' said Congressman Frelinghuysen taking up the case of Captain Kamaljeet S Kalsi.
Both Kalsi and Rattan, were recruited as part of an Army program that pays for medical education in return for military service. At the time of their enrolment, military recruiters assured both men that their turbans and unshorn hair 'would not be a problem'.
Four years later, the Army has now told them that the recruiters' assurances were false and that they would have to forsake their religious practices. The two Sikh youths challenged the Pentagon regulation earlier this year.
A Pentagon official informed them that at the instance of the Defence Secretary, they were reviewing the current policy. The case of the two Sikh youths has also been taken up by the Sikh Coalition -- an advocacy group of the community.
Last week, American Sikh leaders, participating in a conference at the Library of Congress had asked lawmakers to facilitate Sikh youths serve the US Army with their identity.
On Tuesday, Sikh Coalition also announced to launch a campaign to have broader letter of support from Congress to Secretary Gates for these Sikh soldiers.
