Sikh service members in the British Military are now receiving their religious prayer book for the first time in 100 years. The books, known as Nitnem Gutkas, were distributed by the UK Defence Sikh Network at a ceremony in London, according to BBC. To resist the rigors of military life, it was printed in three languages on tough and waterproof paper. The Royal Navy and RAF Gutka have a navy blue cover, while the British Gutka has a camouflage cover.
More than a century prior, the British troops had initially distributed Nitnem Gutkas, which also featured other accouterments of Sikhism including steel daggers, bangles, and wooden combs. It was never released again after that till now.
Statement from Ministry of Defence
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence expressed its desire to “directly support Sikhs practice a key component of their faith”
Major Daljinder Singh Virdee, a British Army officer who fought for the change for two years, said: “For Sikhs, our scriptures are not just words, they are the living embodiment of our guru. We draw moral strength and physical strength from reading the scriptures every day, it gives us discipline and it grows us spiritually.”
The project has taken Major Singh, who is also the chairman of the UK Defence Sikh Network, the past two years to complete. “The Army has been providing Christian religious texts for many years and I saw the opportunity there to open the door for the Sikh faith to provide Sikh texts,” he was quoted as saying.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told BBC, “By providing a Nitnem Gutka for serving Sikhs across the UK MOD we hope to directly support Sikhs practice a key component of their faith wherever they travel and work in whatever conditions.”