India: Information on whether it is forbidden to recruit Sikhs to serve in the army
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IND10592 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: Information on whether it is forbidden to recruit Sikhs to serve in the army, 1 March 1992, IND10592, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad0c18.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The Military Attaché at the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C. stated that there is absolutely no discrimination on the basis of community, caste or religion in military or police recruitment anywhere in India (25 Mar. 1992). He further stated that recruitment procedures are similar to those in Canada, based on government need, the fitness of the applicants, etc. (Ibid.).
This information is corroborated by The Encyclopedia of the Third World which says that "since the days of the British Raj, the bulk of the recruitment [into the army] is from the so-called martial races: the Rajputs, Sikhs, Gorgas, Marathas, Jats and Punjabis as well as the Gurkhas, although the latter are Nepali citizens" (1987, 895). The Bulletin d'information published by the Office fédéral des réfugiés in Berne, Switzerland (November 1990) states that "L'armée est qualifiée apolitique par le 'Manuel du Tiers-Monde'".
Further information on Indian army recruitment may be found in the attached excerpts from Area Handbook for India (1975, 564-67).
References
Kurian, George Thomas, ed. Encyclopedia of the Third World. 1987. 3rd ed. Vol. II. New York: Facts on File, Inc.
Military Attaché, Embassy of India, Washington, D.C. 25 March 1992. Telephone Interview.
Nyrop, Richard F. et al. 1975. Area Handbook for India. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
Office fédéral des réfugiés. November 1990. Bulletin d'information. Berne, Switzerland.
Attachments
Nyrop, Richard F. et al. 1975. Area Handbook for India. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, pp. 564-67.
Office fédéral des réfugiés. November 1990. Bulletin d'information. Berne, Switzerland.
