New Year, New Films

Happy New Year to you all!

We're very excited about 2014 ...

Firstly, our recent "Sikhs At Sandhurst" event will be shown on Sangat TV (ch 847 on Sky) this Saturday 4th January at 10am. 

And secondly, because it's the 100th centenary anniversary of the start of the Great War.

There are lots of projects up and down the country which will be taking place to mark this historic occasion, and we're looking forward to attending and supporting as many as we can.

But we're also launching a new series of short films on our website www.sikhsatwar.info

These new films will focus on elements of the battle relevant to Sikhs, from how many fought in the various arena's of the conflict to how they were rewarded to individual acts of gallantry.

This history is immense and something we can all be very proud of - and we want to ensure our films continue to be an educational resource to understanding the Sikh contribution worldwide.

For this, we've launched a fundraising page on Kickstarter - with the aim of raising the small amount of £2,500 we require to create new graphic productions for our new films.  Please follow this link for information.

 I hope you will be able to donate as much or as little as you can, and are able to forward this email so others can contribute too.

With your help we can create quality productions for our free online website for international audiences to enjoy now and in the future.

Thanks in advance for your support,

The Saragarhi Tour 2014

After our successful launch at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst we are pleased to announce that in 2014 we are taking Saragarhi on tour!

The story of Saragarhi is an important one to appreciate - the battles which took place on the frontier are oft forgotten but form an important part of understanding why Sikhs fought for Britain and how their heroics not only protected India but cemented their reputation ahead of the Great War.

Having read, researched and written about Saragarhi we've unearthed many amazing facts, inspirational stories and never-before-seen images.

Only 75% of our research has been published in "Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle" ... the rest we will be sharing in our Saragarhi presentations and future documentary.

The tour presentation features original images from Saragarhi, satellite analysis of the terrain and the stories of those who fought on the Samana.

Journalist and filmmaker Jay Singh-Sohal will take you on a journey of discovering just what makes Saragarhi one of history's greatest last stands.


The presentation includes a screening of one of our "Sikhs At War" films and a Q&A/book signing (as above) by the author.

We will announce in due course the location of these tours taking place in the New Year.

If you are interested in organising a presentation in the UK, USA, Canada or Europe as well please contact us directly via this email.

MOD Press Release: Sikhs in the British Army Meet Schoolchildren at Saragarhi Book Launch

PRESS RELEASE

127/2013                                                                                                                      

26^th November 2013

Sikhs in the British Army Meet Schoolchildren at Book Launch

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst hosted a unique event last week as serving Sikh soldiers joined Sikh schoolchildren at a book launch which explored the history of Sikhs in the British Army.

Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle was written by Jay Singh-Sohal, who is also serving in the Army Reserve, and focuses on this significant battle and its relevance today for the community as well as serving Sikh soldiers.

At the event Sikh school children from Upton Grammar and Slough Sikh Academy, were given a tour of Sandhurst and the Indian Army Memorial Room, received a special screening of ‘Sikhs at Sandhurst’ and had the opportunity to speak to and question current serving members of the British Army.

Following the event, the book’s author, Jay Singh-Sohal, said:

"To pay tribute and reflect upon the story of those Sikhs who fought and died on the frontier and in the Great War in the prestigious Indian Army Memorial Room was a tremendous honour. In launching my book "Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle" at Sandhurst I hope many more will be inspired by this story of bravery and courage."

Captain Sartaj Singh Gogna, REME, who works as a cultural specialist with the Defence Cultural Specialist Unit, attended the event and was a panellist in the Q+A session. He said:

“This was a great opportunity to find out more about the long standing and prestigious history of Sikhs and the British Army spanning over 150 years. In addition, it afforded a fantastic opportunity for the inquisitive students to engage with serving Sikh soldiers, learning about their experiences and roles. It is important that we remember our proud and distinguished heritage serving both alongside and within the British Military, and that young Sikhs today do not forget the sacrifices made by their forebears.”

The book centres on an infamous battle that took place on the North West Frontier in 1897, and saw 21 Sikh soldiers fight to the last in defending a small outpost. The actions taken by these soldiers have cemented the reputation of the Sikhs as brave and loyal fighters.

For further information e-mail DMC-OpsPRArmyNationalPR2@mod.uk

Notes to Editors

• Also speaking at the event was the Sikh civilian chaplain to the Armed Forces, Mandeep Kaur. Her role is to provide pastoral care and look after the spiritual welfare of serving Sikhs within the Armed Forces and in the wider community.

• The MOD has very clear policy to ensure that people are able to accommodate their religious beliefs by balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of the Armed Forces.  The Armed Forces employ Chaplains from most major world religions including Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh.

• Service personnel are free to practice all aspects of their religion provided that it does not impact on Operational Effectiveness or the Health and Safety of an individual or their colleagues.

• Every ship, Army unit and RAF station has a trained Equality and diversity Advisor (EDA) to ensure that all personnel are supported properly, whatever their background, culture or belief.

Why "Sikhs At Sandhurst" was an historic occasion

** Many thanks to Juggy Rehnsi from Wedshot for the wonderful photos herein **

On Wednesday 20th November, history was made as the British Army invited Sikhs to the prestigious Indian Army Memorial Room at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Sikhs who served Great Britain.

"Sikhs At Sandhurst" was a first, and a phenomenally successful event.  One which I'm proud to have been involved in organising.

Visitors were greeted with the lovely smell of vegetarian food, kindly laid on by Punjab Restaurant (Covent Garden) who are themselves great supporters of Sikh heritage events.

School pupils from Upton Court Grammar (Slough) and Guru Nanak Academy (Hayes) were given a tour of the historic Old College building by the Curator of the Sandhurst Collection, and got to hear about the heritage contained therein.

The event proper began with a welcome by Colonel Vickers (above left) from the Royal Military Academy - himself a 5th generation British officer - who knew full well the contributions the Sikhs have made.

Lt Colonel John Kendall from the Army's Civil Engagement then introduced the first element of the afternoon - my film from which the event took it's name and which explores the history of Sikhs at Sandhurst (you can watch it for free here).

An Army panel consisting of British Sikhs was then introduced - two male Sikh officers, a female soldier and the Sikh Chaplain to HM Armed Forces.  The audience got to ask questions of them, ranging from what inspired them to conflicts they've fought in.

Then I was introduced to speak (left).  I delivered my speech to launch "Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle" , spoke about the defeat of the Sikhs after the Anglo-Sikh wars and how they were recruited and utilised by the British - and proved on the frontier their bravery, dedication and heroism.  These qualities turned the once-foes into staunch allies and friends.  I then took some rather interesting questions from an engaged audience, who I'm glad to say were very positive towards my research.

The event drew to a close with book signings and meeting many of those who attended.  And media interviews.

My only regret of the event was we couldn't get more people in - we were fully booked within days of announcing the programme and couldn't hold more than the +130 guests who came!  Nonetheless we had a fantastic and diverse audience, ranging from school children to businessmen, professionals and some veterans.  Our international guests included people from India and the USA.

Below are some of the comment's we've received about the launch.  I would appreciate your thoughts too so please reply to this post if you attended, or if you would like to in future:

"I felt that the event had taken me through a journey in time from the birth of the Khalsa reminding us of the Sikh values that were bestowed upon us by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, to the battle in 1897, to the World Wars and then introducing us to 4 of the Sikhs currently serving in the British forces. Bridging over 100 years of history of the Sikhs serving  in the British forces was effortless and inspiring.  Every aspect of the event was organised and executed perfectly." Surbjit Chadda

"I was privileged to be there and participate. The speakers, all of them, were superb. My special thanks to the organisers who spared no effort into making the event a complete success.  Great credit to the author Jay Singh-Sohal for publishing the book.  The news of the event last Wednesday (20th inst.) at Sandhurst should spread in the community and I hope more young Sikhs will come forward to join the armed forces."  Rajinder Singh

Word Cloud of my book launch speech at RMA Sandhurst

"Sikhs At Sandhurst" on Wednesday 20th November 2013

Saragarhi At Sandhurst

It gives me great pleasure to announce that we will be launching our new book about Saragarhi and screening our latest film "Sikhs At Sandhurst" at a special event at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

The British Army have invited us to hold an event in the Indian War Memorial Room - and discuss the historic contribution made by Indians who fought for Great Britain on the frontier and during the Great Wars.
Taking place beneath the inspirational remembrance stained glass images of Indians of the time - the event will highlight the key contribution made by the community during the Great War and on the North West Frontier beforehand.

It is a key theory of mine, as covered in my new book, that the exploits at Saragarhi cemented the reputation of the Sikhs as brave, loyal and trusty soldiers of the British.  And that without these heroics the Sikhs would not have been so heavily deployed in every arena of battle during the Great War.

Indeed, the event will take place beneath the stained glass remembrance image (above) which was created to celebrate the contributions of the Sikhs on the frontier.

So it is a tremendous honour that we will be discussing this history at Sandhurst - a place that inspires so many to serve Britain.

More details will be released soon - but as spaces are limited please email dothyphen1@gmail.com for more details or to RSVP.

Event: Sikhs At Sandhurst
A rare opportunity to discover the hidden history of Indians who fought for Great Britain during the World Wars.  With a screening of the new film "Sikhs At Sandhurst", launch of the book "Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle" and opportunity to speak to serving soldiers and officers.

Where: Indian War Memorial Room, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, GU15 4NP

When: Wednesday 20th November - 12pm arrivals

Jay Singh-Sohal, Writer & Filmmaker

With the centenary anniversary of the Great War next year, we've been contacted for various programmes being made.

Writer and filmmaker Jay Singh-Sohal is available for all media contributions and discussions regarding the significance of Indian soldiers who served during the Great War - from Flanders to Mesopotamia to the NW frontier.

Jay can also be contacted directly for events, public speaking and consultancy via the following methods:

Text: 07908226667
Email: jay @dothyphen.co.uk
Twitter: @DotHyphen
FB: Jay Singh-Sohal

Contact us directly for media or commercial bids via email.

Publishing a book is like having a baby

*** BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT BOOK LAUNCH COMING SOON ***

Publishing a book is like having a baby.  I should know - in 2013 I have both written and released my fourth book AND been blessed with a wonderful child who brings a smile to my face.

My book "Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle" is a factual account of events on the Samana in 1897 in which 21 Sikh soldiers defended a small outpost against the onslaught of 10,000 Pathans.

My child is now seven months, and a wonderfully inquisitive child.  I didn't know I would be writing a book in the same year we had her, but in doing so I am hopeful she will take a deep interest in all things Sikh and history.

Both are my babies, bringing tears as well as much pride over the past year; but I'd honestly say writing a book was just that bit slightly more difficult.  It's because Saragarhi is a well-regarded battle with an almost mythical status.  Often compared to Thermopylae, the battle cemented the reputation of the Sikhs fighting for Britain during the Empire and before the need ever arose for Indian soldiers to fight in the Great War.

But the battle is still largely an unknown one, so I'm hopeful my research will bring it to mainstream audiences.  In researching the military history I relied upon the few primary sources that are left in the sub-continent and in London to tell the tale of the brave Sikhs who fought against overwhelming odds.  Finding never-before-seen images of the site was a real discovery, as has been using my military knowledge to find the site and location of the battle site.

Not to say having a child is easy, the broken sleep and sudden responsibility is overwhelming (as are the nappies) but somehow the mind adjusts to fatherhood very quickly - the body eventually follows.  It has no choice.  A child needs constant attention, and being disciplined and prepared for feeds, changes, and nap time requires a military mindset.

Both publishing and fatherhood are certainly complimentary in what they bring, late nights and bad memory.  The random moments of zoning out in quiet contemplation provided a distraction from each task, whether it be contemplating historic matters or recovering from lack of sleep.

With a book, the hard work is in finding the knowledge and bringing it together in a meaningful way to impart wisdom.

With a baby, every day is full of development as a child develops all the practical skills and experiences needed.

Both would not have been possible without teamwork. While my wife endured the hard work of bringing the latter into this world, the book is also a product of input from friends (and the other half again) who have helped in research and editing the final version.

I do not know whether my child will have any enduring memories of the process of me writing the book, but in dedicating it to her I am sure it will one day mean something.

Whether other children grow up reading about the glorious past of Sikhs who fought for Britain is something I can only hope will also happen.

My fascination with Saragarhi

I'm a journalist by profession - I produce live breaking international news in a rolling news environment. So why did I write an authoritative military history of the Battle of Saragarhi?

I'm trained to tell a story, and for me the opportunity to narrate the heroics of Sikhs who fought for Britain has become a passion.  Anyone who hears about the bravery shown at Saragarhi will understand why.

The battle took place in 1897 and saw 21 Sikh soldiers from the 36th Sikh Regiment defend a small outpost against 10,000 tribesmen.  They fought for more than six hours until their outpost fell.  They died fighting to the last.

I first heard about the battle several years ago, when I was approached (as a broadcaster) to present a documentary about it.  The project never happened, but that did not stop my interest in finding out more.

So I read about the battle online, but I felt unsatisfied about the story as there seemed to be so little research and authority on Saragarhi.

Nor could anyone tell me why it was significant today - historic events can inspire us but where was the analysis?

It was said to be one which was on a parallel as a last stand to the story of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae - but if this was the case then why had it not received wider attention?  Why had it been forgotten?

My journalistic nature led me not to accept what I was being told by heritage groups and those Indians who professed knowledge of Saragarhi.  My curiosity led me to do my own research and discover the battle's significance for myself.

After years of quiet research and much of 2013 spent collating and writing my manuscipt, I'm pleased to be releasing "Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle".

The book is one I'm proud of, it's not my first book but it is the first military history I have written.

I hope you will enjoy it and share the true story of Saragarhi with others - and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.