Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: August 20, 1994.

Pity to start a pretty picture with the cruel topic of racism. This picture is one
highlight in Col. Jauhal’s life. He has said it is the best moment in his life, a
dream come true. How can one mar such a moment, a brave soldier in the company of
a beautiful woman, a reigning Queen?
The glint of medals, the splash of ribbons, a delightful bouquet of pretty
flowers. But indeed we must visit this moment with the pain of ignorance and
racism. See The Queen’s hat? A lovely smart bonnet and she has many and changes
them to suit the day.
See Col, Jauhal’s head gear? This is his life. He does not remove his turban. This
is the dress of the Sikh. This is part of Sikh religion. This is not “changeable”.
Sikhism is the driving force behind his dedication to his Sovereign, his Country
and his family.
Col Jauhal wears 13 medals, including Africa Star with 8th Army clasp, in this
particular picture. Five awarded by the British Government, one by the
International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam and seven by the
Indian Government. He served with the Eighth British Army under Field Marshal
Montgomery in the Middle East Forces during World War II.
He is a gentle man and a gentleman. He is a man of great dignity. He is a humble
man. I have had the pleasure of meeting Col. Jauhal so I can say these things. He
is a man of sincerity and sensitivity.
Col. Jauhal serves his country, his sovereigns: he serves the World and he
continues to serve Sikhism and the Community at large. His daily life continues to
be one of consistent hard work, endeavor and duty and service to Veterans. As a
Sikh. Thus, he found himself at the age of 73, after 39 years of military service,
denied access to a Veterans’ Club, because he is a Sikh who wears a turban.
Fellow Veterans and, I am sad to say, Canadians, worked hard to keep a rule that
one must not, no not ever, must be forbidden to wear head gear of any kind in a
Legion because, in part, one was symbolically in the company of the Queen and
men’s head gear was doffed in the Sovereign’s presence out of respect.
Col Jauhal wore turban into battle, on the field , all the time. He wears it out
of respect to his religious beliefs. He will die with it. And he will be buried
with it. And so he would have died in battle as he fought. With his turban.
The long and the short of it is that the Legion would not back down. As the senior
officer of group of Sikh Veterans who had been invited to that Legion to
commemorate Remembrance Day, November 11, 1993, and denied entry because they wore
turbans, Col Jauhal was compelled to take this matter to task and task he did.
The ensuing controversy exploded within the Community and it went global. In his
own words, he “spared no one”. This went to the Canadian Parliament. This shook
Canada and echoed all over the World. Col Jauhal continued to do his duty as a
soldier, as a Veteran, and all in accordance with the “Charter of Rights and
Freedoms” of Canada and the basic tenets of his religion. This is called service
to God and to Country.
The Legion apologized but that Legion was forever closed because it was decided to
resolve the problem that way in the end.
Now, all of this was disgusting for Col Jauhal, very distressing. He persisted and
over the course of this painful matter, he wrote The Queen with his concerns. And
she responded and a letter from Buckingham Palace was dispatched to the Royal
Canadian Legion with Col Jauhal’s concerns. The Royal Canadian Legion held an
Emergency meeting of its Executive and amended the “dress code” allowing Sikhs
with turbans in all 1720 Legion branches across Canada. Thus, Col Jauhal became a
member of the Cloverdale Legion.
And so it came to pass that one day Col Jauhal came to meet his Queen on a bright
sunny day, for Royal Tea. A pretty lady with a pretty hat, a posy, a gracious
smile and she noted, as pretty women will, the brilliance of the soldier’s medals
and so we see the Soldier and His Queen smiling together. I have another picture
of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Col Jauhal. But for the moment I am going to let
Col Jauhal and Queen Elizabeth shine. It really was their day.
Lt Col Pritam Singh Jauhal (Ret’d)
Phone/Fax: 604-581-9383
E-mail: colpsjauhal@hotmail.com
February 28, 2005