NEW DELHI: Defending the move to introduce new ballistic helmets for Sikh soldiers, the government on Friday said the safety of troops deployed in security duties was “paramount” and “all-round protection” was needed for them to tackle the “newer and emerging threats” of warfare.
“Sikh troops battling terrorism have been wearing bullet-proof `patka’ over the cloth `patka’ while maintaining their religious identity. Tank crews of armoured regiments also wear padded communication headgear,” junior defence minister Ajay Bhatt said in a written answer in Lok Sabha, replying to a question from Patiala MP Preneet Kaur.
Similarly, fighter and helicopter pilots of the Indian armed forces have always been wearing helmets over their religious headgear for “heads-up display and communication” in the cockpits, he said.
“Tactical helmets are an integral part of flying gear for combat aircraft operations and protective gear of soldiers against enemy gunfire. All pilots of fighter aircraft and combat helicopters and soldiers deployed in the areas where enemy attacks are anticipated or defending important installations are to wear the full protective gear for personal safety,” Bhatt added.
The defence ministry on January 5 had issued a tender or RFP (request for proposal) for 12,730 ballistic helmets for Sikh troops under emergency procurement through a fast-track procedure.
This had led some Sikh religious and political leaders to strongly oppose the move and contend that wearing helmets instead of the traditional turbans was against the tenets of Sikhism.
The MoD, on its part, had stated that the new helmets will cover the entire head instead of the bullet-proof `patkas’ that Sikh soldiers use to cover only a part of it.
With a “central bulge design”, the olive-green helmets would provide ballistic resistance to bullets fired from close quarters and facilitate unhindered use of handset of communication radio, night-vision devices, personal spectacles and respirators or chemical hoods, the RFP said.