British Sikh soldier's promotion within UK Army ranks makes waves on social media

London: A British Sikh soldier's promotion within the UK Army ranks has become a social media sensation after the news posted by his proud wife attracted thousands of messages and comments.

Corporal Chamandeep Singh, a Punjab-born soldier in the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) of the British Army, attended a military school in India for 12 years.

During this period, he read about another Indian soldier, Havildar Major Rajinder Singh Dhatt, and his heroic involvement in the Burma campaign of World War II.

The story of this Sikh war veteran, along with Singh's own father having served in the Indian Army, inspired him to move to the UK and join the British Army.

He is now a Twitter sensation after his wife, Ceese Kaur Seera, posted the news of his promotion earlier this month, which attracted over 7,300 likes and 500 retweets and comments. The person who has supported me throughout my journey is my wife, Ceese, said Cpl Singh, who has been amazed by the worldwide response, including from India.

I just couldn't believe how many people from all around the world shared and commented on her tweet; it made me feel so proud to be a Sikh soldier and serve this country, he said.

His wife herself works in a challenging role, as a Forensic Scene Investigations Officer, and is also the National Lead for the National Sikh Police Association. We support each other by having a mutual understanding that is built on teamwork and trust. I am always incredibly proud of my husband's achievements and getting promoted is a huge deal to any soldier, but as a Sikh, it's so wonderful for our community to see soldiers going up the ranks and achieving so much, said Ceese Kaur Seera.