What is my Religion in Uniform?

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Indian Armed Forces show the importance of secular values in India. Military officers play an important role in motivating and leading soldiers in wars against adversaries, despite their religious affiliations. It is a model to end communal activities in politics, and bureaucracy to lead the world in secular democratic values.

What is My Religion?

As military officers leading soldiers under command to combat and destroy and kill the enemy, what is the religion of its officers to motivate and lead soldiers in war(s) against adversaries? The war cries like ‘Kalika Mata ki Jai, Jai Badri Vishal’ Ayo Gorkhali, Dada Krishan ki Jai, Bharat Mata ki Jai, Bole So Nihal’ and so on stir the souls of all ranks to charge the enemy with valour, unafraid of death or injuries for sure triumph. Officer by birth may be devout Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, any other faith, or even an atheist, BUT what is his religion in his unit where he has pledged to fight for our country’s security, safety, honour and integrity? Will our all ranks from tribal communities not kill or destroy the Naxalites, or being Muslims, NOT kill and destroy Pakistanis or its supported Lashkars and terrorists attacking our security, safety, sovereignty, and integrity? All faiths in our armed forces amicably destroyed northeast insurgents mostly Christians, Muslim terrorists from across the border, Naxalites both tribals and Hindus with minimum loss of lives, property, and infrastructure irrespective of their religious faiths, thus upholding our national integration and secular values.

The Institute of National Integration (INI), Pune

The only unique training establishment of the Indian Army ‘The Institute of National Integration (INI), Pune’ trains religious teachers (RTs) from different faiths who serve with Army units and formations across the country in various aspects of junior leadership by exposing them to spiritual, philosophical and psychological facets of religion and training them to be mentors and counsellors for the soldiers of the Indian Army. They also perform the multi-dimensional role of Yoga instructors, psychological gatekeepers, mitigators of lifestyle diseases, experts of resource optimisation, and promoters of national integration and religious harmony. They motivate all ranks to fight their enemies optimising combat effectiveness in our secular Army also equally being followed both in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy (IN). In the mixed military units where troops are from numerous faiths, concept of ‘Sarv Dharm Sthals’ meet troops above needs.

As soldiers and more so as officers, our religion is the religion of our troops we command and lead with secular values. Though born and brought up like a liberal Arya Samaji by my parents, my religion in my Kumaoni and Ahir troops units was to protect Lords Ram, Krishan, Hanuman, and Kalika Mata and our secular values. My religion was religion of my troops and my olive green (OG) uniform. While serving in the Assam Rifles for 4 years, I regularly attended sermons in the unit Church and Mandir on their respective functions with same devotion and faith.

In units having Mandir and Gurudwara, there is healthy competition amongst sub units to prepare best Halwa Prasad in Mandir and Kada Prasad and Guru Ka Langar in Gurudwara on their respective auspicious days, further strengthening spirituality and esprit-de-corps amongst the troops. This aspect was worth emulating in our Regimental Centre in Ranikhet where we have Mandir, Gurudwara and Church located close by so also in the Assam Rifles Training Centre, Dimapur with Church and Temple located close by and 13 Grenadiers with a Mosque and Temple around and all visited by me!

In 1984, during anti-reservation cum communal riots in Gujarat, I was commanding my Battalion deployed in the walled city of Ahmedabad on internal security (IS) duties. Our General Officer Commanding (GOC) was the late Maj Gen Afsir Karim, AVSM who was amongst the best military commanders, with the highest integrity and professionalism of his time. A thorough gentleman who believed in fair play, once in the walled city was addressing a peace committee consisting of Hindus and Muslims and questioned by a man stating, ‘Sir aap Muslim ho, to aap Muslims ko support karogey’ (Sir, you are Muslim and you will support Muslims) or words to that effect. Touching his uniform, the general replied to him amidst much clapping that his vardi (uniform) was his religion that motivates him for justice and fair play as a country’s citizen donning the OG uniform fighting our adversaries, terrorists, and anti-national elements (ANEs) to safeguard our freedom and national integrity. The crowd was spell bound and clapped vigorously and that indeed generated confidence amongst all citizens/residents and overwhelming confidence to return to peace that they totally lacked in the local police, Home Guards and administration.

In many of our units, troops are from multiple faiths. In these units, lately, ‘Sarv Dharm Sthals’ have been established to address spiritual and religious needs of the troops. Sunday religious ceremonies and festivals of troops’ of various faiths are properly organized and attended by all ranks. My Adjutant, Capt Bobby Mathew (later Lt Gen and COR), a devout Roman Catholic often with a twinkle in his eyes, reminded me of the Sunday morning Mandir parade and singing bhajans strength 5 with spontaneous vigorous and rhythmic clapping. I also vividly recollect once in Barmer attending Eid prayers in 13 Grenadiers Mosque with all ranks followed by festivities enjoying ‘sheer khorma’ or ‘seviyan’ delicacy and every year addressing Christmas and New Year prayer meetings and cutting and enjoying  rich, dense cakes made with chocolate, cream, dried fruits and nuts, often soaked in alcohol, during my 4 years long tenure in the Assam Rifles Training Centre Church; notwithstanding attending Mandir parades in the Temple too regularly on religious festivals and Sundays/holidays. We all attended functions of the Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and tribals in this elite force with equal fervor. Since in our Kumaon Regimental Centre (KRC), the Naga and other recruits from the northeast are also trained, we similarly attended their functions in Church.  In all mixed units in our armed forces, the spiritual and religious needs of all ranks are addressed in ‘Sarv Dharm Sthals’ in most secular manner where everyone participates willingly, thus strengthening group cohesiveness so very essential for maintaining high morale, motivation and combat effectiveness.

I really appreciated that the then UK’s Hindu Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak, who, in his official capacity, protects the monarchy and the country’s Protestant Christian religion, but in his private and personal life is a devout Hindu. We need to learn and keep our personal and private lives within ethical, cultural and societal norms. Fortunately, in the armed forces we learn to live, love and respect all religions, languages, dialects and communities.

Jai Hind.

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