[Hunter3077]

When I was a first termer in NDA (not the political one; this is the far more prestigious National Defence Academy), I overheard two Drill Ustaad speaking to each other about the new Colonel Training of the academy. "Madrassi hai, pata nahi kya kya changes ho jayega training mei", one of them mumbled in a forlorn tone. Being a South Indian myself, I wondered why this particular emphasis on the Officers’ regional base was to be discussed. I soon forgot about it, caught up with the hectic routine of the academy. One day, while being seated in the academy, I saw a smartly turned out Sikh Colonel striding on to the stage to address the cadets. I shot a quick question to my neighbour, "Who's he?" I got a response in return, "Colonel Training". "No way, the Colonel Training is a Madrassi, not a Sikh officer," I said in all my confident and smug tone. "Yes, you fool. He is a Madrassi - he belongs to the Madras Regiment". My smugness made a quick exit and I learned a lesson that day. An officer's religion is that of his men. Period.

That day, and the 18 years that have followed, I saw not one reason to believe otherwise. Religious beliefs in the Army have fierce rooting. Men kill and die on the war cries of Gods and Goddesses. It is what keeps them bonded, glued and motivated. It is what makes them believe that they are being looked after. In this overall scheme of things, a leader's role is nothing less than the link between the deity and the man on the ground. A 'Bihari' may well be a Coorgi from Karnataka and a 'JAT' may be a Mallu from Kerala. It is the Regiment that matters, not the origins. Terms like 'Pahadi', 'Pandit', 'Tambi' are terms that are used with pride and dignity, not otherwise.

As a young Gun Position Officer, when for the first time, we were poised for live firing in the Rajasthan Ranges, I stood with all others for the Aarti that is performed before the Guns would start firing. In all the ensuing chants of 'Om Jai Jagadish Hare,' I remained mum, not once uttering a single line of the hymn. After the Aarti ended and the Pandit offered the Prasaad, I again refused to partake of it. Later, when the men dispersed to get ready for the firing, our Second in Command (2ic) got hold of me and questioned me as to why I did not participate in the Aarti wholeheartedly. I told him that I was a non-believer and did not intend taking part in the religious act. He looked at me long and hard, and with all his restraint, he told me that it doesn't matter one bit whether I believed or not, it is a parade and I will bloody well sing the bhajan and consume the Prasaad. I mumbled a defiant acceptance but only later realised that it does matter whether one participates or not. The man who believes, cannot be discouraged by a leader who doesn't. It is a Parade and it is supposed to be done with all sincerity. The 2ic, by the way, was a Christian.

As a Captain with 3 years of service, I was posted in Drass and for a long time, I was the convoy commander between Drass and Sonamarg. Those who have negotiated the Zozi La would recollect the prominent Captain's Mor where Captain HC Vadera of the MADRAS Sappers gave up his life during a road widening work in 1954. The Captain's Memorial is a permanent pit stop for every vehicle that crosses the Pass. It is considered an ill omen if one passes the point without paying obeisance. It didn't matter if I believed or not. As the Convoy Commander, I had to believe; there was no option or choice. There are similar cases of Harbhajan Baba, Jaswant Memorial and many more in every nook and corner of the country. These are the things that matter to the simple military man/woman. One cannot ignore these in the larger interest.

For a large part of my unit life, my buddy was a guy called Mohammad Jabir, fondly called as Javed at home. He was fiercely religious and followed all religious procedures diligently. He was a young recruit and had certain inhibitions in being a 'buddy'. I did not ask him to do anything that he wasn't comfortable doing. In a short time, we developed a unique bond which was based on mutual respect. He used to do tasks for me out of his interest without any external prodding. Not only that, but he was also a good professional soldier who knew his tasks on the Gun well and took a keen interest in Unit activities in addition to being a fantastic Boxer and sportsman. Every day with Javed was learning. He was a storehouse of knowledge. My Father coined the term ‘Hanuman’ for him. He was like that. No task was impossible and nothing was less than 100%. He was part of the family. Need I mention that not once did it occur to us that as per the social norms, we were at two extreme ends of the spectrum? A South Indian Brahmin family and a North Indian Muslim. There simply is no place for religious biases or prejudices in the Indian Army.

There was an occasion when we were posted in Delhi and were allotted a spanking new flat as accommodation. I was tired of staying in the guestroom and was keen on shifting into the house immediately. My wife was then out of the station and not likely to get back any time sooner. Initially, Javed tried to delay the shifting by giving reasons that the house was being handed over slowly. Thereafter he started giving flimsy reasons amounting to much more delay. When I finally confronted him on what was happening, he gave me a sheepish answer that we were waiting for the auspicious day to shift into the new house! My wife and Javed were in constant discussion on this so-called auspicious time. Eventually, it did happen and he completed the ritual by boiling milk in a new pot until it boiled over the sides to symbolize an abundance of prosperity and food to bless the new home as per the Hindu rituals. Only then was I allowed to set foot into the house!

Javed was with me through thick and thin. He was there when I picked up my little one in my arms; he was there when we had a marriage in the family and he was also there alongside me, bearing the the mortal remains of my Father and when I lit the funeral pyre while I was emotionally drained and was down and out. Religion cannot superimpose itself on humanity or the soldierly bonhomie. Never.

Most common sights that one would encounter in a Fauzi religious ceremonies would be that of a Sikh/Muslim/Christian Commanding officer or Subedar Major performing the regimental Hawan and Aarti on religious occasion; people of all faith come together in devotion under a common roof called Sarv Dharm Sthal; singing their hearts out in Aarti or Ardaas. These are not some special sights. These are some of the most common ones which do not even need a second glance or be mentioned especially since the fabric of the Indian Army is so interwoven with acceptance of all religions and beliefs. There is simply no room for bias or favouritism.

Photo Credit - Swapnil

It is very important to follow religious practices and beliefs in the army. Simply because a Soldier needs to repose his faith in a Superior Being. It is that belief in the Almighty that assures him that no harm will come his or his Paltan's way. It is that hope which consoles him that even if something were to happen to him, his family will be taken care of. And it is the same belief that gives him confidence of victory in the battle field, however impossible the odds are. It is essential that the hope and belief remain unadulterated and regular gatherings in the Sarv Dharm Sthal be organised to keep the flame of their faith burning. A notable dialogue of the Protagonist from the Hindi Movie 'PK' goes thus - "Till the time I believed in the existence of God, I had hope of finding my Remote. The day I concluded that there is no God, I lost my hope". Succinct and precise.

An officer has a massive responsibility. As was evident in my earlier examples, dealing with a multitude of faiths and beliefs, it is a sensitive and delicate balance that has to be ensured. Years of peaceful coexistence preclude any undesirable situation from erupting but as an officer, this balance must be maintained at all costs. The boat should not be rocked, least of all by an officer himself. I have realized that what works best for every individual is to keep their strong beliefs to themselves and not give them air. Each individual has the freedom to practice their religion but being part of an organization like the Armed forces, individual choices mustn't clutter the environment. At no cost should personal preferences come in the way of discharging official responsibilities. If the men under us are different colours and flavours, we are the Blender. And on that note, Heave Ho!

[V.Narayan]

Thank you for this beautiful piece of prose on tolerance and acceptance and willingness to see all as Indians first and last. As a child of the Armed Forces I can identify with this ethos completely. Left to themselves most Indians won't be as parochial as we have become driven by political parties that emphasize religion, caste and State son of the soil philosophies. Thank God one institution in the country stands up for what is right.

[wanderernomad]

Very well written and spoken truly. Fauz way of life is how we all should live and not be restricted by petty narrow visions. Many of our Units are comprising of Coys from different "tribes" Dogras mixed with Gurjars or Sikhs or Rajputs. Yet they all live and work like one. I remember a time when during a CI contact while rushing out forgot to do the traditional aarti. It was only a few kms into the March seeing the sullen and dejected faces, was the question poped. Needless to say how the next 10 mins were spent. Did I add that the CHM was a muslim?
Fauz is about Men and believe me Men r never about religion.

[WhiteSierra]

Great post, Thank you for your service sir. We have Army men in our family too. My paternal grandfather was a Doctor in British - Indian army during world war-2. He was posted as a medical officer in Italy during Battle for monte cassino. He had his army gun too. There were all sects of people in British Indian army. Not just Indians, he worked with allied forces, that brings a lot of cultural exchange there. He was also briefly posted in Northern Africa. There were malaria and other deadly diseases (as per those times) prevalent during war. My grandfather of course treated all of them alike. He always used to tell my dad that humanity always comes first before anything. This is a picture of his with his fellow army men in WW-2.



Sorry for poor picture quality. This is all what I have. There are other pictures too in our ancestral home, when I get a chance to go there next time I will scan them properly.


My uncle was a Brigadier in Indian Army during Kargil war in 1999. He was posted in ammunition supplies on site. He was a paratrooper commander before. He did around 56 Para landings on very high altitude rough terrains in his career. He told that he did not loose a hindu or a muslim or a christian or a sikh but an Indian brother during war. He still is in contact with many of his compatriots and wishes them regularly on their festivals. He says, out of all fanaticisms (Caste, Region, Religion, Favorite movie star, etc), fanaticism to ones own country i.e., Patriotism is greatest.

This is him in one of his Para landings.




India is world's largest and greatest democracy with different languages, dialects, states, castes and creeds. We are a great nation with many different things but still united as one. I salute Indian Army, Navy and Airforce for their selfless services and for protecting our great nation's integrity from all external enemies. No religion, region or any kind of mad fanaticism can separate the people of India.

[ABHI_1512]

Lovely post, wish this post was read by every one and everybody in our country and outside. The defence forces are the last bastion where everyone is treated same irrespective of other parameters. The times we are living in desperately needs write up like these to be in the public domain. The essence of the whole country can be summed up in your write up and for that, thank you

[GTO]

Mod Note: Many thanks for sharing! Thread moved to the Shifting Gears forum.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

An officer's religion is that of his men. Period.

Lovely post! And extremely informative! Coming from a south-Indian family (inspite of) having a Navy officer in the ranks, the levels of ignorance about the armed forces and its unique nuances within the family is at times very unusual.

So if you wouldn't mind helping out answering a few queries and ignoring the stupidity / wrong notions if any of the questions turn out so, here's a few from my side.

1. I have heard/read of similar experiences from other army folks on and off the forum in the past, but never in the context of the Navy or the Air Force. Is this 'brotherhood' (for lack of a better term) more seen within the Army or does the Navy and Air Force too have similar situations?
2. How does the camaraderie work between the three divisions of the armed forces - while at duty and off-duty? To be honest - I have never seen or heard of different division based personnel mixing up as much as they do within each division. This is even personified in movies and series
3. How does the assignment happen to each regiment? Is it by virtue of some assessment (e.g. based on capability/domicile/etc.) or does one apply for a particular regiment? To extend that question with an example, would the Madras regiment be having a majority of Tamilians/south-indians?
4. How true are the issues shown in movies like 'Shaurya' and 'A Few Good Men'? In a world that is seemingly getting divided into 'pockets', how much of that a real problem in the current world of armed forces? If observed on the ground, how is it mitigated?
   

[SmartCat]

When Apache helicopter gunship was inducted into IAF, the aircraft was blessed by priests from all major religions

[Sanjivvohra]

Lovely post, Hunter! Being an alumni of NDA (the institute, not the political alliance!) and having served across the length and breadth of India, I can definitely understand your post. As a Sikh commissioned in the Madras Regiment, my 'war cry' is still "Veera Madrassi, Adi Kollu, Adi Kollu" though it has been more than 15 years since I hung up my uniform after 20 glorious years of serving.

The Armed Forces are still maintaining the ethos that have stood the test of time and my salute to the current lot of officers for ensuring the bedrock of ethos is not diluted. Jai Hind!

In the corporate world, I have seen a special bond between ex armed forces people, regardless of the country they served. They respect the ethos of fair play, forthright views and discipline that the armed forces ingrain in your psyche. It didn't take more than a meeting of a few minutes for each to identify the other! Amazing!

[rj22]

Great thread sir!

I joined the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune last year as a medical cadet, and having no fauji background whatsoever, I was astounded to see the diversity and lack of religious divisions in the college.

We celebrate all the festivals as though they were our own, be it Onam, Durga Puja, or Diwali (I had no idea as to how the first two were celebrated before this )

Really looking forward to being a part of this wonderful organization.

[InsaneSpeed]

This is absolutely brilliant!! The thoughts are well echoed in every word you have written. These are the beliefs that are instilled in every soldier irrespective of his caste and creed.My uncle retired from the Army as a Lt.Colonel and his son (my cousin) is now with the NSG. It was a indeed a proud moment for us to witness his passing out parade from OTA, Chennai. My Uncle had participated in numerous counter insurgency operations while posted J&K and every time he would mention that there is The Almighty and His Men who has his back always. That's what kept him going always.

[chennai-indian]

Beautifully written. I have family in the army and have been to army bases many times and have seen the Sarv Dharm Sthals.

[vamsi.kona]

I don't have much to add apart from thanking you for this wonderful post and all the men/women out there in the uniform who have made such a thread possible. I heard many times that a soldier's willingness to give away his life may not be coming from patriotism alone but from the brotherhood for his/her fellow group members and the commanding officer. Also the war cry of every regiment might be like a dose of extra energy. Does every regiment has it's own war cry or some of them don't have?

[ishlinea7260]

Great thread Hunter!
As a proud grandson of an Indian Army soldier I can understand your post .
In my 10 years of studying in Army School I made many lifelong friends from all corners of the country.Many went on to join NDA while I chose a civilian life.
The only religious discussions we had were on Ramayana and Budhchartitra because they were a part of our Hindi syllabus.
At recess it didn't matter if you were an officer's son or a son of a Subedar you sat down together and had lunch.
At that time none of us gave any importance to religion,maybe that's because of lack of smartphones and fake news.

[Mik]

This is so beautiful!
I grew up on a smattering of Army Schools and Convents depending on papa's
peace/field posting (Bihar Regiment Infantry colonel who managed to serve in all the hotspots in late 80s and 90s). All religions were celebrated and the Sarv Dharm Sthal was a proud reminder of what our freedom frighters imagined India to be.
Did my college from Army Institute of Technology and the melting pot of all cultures that the Army is - continued.
Post that, the 'civil life' (apologies for the cliche) was a bit of a shock.

I wish all country-men learn from what the Army practices - day in day out.