Secularism in the Army

As a former Army 0fficer, I never stop marveling at the gullibility of our
countrymen to be provoked with alacrity into virulence in the name of
religion and regionalism. I have never heard the word ’secular’ during all
my service — and yet, the simple things that are done simply in the army
make it appear like an island of sanity in a sea of hatred.

In the Army, each 0fficer identifies with the religion of his troops. In
regiments where the soldiers are from more than one religion, the officers
– and indeed all jawans attend the weekly religious prayers of all the
faiths. In earlier days how many times have I trooped out of the battalion
mandir and, having worn my shoes, entered the battalion church or, taking
them off again, entered the Gurudwara next door? A few years ago it all
became simpler — Mandirs, Masjids, Gurudwars and Churches began to share
premises all over the army, and named Dharamsthan or Sarvadharamsthal. It
saved us the walk.

Perhaps it is so because the Army genuinely believes in two central ‘truths’
– oneness of God and victory in operations. Both are so sacred we cannot
nitpick and question the basics.

In fact, sometimes the army mixes up the two! 0n a visit to the holy cave at
Amarnath a few years ago I saw a plaque mounted on the side of the hill by a
battalion that had once guarded the annual Yatra. It said, ‘Best wishes from
-….- battalion. Deployed for Operation Amarnath.

On another instance, I remember a Commanding 0fficer ordered the battalion
Maulaviji to conduct the proceedings of Janamashtmi prayers because the
panditji had to proceed on leave on compassionate grounds. No eyebrows were
raised. It was the most rousing and best-prepared sermon on Lord Krishna I
have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

On the Line of Control, a company of Khemkhani Muslim soldiers replaced a
Dogra battalion. Over the next few days, the post was shelled heavily by
Pakistanis, and there were a few non-fatal casualties. 0ne day, the junior
commissioned officer of the company, Subedar Sarwar Khan walked up to the
company commander Major Sharma and said, “Sahib, ever since the Dogras left,
the mandir has been shut. Why don’t you open it once every evening and do
aarti? Why are we displeasing the Gods?”

Major Sharma shamefacedly confessed he did not know all the words of the
aarti. Subedar Sarwar went away and that night, huddled over the radio set
under a weak lantern light, painstakingly took down the words of the aarti
from the post of another battalion!

How many of us know that along the entire border with Pakistan, our troops
abstain from alcohol and non-vegetarian food on all Thursdays? The reason:
It is called the Peer day — essentially a day of religious significance for
the Muslims.

In 1984, after Operation Bluestar there was anguish in the Sikh community
over the desecration of the holiest of their shrines. Some of this anger and
hurt was visible in the Army too.

I remember the first Sikh festival days after the event — the number of
army personnel of every religious denomination that thronged the regimental
Gurudwara of the nearest Sikh battalion was the largest I had seen. I
distinctly remember each officer and soldier who put his forehead to the
ground to pay obeisance appeared to linger just a wee bit longer than usual.
Was I imagining this? I do not think so. There was that empathy and caring
implicit in the quality of the gesture that appeared to say, “You are hurt
and we all understand.”

We were deployed on the Line of Control those days. Soon after the news of
disaffection among a small section of Sikh troops was broadcast on the BBC,
Pakistani troops deployed opposite the Sikh battalion yelled across to
express their ’solidarity’ with the Sikhs.

The Sikh havildar shouted back that the Pakistanis had better not harbour
any wrong notions. “If you dare move towards this post, we will mow you
down.”

Finally, a real — and true — gem….

Two boys of a Sikh regiment battalion were overheard discussing this a day
before Christmas.

“Why are we having a holiday tomorrow?” asked Sepoy Singh.

“It is Christmas,” replied the wiser Naik Singh.

“But what is Christmas?”

“Christmas,” replied Naik Singh, with his eyes half shut in reverence and
hands in a spontaneous prayer-clasp, “is the Guruparb of the Christians.” !!