Defy temple code amp; incur God8217;s wrath

SRINAGAR, JULY 1: It was in September last year. The jawans of Special Security Board SSB were on their way to Baramulla town for electi...

SRINAGAR, JULY 1: It was in September last year. The jawans of Special Security Board SSB were on their way to Baramulla town for election duty. Metres before their vehicles were to cross a particular point, a big bang occurred. One of the vehicles was blown into smithereens. But all the passengers had a miraculous escape, receiving only minor injuries.

For mediamen and security agencies who were keeping tab over the elections, this blast was just another militant bid to foil the election process in the Valley. But for the SSB survivors, it was a sort of 8220;warning8221; from God for defying the code of conduct: residing inside the temple premises and taking non-vegetarian meals.

The night before leaving for their election duty, the SSB company personnel, for the first time after taking charge of the temple, had chicken 8212; the food jawans from Assam most relish 8212; for dinner inside the temple premises.

But after the blast occurred, they turned into complete vegetarians and have meat only on rare occasions.

One of the SSB jawans gave the reason for this turnaround. He said that before handing over charge of guarding the temple, jawans from the outgoing CRPF platoon had advised them to refrain from consumption of liquor and meat while they were guarding the premises.

8220;When one among us had ruled out their advice as orthodox, they told us we would realise our folly only when we suffered. But after having a close brush with death, their words started tinkling in our ears. All of us realised the blunder we had committed by going against their advice not to eat meat in this house of Lord,8221; remarked M A Das, assistant incharge commander of the 65 Bn of SSB.

This fear of getting killed has made security forces and jawans guarding temples in the Valley keep away from meat and liquor. Coincidentally, almost every platoon of the paramilitary forces guarding the temples here, at one time or another, underwent such situations and it has played a crucial role in turning die-hard meat-eaters to vegetarians.

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Jawans say that every time such incidents have occurred, they have done something 8220;wrong8221; taken meat or liquor inside temple.

Such as the time when one of the jawans of 11 Bn of BSF was put up at the Swamiji ka Mandir in Ishber. Before leaving for routine patrolling, he had two pegs of whiskey from a bottle he had smuggled in.

Once he was on patrol, militants struck hurling a grenade on the passing security Gypsy in an otherwise peaceful area. The grenade missed the target and landed near the jawan8217;s feet, but did not explode.

8220;I realised that God has given me new life. How can I go against the his preachings. This is the message I conveyed to other colleagues,8221; the jawan said.

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Inspector General of CRPF, Kashmir range, P C Joshi said normally they send vegetarians for temple guarding duty, but naturally, this is not possible everytime.

8220;Earlier, we used to feel tired, our limbs used to ache and we could sleep without having some rum. But today, after putting up in temple for several days, we have learnt how to cope with this problem,8221; said Ram Nath of 11 Bn of BSF, posted in the Ishber Ashram.

The jawans, after completing duty, go for a bath and then meditate inside the temple. They feel this helps them cope with daily stress and become quot;good human beingsquot;.

A senior BSF official, incharge of downtown Srinagar, informed this correspondent that they have hardly received any complaints of excesses by the troops in the area. 8220;What lessons on human rights cannot do, I feel the guarding of temple has done,8221; he said. They, indeed, have learnt the hard way.