Many faiths, one Army

It is difficult to think of a more secular and pan-Indian institution than the Army, comprising people from every region of the country and every religious tradition within it. It is this braiding of cultures that gives the institution its uniquely distinctive character, its capacity to represent the nation in its entirety, its ability to withstand the ugly communal and regional divides that political interests thrive on. While the police forces have, every now and then, succumbed to the communal mindset, as the involvement of the Provincial Armed Constabulary in the Meerut riots and the Bombay police in the Bombay riots so eloquently demonstrated, the Army has conducted itself in an exemplary manner in this regard. In fact, when riots break out and the civilian systems can no longer stem the atavistic bloodletting on the streets, it has always been the Army that was called in to keep the peace, whether in Bhagalpur or in Bombay or in Delhi.

The recent attempts by political parties to alter the strictlynon-partisan appeal of the armed forces is, therefore, a dangerous trend. The latest reports of the Army suddenly being deluged by rakhis, carrying the motifs of the lotus and the hand, come as further evidence of the desperate ways in which political interests are attempting to ride the 8220;Kargil wave8221;. While the Congress puts up a hoarding hailing the Bofors gun as the ultimate protector of the nation, an overzealous BJP campaigner brings out a jeep modified to look like a tank, complete with firecrackers to provide the right sound effects. The VHP, in particular, has been very enthusiastic about the Raksha Bandhan campaign, with its rakhi-carrying representatives gatecrashing into the office of the Military Intelligence in Delhi, accompanied by photographers to record the moment for posterity. The visitation indicates that this organisation has learnt nothing from the adverse publicity its leaders received for foisting copies of Ramcharitmanas on soldiers recuperating in a Delhi hospital last week.These sudden displays of affection for the armed forces smack not just of insincerity but cynicism of the worst kind. Chief of Army Staff V.P. Malik was even constrained to issue a public statement politely requesting people to leave the Army alone.

It is important that his message is heard, and not just for electoral reasons. Anyone who has served in the Army can vouchsafe for the manner in which all faiths are followed with equal devotion within it. Mantras and hymns, the Koran and the Gita, they are all sources of inspiration to these men who have to kill and be killed in the course of duty. In some regiments, like the Jamp;K Light Infantry, the Ramzan fast is observed; in others, like the Assam Rifles, Dussehra is a festival that is celebrated with great verve by everyone. Sometimes, if the need arises, new gods are created. Indian paratroopers, whatever the religious tradition they come from, may cry 8220;Chhatri Mata di jai8221; before every jump. To try and alter this delicate balance of faith and harmony isto destroy the unity that has to necessarily undergird an efficient fighting force. Therefore political animals of all hues must once again be firmly told to leave the Army alone.