Here are the examples. My two-bits in bold:
As a serving army officer, I never stop marvelling at the gullibility of our countrymen to be provoked with alacrity into virulence in the name of religion. 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 officer 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. How many times have I trooped out of the battalion mandir and, having worn my shoes, entered the battalion church next door? A few years ago it all became simpler -- mandirs, masjids, gurudwars and churches began to share premises all over the army. It saved us the walk.
So, God is not omnipotent and omniscient, but has a) a foot fetish b) is a fitness instructor
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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! On 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.
If there was oneness of god, then there would be no need for an Operation Amarnath.
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On another instance, I remember a commanding officer 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.
Geez, the army has maulvis and pandits? Can people not have their own little holy books they can read from? Would it be the same attitude had a pandit given a sermon about the prophet? Do they also have Catholic priests, Sikh granthis and Buddhist and Jain monks?
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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.
One 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 Khan 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!
Is this secular? If there are no aartis, it would displease the gods? Since they know so much about the working of the mind of gods why don’t they ask the gods (please note the plural…didn’t someone talk about oneness of religion earlier?) to do some jaadu and get the troops on the other side to just disappear?
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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.
Only the armed forces seem to know about such days. Which Peer is being commemorated and for what? To the best of my knowledge, Peer is Monday in Urdu. So, how does Monday appear on Thursday? Civilian Muslims eat meat on all days and those who do not drink will not drink on any day. The rest will continue with their chhota and bara pegs.
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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."
Fine. Nice. Empathy is good anywhere. Have they asked themselves why they have to do what they do? It is better than putting the forehead to the ground and lingering a bit longer.
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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."
So Santa Singh became Santa Claus for the Indian Army. This is his job. Why see it as a special gesture?
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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 Karnail Singh.
"It is Christmas," replied the wiser Naik Gurmeet 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."
Ok, a Sepoy would not know what is Christmas and he is supposed to rattle out the brand names of designer weapons. And a Naik who knows ups his GK quotient and becomes secular because he connects the celebration of something to do with his religion and another. Like taal se taal mila...
I wonder what he would have said if someone asked about the Last Supper. Would he call it temporary reincarnation? Or just say “Rab returning for holy langar”?
Farzana .
ReplyDeletequite impressive .India style secularism is an experiment in it self.
I remember Swami Sarvagatananda ji a monk of the Ramakrishna mission in Boston and Providence who had come to America in 1955 Telling me that he was teacher of Islam in early years at Harvard University. He was the most qualified scholar of Islam in Harvard University at that time.He died about a year ago at 97 years of age.He had studied Islam as part of his work as a monk in Karachi Pakistan.He had stayed behind as the monk of the center in Karachi after the partition of India.Sadly that center was closed under duress later on.I do not think Pakistan has made any effort to let these institutions revive .
In the spirit of secularism the prayer room at the Vedanta center in Providence has sayings from all faiths including Islam on the walls.
kul bhushan
rxri.blogspot.com
Welcome to secularism on the sleeve, fauji ishtyle. Have it or not, but will flaunt it :)
ReplyDeleteFV,
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's ok to be not too cynical. I also know that people like you sit in the comfort of their homes and just carp. Try a bit of service for a change.
Farzana,
ReplyDeleteA larger part of our public media discourse on diversity , especially the faith centric part, (A la Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai) has been particularly shrill. Obsessed, one would say. This particular armed forces officer's discourse is really a part of it and shouldn't be viewed in isolation. Frankly, there is no need for it. Basically, We **are** secular (OK, I am not speaking for Gujarat). Masses have it very well ingrained in them. People with different faiths have been here for quite some time (a couple of centuries, actually). What is so new about it ?
My own sense, perhaps clouded by my mumbaikar identity, is - this shrill has been a result of our own guilt and "newly imported" definitions on Secularism.
Maybe we have really forgotten that our constitution envisaged a secular and - more importantly - atheist state.
Finally, while we are at it and since it is armed forces person that we are discussing - two particularly good instances in popular culture (aka Hindi films) stand out. First one being Govind Nihalani's Vijeta. Another one being Nana Patekar's Prahar . None of these films ever felt burdened to project secular characteristic of our armed forces.
Cheers,
Mahesh.
It was rather interesting for me to read the blog. Thanx for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to this matter. I would like to read more on that blog soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen did this change take place? I only remember big mustache guys having a drink :D
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for a Pakistani to understand secularism.
ReplyDeletefv,
ReplyDeletewhere ever u got this piece of writing from..it looks like an individuals point of view..i wonder why you dripped and wasted your precious sarcasm on the poor guy...
world is really quiet simple..specially far away from mumbai...in the quiet mountains..or in hot deserts...
people actually like to extend courtesies or show their respect in their unique ways...so the incidents quoted are not implausible...one doesn't have to be a blog trotter to be secular...
peer mentioned in the article probably refers to mazars of peer babas which are spread all over the northern India's hinterland...and not to the literary pir day
I am sure official stand taken by army may sounds quiet practical to large number of your readers...
Religion as well as superstition comes naurally to men..in inhospitable areas cut off from the world and death seems just a step away...all one wants is to remain on the right side of gods...whichever religion, sect or color they may belong to...
And yes armed forces have maulvis, granthis, pandits, and priests.. whether they are secular at personal level or not is left for their conscious but official stance doesnt look entirely wrong..
@ Ameya...ignorance is bliss...just wait to see another bollywood movie to change ur mental image of big moustach guys with a drink...:)
It’s the usual…you sit at home and carp. I wonder what service are these people performing with their blindfolds.
ReplyDeleteKul Bhushan:
What they try to do in America is a means of connecting with one’s own people…it works in about the same manner as cuisine. Try a bit from here and a bit from there. This is not Indian but American Indian.
Pune S:
Welcome…I hope you are well even if you are away from here. As more often than not, agreed with what you say.
Mahesh:
This particular armed forces officer's discourse is really a part of it and shouldn't be viewed in isolation.
Absolutely. I do know of people in the forces who do in fact cringe about these attempts. I am not suggesting that the army is exporting such shrillness; it could well be the other way round. And I am afraid this is very likely a cover-up for real feelings, which may not be as honourable. You are right that we are secular, and I would not exclude Gujarat on the basis of Establishment behaviour. Secularism, besides the Constitutional provision, here denotes multi-culturalism. It isn’t like you need to have any emotive reaction to it; it exists and we don’t have a choice. Good for it. And us.
Am glad you mentioned these two films. Vijeta and Prahaar both did not get the accolades they deserved. There has to be a song in some intemperate climate and lots of hugging in different religious ways to get us excited.
Ameya:
This change happened the moment they went and got a shave and became teetotallers…(and Mash will come with a sharp yet subtle razor!). Seriously, it has to do with this resurgence of ancient culture business…when you start on that you have to temper it a bit.
Arjun:
It's hard for a Pakistani to understand secularism.
I can feel your pain.
Mash:
ReplyDeleteIt is a forward and it talks in the first person, but if it has made you take up for it, then my sarcasm was not wasted on one poor guy. Thanks for calling it precious. Heere ko jauhari hi pehechan sakta hai…
Please do not hit out at Mumbai. The quiet mountains have insurgency going on and the hot deserts are used to experiment with nukes. Therefore, are you saying those people are all about getting into this ‘courtesies’ clinch? If you are telling me something about lack of courtesies, then fine. I do not want to possess such courtesies that are superficial…I know I live it and the people who know me are aware of it. I do not know what a ‘blog trotter’ is, but again if it implies those of us who blog and those who respond, then I do not think I have ever made a song and dance of being secular. Quite the contrary, and the reason for that is to show up the farce for what it often is. When I do mention memories of celebrating festivals, it is nostalgia for certain aspects of childhood and celebration.
If the world were all that simple, we would not have unnecessary wars. Differences. Everyday, you read about some case or the other of discrimination.
Okay, the Peer mentioned could well be among many such peers, but why is it so important? Civilians celebrate these saints only on anniversaries.
I am sure official stand taken by army may sounds quiet practical to large number of your readers...
Is there an official stand on how to perform religious festivals in the army? How can you say that these maulvis and pandits may or may not be secular at a personal level and leave it to their consciences? Is this some business? Who can trust such an idea of religion or even secularism? I would not be surprised if readers and others outside would go along with this form of secularism. Life is indeed simple, as you said. Simply enough to not notice the dirt under the carpet or, worse, push the dirt in.
Religion as well as superstition comes naurally to men..in inhospitable areas cut off from the world and death seems just a step away...all one wants is to remain on the right side of gods...whichever religion, sect or color they may belong to...
We have talked about this before and I repeat, it is fine at an individual level. We do not condone many things that come naturally to us, so why do we treat this with kid gloves? I really feel at this level playing with religion as a herd is not the right way to understand and accept ‘others’. What happens to non-believers? (And there are atheists in the armed forces.)
I think I can understand what the officer was talking about. I have seen it happen in hostels or between Indians in counties away from India when they are away from their family and stuff. We have come together and celebrated each others festivals and wished the other like it was our festival. I guess when nobody has family and friends around you begin to empathize with the person who is having to spend his festival or religious occasion away from home.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you were trying to be sarcastic about how someone is talking about secularism when in realty there is none or maybe it was something else. I think I just missed your point.
fv,
ReplyDeleteWe have talked about this before and I repeat, it is fine at an individual level.....
exactly the point i m making..this article has noted certain incidents which individuals who happened to be in armed forces took/said/thought...
their opinions may or may not matter in larger scheme of things...so y be sarcastic about it...
Is there an official stand on how to perform religious festivals in the army?....
officially there r sarv dharm sthals...and a recognition that religion is important while leading and managing large gropus of men..
How can you say that these maulvis and pandits may or may not be secular at a personal level and leave it to their consciences? ....
i m not sure about any individuals personal thoughts....hence i left it to every ones conscience..
Okay, the Peer mentioned could well be among many such peers, but why is it so important? Civilians celebrate these saints only on anniversaries. .....
for me the question is not why is it important....but the fact that it is important for them is important....
Please do not hit out at Mumbai...i m not hittimng out on anyone..i m just pointing out the diffrence in lives and circumstances faced by people at two diffrent places...
I do not want to possess such courtesies that are superficial…....
now on what basis ae u claiming these peoples courtesies to be superficial...u never know they may have genuinely felt so...
in day to day lives we take so many innocuous actions...think a million thoughts...and then...life carries on in its own way....:)
Allow simple people to be just that..simple..:)
Mash:
ReplyDeleteWhen I say it is fine at the individual level and what this fwd conveyed are not the same thing. I am saying it is okay if you or me or anyone believes in a certain faith or practises it privately or in a designated place…I would not feel the need to include you or expect you to include me in that ‘communion’. What this officer was suggesting is that the ‘army’ is secular because of these instances and what you held forth on subsequently was precisely from the POV of the forces, even mentioning it as ‘official’. If they do not “matter in the larger scheme of things”, then why berate me for sarcasm…btw, does asking questions always translate into sarcasm if it is asked with some amount of irreverence? Had I put LOL after the query would it have lessened the sarcy?
…officially there r sarv dharm sthals...and a recognition that religion is important while leading and managing large gropus of men
I completely disagree with the latter part for reasons I have already mentioned. Re. sarv dharm sthals, I am not too sure.
Re. maulvis and pandits, I feel if they do not personally believe in what they are doing then they are being dishonest to their calling, their professions, their gods, and those who are listening to them. I would say this about such people in any sphere of life.
Re. the peer thing, I will let it pass.
Re. Mumbai vs other places, isn’t it cities that are attacked too? Is the army not called in? Not all army men are posted in areas that are hardship ones and religion may not be the only solace, though again as a personal one it may work. I do not see how any institution that represents a secular republic can have an official policy on that. The same applies to political organisations as well. I have said it ever so often that I hate it when political leaders try their festival stunts. The difference is they are doing it for votes; the forces are not.
May I bring in another aspect here? Officers live away from their families for months; it is a known fact that they carry along pornographic material. Would you look on it the same way?
Re superficiality of courtesies, it is the idea, not the people themselves. I do not believe in such superficial courtesies until someone decides to leave it to my conscience. There may be genuine feelings, and they can be anywhere expressed in varied ways for varied reasons (even beneath the heap of sarcasm!) but I do not agree it is innocuous if there is a place where all people have to gather and do the done thing. Would the army tolerate it if an officer refused to participate in one of those secular rituals?
Far be it for me to not allow simple people to be simple. We have seen how simple people have been treated during riots and bomb blasts and their everyday lives because the religions of other simpletons tell them so.
Life carries on on its own
When there are no rains, we feel the need for cloud seeding.
We are at two ends of the spectrum on this subject…it means there must be a rainbow!
Have a happy Sunday.
SM:
I don’t know how you missed the point when you noticed the sarcasm. Anyhow, please do not confuse the Indian armed forces with expat Indians, a point I have already explained in one of the comments.
fv
ReplyDeleteuse of word sarcasm seems to have offended u ..but thats the word which got triggered in mind on reading the article..
we are at two ends of the spectrum...obviously
for me an army has to be army first...rest of the things of so called civil society(definitions of appropriateness keep changing with time)are just incidental....
on the other hand u r trying to fit behavior of armed forces onto ur preconceived ideas.
As far as pornography is concerned..i hope u r not suggesting that porn industry is running coz soldier carry the material...i always maintain army is just part of this society...a small cross section...so all the guds and evils will be present in that much proportion. i hope armys consumption of porn is in proportion with civic society where men live with their families...:)
Of course their is a rainbow..thats the reason i read ur ideas and discuss or argue wen i disagree...my way of paying respect...:)
ps: personally i donot follow the religion the way it is preached or practiced..neither the religious cotractor way nor army way...
Mash:
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the term sarcasm was because it seemed to ignore the points I raised.
If it is the army first for you and civil society is incidental, then you will understand that my preconceived notions were a response to specific examples quoted in the note. It has less to do with the army in general and more to do with how one expects government institutions to be.
I did not suggest that porn survives due to soldiers, but wanted to know if, since you mentioned religion provides solace in intemperate climes, you would see such material in the same manner. This is not to deny the use of porn in civil society where people live with families. Why are you seeking proportionate usage? Did you not say army first?!
I like your way of paying respect. If only all people in the forces used the same yardstick of ladna-jhagadna for religion :)
PS: I ‘follow’ all religions so that I can keep track of them…
fv
ReplyDeletenow u r twisting my words..i said an army has to be an army first and rest of the notions of civic society are incidental...so all actions which needs to be taken to make it a functionally efficient organisations must be taken...living upto somebodies notions comes second...
i didnot miss the point at all..i just disagreed with the point...i guess that is allowed...
i too follow religions under the head of amusement and games people play...:)
Mash:
ReplyDeleteReading your explanation, I did misconstrue the 'army first' bit. The rest of the disagreement remains.
It wasn't about you missing the point but making the sarcasm (form) primary over the content. Of course disagreement is allowed...we have been doing it for the past 81.5 hours :)
(Part 1 of the 2 posts)
ReplyDeleteHi Farzana, here’s my hat in the ring
But before that, some clarity is necessary on the nature of the Indian army. The army is a deeply religious institution, and identifies ‘social religion’ as one of the key components in the troop morale management.
What the Army officer is trying to communicate in his forward is the Hinduised (or better still: a Dharmic) version of ‘Secularism’. This school of secularism is no different from its European counterpart. The point is that Mahesh has misread secularism in India/elsewhere as a constitutional mandate for atheism. This is way off the reality.
Now for some nitpicking:
So, God is not omnipotent and omniscient, but has a) a foot fetish b) is a fitness instructor.
But don’t you think FV that this understanding of God is still better than the interpretation where God is seen as a paranoid pervert. One who is single-mindedly obsessed on jealously concealing the sexual outlines of a female anatomy.
If there was oneness of god, then there would be no need for an Operation Amarnath.
I so agree with you here. But then, that is a wrong tree to bark up to.
‘Operation Amarnath’ is not exercised because Indian Army has a discontinuous understanding of ‘Wahajat-al-Wajood’. It is there because across the border sit a horde of people who propound the fact of ‘My God Versus Your god(s)’. These guys, as you know, believe that you must die if you worship god in ways any different from what they prescribe.
Op Amarnath is there only to ensure that ‘all to his own’ is practised in its true sprit. Pity some people do not understand it.
Geez, the army has maulvis and pandits? Can people not have their own little holy books they can read from? Would it be the same attitude had a pandit given a sermon about the prophet? Do they also have Catholic priests, Sikh granthis and Buddhist and Jain monks?
Since religious congregation is important part of motivation and fraternisation, maulvi’s and pandit’s are necessary. And so are priests and granthis. And yes, the attitude does not differ.
Is this secular? If there are no aartis, it would displease the gods? Since they know so much about the working of the mind of gods why don’t they ask the gods (please note the plural…didn’t someone talk about oneness of religion earlier?) to do some jaadu and get the troops on the other side to just disappear?
The Absence and ensuing reinstatement of aarti had nothing to do with god. It has to do with troop morale management.
Regarding your other eschatological point: belief in ‘Oneness’ of God does not imply that a person is latched from seeing many manifestations of the ‘Same One God’. Insistence to practice belief on your own rigid understanding would be too autocratic and restrictive. Isn’t it?
As for the jaadu query : I think onto the contrary, it will need serious divine intervention to ensure that the other side actually does not disappear.
Only the armed forces seem to know about such days. Which Peer is being commemorated and for what? To the best of my knowledge, Peer is Monday in Urdu. So, how does Monday appear on Thursday? Civilian Muslims eat meat on all days and those who do not drink will not drink on any day. The rest will continue with their chhota and bara pegs.
FV, you know very well that ‘Peer’ also stands for the Muslim holy man. And Niyaaz-khwani for the soul of these bygone holy-men does happen on ‘Jumme-raat’. I am surprised that you are surprised. Or have you discovered the ‘pure version’ flowing in from the dunes of Riyadh to have forgotten the Indian Islam.
The related statement by the Indian army officer was to signify that a predominantly non-Muslim Army of India consecrates the holy day of its Indian muslim comrade in a manner which it would have done for its own. The deal is to not to be muslim on thursdays, but to be ‘good’ hindu-sikh-RC-etc.
Contd……
(Part 2 of the 2 posts)
ReplyDeleteFine. Nice. Empathy is good anywhere. Have they asked themselves why they have to do what they do? It is better than putting the forehead to the ground and lingering a bit longer.
Indian troops indeed question the morality of action he/she has to undertake. And it is only his conviction that gives him the motivation to shoot at the pakis/bad guys. That is the core difference between a Professional Army and a Rogue Army.
So Santa Singh became Santa Claus for the Indian Army. This is his job. Why see it as a special gesture?
Indeed FV that is quite true! Santa singh has always been the Santa Claus of IA. Not just that, he has also been its hanuman, hatim tai, mickey mouse and Rambo. The scoffing of pakis by IA men wasn’t extraordinary. The inclusion of the incident was only to show that even in difficult circumstance, our army folks tend to have a clear understanding between ‘us’ and ‘them’.
But FV, if nobody else, you should have been astonished by this behaviour. For one, it goes against your understanding of human behaviour. Just a couple of posts ago you went into an elaborate subaltern studies to dissect the values of ‘whys’ and ‘whats’ of the shooting outrage committed by Major Nidal. This is when it was clear that the doctor choose fratricidal killing under heavy religious influence.
Finally FV, Indian sepoys certainly don’t know much about many things which you deem as routine. And they are definitely not expected to know of it either. Soldier’s purpose is not to ruminate on issues which a sofa Bolshevik might excel at. But his sophistication in handling some ‘Real cool stuff’ is a hard and dangerous reality.
Hi Amit:
ReplyDeleteMy response will be not as long, since much of what has to be said on my part has been stated.
Although I like the term ‘social religion’, the practice is ritualistic. On what grounds do you say the army is a deeply religious institution? Secularism in the Constitution would not permit for organisations of the state to have a religious ethos, in that they do become atheistic.
It isn’t about a better version of god or worse; it is no version. I was being tongue-in-cheek about the foot fetish etc.
The Amarnath Yatra has been thoroughly politicised, whether by those guys or our guys. When there is a situation of strife, people are expected to exercise prudence. Do look up some of the details.
My views on motivational therapy are different and they are there is the earlier comments.
Re. Oneness of god, I was not making a religious point about same one god but same godliness which can be anywhere and does not need specific places and rituals.
Your jaadu is different from mine.
I don’t know of many people who make a deal about niyaz khwaani on Jumme-raat. I ought to join the army.
Indian troops indeed question the morality of action he/she has to undertake. And it is only his conviction that gives him the motivation to shoot at the pakis/bad guys. That is the core difference between a Professional Army and a Rogue Army.
I don’t know about whether they do, but you sure know the bad guys. It is this politicisation that brainwashes people – civilian and military alike – and prevents most of them from thinking.
Santa Claus does not differentiate between us and them as long as he has someone to coddle in his lap.
Major Nidal, if he chose to kill ONLY under religious influence, was a fool and counter-religious, both. I would therefore like to dissect the Forces from other points of view.
Finally FV, Indian sepoys certainly don’t know much about many things which you deem as routine. And they are definitely not expected to know of it either. Soldier’s purpose is not to ruminate on issues which a sofa Bolshevik might excel at. But his sophistication in handling some ‘Real cool stuff’ is a hard and dangerous reality.
I am not expecting a soldier to know intricate mathematics, just as I do not know and many others don’t. It was about a Sepoy not knowing what Christmas is, which is really a bit off. I mean, here you are holding forth on social religion in the army.
And, yes, why not let the Bolsheviks use their sofas to ruminate, since they excel at it? I’d have preferred a Trotskyite on the trampoline, though.
Thanks for a detailed response.
Amit,
ReplyDeleteSome interesting points you are making here :
You said : "The army is a deeply religious institution, and identifies ‘social religion’ as one of the key components in the troop morale management."
How differently religious is our army from the society itself ? And what makes you conclude that 'social religion' are key components of morale management ? And for which units ? Those at the front ? Those in barracks ? Or those in combat zone ? I would love to see a more detailed account this key component of morale management.
You said : "What the Army officer is trying to communicate in his forward is the Hinduised (or better still: a Dharmic) version of ‘Secularism’. This school of secularism is no different from its European counterpart. The point is that Mahesh has misread secularism in India/elsewhere as a constitutional mandate for atheism. This is way off the reality."
FV has answered this point - my response would be mostly similar.
You said : "Indian troops indeed question the morality of action he/she has to undertake. And it is only his conviction that gives him the motivation to shoot at the pakis/bad guys."
Do you realise the minefield you are getting into here ? Just as an example, our own army was involved in sri-lanka conflict fighting the same LTTE forces it had trained. Did the army acquire wisdom to question morality of actions recently that was missing then ? Does the word mutiny or insubordination make a connection here ? Just asking.
To be sure , I don't expect army to be taking a political stand. The army - as an institution - has mostly been apolitical.
BTW, This is not to be confused with army personnel not having political opinions.
Another thing - not so long back - In Oct. 2005 both the Indian and Pakistani armed forces cooperated wonderfully to provide immediate relief for those affected by earthquake. I am somewhat curious about the conviction to shoot pakis / bad guys. What happened to it then ? Between armed conflicts and skirmishes there have been very very long stretches of peace, albeit little tense, on the border. A silent evidence mostly missed out in the rhetorical stereotyping of Indo-Pak armed forces that constantly expects them to be engaged in conflict. Those deployed at the border and ,more importantly, their families would be more than happy with these long boring stretches of peace.
Cheers,
Mahesh.
P.S.: I may not be accessing this blog frequently next week or two, consequently the response may be irregular and delayed.