DUTY, FAITH AND THE UNIFORM

Lieutenant Kamalesan's dismissal is not an act of intolerance. It upholds Indian Army's deeper secular tradition, which gives every faith equal dignity and expects officers to honour the beliefs of the men they lead

- LIEUTENANT GENERAL PHILIP CAMPOSE (RETD)

As a veteran who served as an officer in the Indian military for over 40 years, I find the recent case of Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan, a Christian junior officer of the Protestant denomination, whose dismissal from the Indian Army was affirmed recently by the Supreme Court, somewhat perturbing, yet instructive.

He was dismissed from service after being deemed a ‘misfit’ for refusing to enter a ‘regimental gurudwara’ along with his Sikh subordinates, in keeping with an important Army tradition of officers periodically attending prayers with their men. This episode forces us to examine the delicate balance between individual faith and collective duty in the Indian Army, an institution that consists of men and women of all castes, creeds and cultures, and defines itself as ‘secular’ in a deep and profound sense of the word.

Reportedly, Kamalesan insisted that his faith did not allow him ‘worshipping gods other than his own.’ The primary question, therefore, was whether visiting the place of worship of another faith, whether to show respect or in a display of solidarity as in the Army, or to extend support during moments of joy or grief, as many of us are invited to do even in civilian life, was tantamount to being forced to worship ‘other gods.’ Also, whether a military officer of a combat unit who is expected to influence his men positively and motivate them can afford to allow rigid interpretations of personal faith to come in the way of this primary duty.

At first glance, the notion of a secular Army might evoke images of religion being kept strictly private, outside the mess halls and barracks. But in the Indian Army, secularism has never meant exclusion of religious expression. Rather, it means equal respect for all faiths and a willingness, as officers, to embody that respect publicly when leading men of varied religions.