Indain Govt De-culturalizing Military

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>bjpnews

>bjp-l (BJP Discussion Group)

>vaidika1008

>[bJP News] Govt must stop playing with the army

>Tue, 7 Sep 2004 07:24:16 -0500

>

>Press Release

>August 31, 2004

>

>Government Must Stop Playing With The Army

>

>‘Overseas Friends of Bharateey Janata Party' (OFBJP-USA) is deeply

>concerned to

>learn from the Press reports about the Indian government’s instructions to

>the

>Army officers. It has been reported that the instructions strictly forbid

>religious symbols like vibhuti, tilaks, birthstone rings or bracelets.

>Devotional music, sacred threads and statues of deities have also been

>prohibited. Women officers cannot wear ear studs, and sindoor will be

>allowed

>only if a beret or peak cap covers it.

>

>All this, according to the government, is an effort to ensure that the

>Indian

>Army's secular credentials are not questioned. The government must clarify

>as

>to who has questioned the Indian Army's ‘secular credentials’. There is no

>apparent reason why one would question that, and for what. In spite of the

>officers wearing so-called ‘religious’ symbols, there are no reports that

>the

>Army showed any sign of fundamentalism, lack of objectivity and fairness.

>Does

>the government want to prevent the officers to practise something that has

>been

>an integrated part of their upbringing, culture and identity?

>

>The government should distinguish between the normal religious commitment

>of a

>person and the distorted religious interpretation of a fundamentalist.

>Various

>regiments of the Army have different battle cries, such as, "Bole So Nihal,

>Sat

>Sri Akal" ("He who cries God is Truth, is ever happy") for the Sikh

>soldiers of

>Punjab regiment. Bihar Regiment is used to "Jai Bajrang Bali" ("Victory to

>Lord

>Hanuman") and "Birsa Munda Ki Jai" ("Victory to Birsa Munda"). Are these

>battle cries non-secular? The freedom fight in 1857 saw en masse revolt of

>the

>Hindu and Muslim soldiers. In 1984, India faced an unprecedented revolt of

>the

>Sikhs. Both of these events were born out of a deep sense of hurt to

>religious

>feelings. Are we going to forget this history and repeat the mistakes of

>the

>past?

>

>Will Sikh officers have to abandon iron bracelet (kada) and ceremonial

>dagger

>(kirpan)? The Prime Minister, who himself is a Sikh and follows the

>practice,

>should explain. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was used by the Congress

>to

>gain political mileage by saying that Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her ‘maang ka

>sindoor’. OFBJP demands explanation from Sonia as to what right she has to

>play with the feelings of hundreds of women officers, for whom wearing a

>bindi

>and sindoor is a sacred practice.

>

>While performing their duty, the soldiers are facing danger and death. It

>is

>common knowledge and experience that most of the people would remember God

>when

>faced by danger and death. That is a universal formula. It is a pity that

>the

>government does not want to understand this.

>

>The instructions are specifically to target Hindu officers and soldiers.

>The

>rag-tag anti-Hindu coalition government at the center is playing with the

>cultural sensitivity of the people. We will not allow such moves that

>adversely

>affect one of India's most important institutions - the Army. OFBJP

>strongly

>protests the government’s intentions, and appeals to the government to

>withdraw

>the instructions. The government must stop playing with the Army.

>

>Issued by,

>

>S.Vemuri

>President

>

>

>

>

>-------------------------------

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>

>

 

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