November 8, 2008 by Deepak
Vikas had traced the history of the Malegaon blasts accused in an earlier story. That blogpost ended with a very pertinent question about the public image of the Indian Army. While the answer to that question lies in the realm of the future, the events related to involvement of certain Army Officers in terrorism have grabbed the headlines in the mainstream media.
Most of these stories are asking one big question— whether the secular fabric of the Indian Army has been eroded. For many service officers and veterans, this event unfolds at an inopportune time, when the three service chiefs are battling hard to restore the status of their officers.
An article appearing in Rediff.com attempts to get into the DNA of this undesirable happening.
The arrest of Lieutenant Colonel Purohit in connection with the Malegaon blasts has come as a shock because it involves a man from the defence forces.
Major O A M Tims, who was secretary to Field Marshal K M Cariappa, says that there is a perception that everyone in the army lives together in harmony. “While on the surface it appears so, below the surface there is this hatred among communities which is growing. This trend has been around since the 1980s and here I want to quote what my commanding officer had to say on this trend. He had said that if such a trend continues in the army where communal hatred is growing, I am sure that there will not be an India very soon.”
Major Tims said that the arrest of Purohit was shocking but deep down he realised that this was something that was waiting to happen. “There is a general perception that the continuous battle with both Pakistan and Bangladesh has made several persons within the army communal, which is not at all true. We have been in war with Pakistan since 1948, but when we fight them there is no such thing as Hindus and Muslims. It is just another enemy country,” Tims said.
“However the secular fabric of the army has started to erode thanks largely to the political equations in the country. Politics is being mixed with the army. There have also been instances of close contacts between some army personnel and politicians, which has contributed to the change in mindset, which in turn has turned them communal,” Tims said.
“In my opinion there are two factors that may have pushed them to take such a step. One is the feeling of communal hatred and also I am sure that these chaps would not have done it without there being a monetary consideration.” Tims said.
“What I foresee is that this will not end here. The arrested man is bound to come up with more names and I predict only harder times ahead for the Indian Army. If found guilty I demand that these men are hanged because the very secular fabric of this great institution is being eroded by the madness of a few,” the major said.
Indiaid.com chips in with views of some renowned defence analysts.
“Having somebody in uniform involved in terror charges is a very serious issue. On the face of it, it seems to be a one- off case but there may be many others who would be ideologically inclined,” says, Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar, former director of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). Bhaskar said even if it was an isolated case, it would set a bad precedent. “It may be in isolation but I will not be complacent about it. The entire system needs to be alert,” Bhaskar said.
Major General (retd) Ashok Mehta said, “The kind of people who have been joining the army is a reflection of society. There are many people in the army who feel the same way. People have to be educated on secular values, especially in the army.”
“The Indian Army never had such a case when a man has become a terrorist accused. It is a question of the infiltration of radical groups in the Indian Army. The groups have been trying it for long,” Major General (retd) Afsar Karim said.
Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. S.S. Dhillon, however, termed it a ‘freak case’. “We are alert but it is one-off case. Even though it is a setback for the Indian Army’s image, it should not be thought that the whole army is such,” Dhillon said.
Has the secular fabric of the Indian military been eroded? One hopes that the answer to this question is a big NO!
Has the secular fabric of the Indian Military eroded?
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