Veteran defence personnel strongly condemned and expressed their anguish and disappointment over the ‘irresponsible, divisive, unfortunate and totally malicious’ statement of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, interjecting a communal tinge into the Indian Army’s Kargil Operations and Victory.
Veterans strongly stressed that Indian Army was the epitome of secularism. Citizens from multifarious cultural, religious and economic background joined it and once they donned the uniform, all meld into one team owing allegiance to only Bharat-Mata.
While talking to The Pioneer, Brig (Retd) KG Behl, former president, Dehradun Ex-services league said that while one was generally not aware of the other’s religion, caste or economic background as one goes about mission functionality and accomplishment in the Army, full individual freedom exists to practice ones’ religion and faith. Every Unit has a “Sarva-Dharmsthala’- a combined praying place to cater for troops of that Unit and once can easily find Temple, Gurudwara, Church and Mosque all under one roof.
Echoing the same feelings, BSF IG (Retd) SS Kothiyal state president, Ex-Central Armed Police Force Personnel Association said that such interweaving of the faiths results in the oneness of the Unit to the almost subjugation of individual faith. “ The Unit prays together and fights together and everyone shows equally valour and strength to win the battle,” he said, adding that 527 personnel died and 1363 were seriously wounded during the Kargil War and should also remember that its not relevant which religion or social group these men belonged to as they always strive for safeguarding our nation boundaries.