Why Army’s troop dictum ‘eat pray & fight’ together is special

THE Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday to uphold the dismissal of a Christian Army officer for his refusal to participate in regimental ‘multi-faith’ prayers vindicates the Army’s long-standing dictum that troops ‘eat, pray and fight’ together.

The Army’s enshrined practices mean that an officer has to follow the religion, language and food habits of the troops and is expected to participate in ‘faith prayers’.

The SC ruling ended the military career for Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan – who was in the 3rd Cavalry regiment that has Sikh, Jat and Rajput troops. The young officer had joined the Army in 2017 and was dismissed from service in 2021.

The officer needed to have drawn lessons from his peers. There are Hindu officers who offer prayers with Muslim troops and keep fast for Ramzan. Conversely Muslim, Sikh and Christian officers lead their troops to prayers of Hindu religion. This is not symbolism, but reflects the Army’s operational philosophy.

Major military ceremonies, including the induction of Rafale jets in the Indian Air Force, incorporated multi-faith prayers. Last year, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi took over as the Chief with multi-faith preachers being present at lawns of the South Block. Also last year, Lt Gen Manjinder Singh, the senior-most Madras regiment officer, performed the sacred ‘Kumbhabhishekam’ ceremony at the Murugan Temple of the Madras Regimental Centre, at Wellington Tamil Nadu.

Why is multi-faith prayer important?

The Sarva Dharma Sthal (meaning shrine for all faiths) exists in nearly all Army units where troops are stationed or trained. These are spaces where soldiers from Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Buddhist backgrounds worship together while maintaining their distinct religious identity.

Multi-faith prayer has emerged as a cornerstone event in the Army’s units and is more than ceremonial tradition. It respects diverse religious identities and provides a shared sacred space. Religious teachers from all faiths participate in religious festivity within multi-faith units like the 3rd Cavalry and many others.

Army units derive motivation from devotional practices connected to deities, with troops generating their war cries from these spiritual connections. These are also part of developing the faith and relying on it in adversity. Each unit has distant war cry.

A well-established practice

In the past 40 years, the Army has trained religious teachers at the Institute of National Integration, Pune. These trained men deliver motivating talks during religious gatherings. Armed forces comprise personnel from different states, religions, castes and linguistic backgrounds, the multi-faith prayer addresses these diversities.

Religious teachers from all major faiths receive standardised training and get commissioned. This system has trained over 2,500 junior commissioned officers and 700 non-commissioned officers, creating a professional cadre of religious teachers.

Religious teachers receive training not only in their own faiths but also in the tenets, practices and rituals of other religions. This builds understanding as religious teachers become experts in explaining the unifying aspects of all faiths.

Training programmes for religious personnel include behavioural and group counselling techniques, creating an institutional approach to multi-faith spiritual care. The religious teacher is also taught to fire a weapon, which he can use in adversity.

The British Indian Army maintained a formal system from the late 18th century, though initially limited to Christian chaplains serving British troops. After independence, India transformed this tradition by institutionalising multi-faith religious support.

The US military has also such chaplains.