Targeting a war hero

An abominable attempt has been made to erase the memory of a martyr — and that too a Param Vir Chakra awardee. Six decades after Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid took on the might of Patton tanks and made the supreme sacrifice in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, his family had to fight a battle of its own to get his name reinstated at the main gate of his school in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. ‘Shaheed Hamid Vidyalaya’ was not good enough for the authorities; they not only renamed it ‘PM Shri Composite School’ but also promptly effected the change at the entrance to the institution. The outraged kin complained to the headmaster, who asked them to approach the local education officer. The glaring omission has finally been rectified, but the whole controversy reeks of religious intolerance and insensitivity.

Havildar Hamid’s award citation mentions in glowing terms that his bravery “in the face of constant enemy fire was in the highest traditions of the Army”. Naam, namak, nishan — these words sum up the code of honour of the Indian defence forces. The Indian Army, Air Force and Navy are secular organisations — their officers and soldiers serve the nation with pride irrespective of their religion, caste, creed or gender. The entire country owes gratitude to bravehearts like Hamid, not just the community to which they belonged.

Degrading a war hero simply because he professed a certain religion shows how deep the communal rot runs. Exemplary action should be taken against overzealous officials who stooped so low. They were apparently trying to please their political bosses and chose a soft target. Thankfully, the widespread uproar has exposed their nefarious designs. The incident should serve as a warning to the political leadership and the bureaucracy to desist from chipping away at the military’s apolitical ethos.