A spiritual catharsis
BACK in 1992, when Ramadan was observed in March-April — just like this year — I was commanding a battalion deployed along the LoC in Kashmir at an altitude of 14,500 ft.
March-April is usually the tapering period of winter, but quite often, the weather plays havoc, with torrential snowfall and blizzards lasting several days at a stretch. At each post, we have local civilians as porters who assist in executing administrative chores.
Their task becomes more difficult during the winter. Besides movement constraints, the springs get buried and the water requirement is met by melting the snow. The operational credo entails changing over various guard duties and patrolling with the fresh troops at dawn, leaving just a few personnel for administration.
It was the third week of March and the fourth day of an incessant snowstorm that adversely hampered movement and other activities. I was in my Tactical HQ, co-located with the Rifle Company. Around dawn, I was informed that the changeover of personnel could not be done as the porters turned up late with water and other essentials required for the cook house. I asked the Junior Commissioned Officer to speed up the process, who, in turn, conveyed my annoyance to them, albeit with acerbic cautioning for this lapse. Though delayed, the issue got resolved.
After some time, Sadiq, the porters’ sherpa, a dedicated and immensely respected person, came to me, conveyed his apology and then explained the unavoidable weather constraints that led to the unpleasant situation. With a heavy heart, he added, ‘Saab, Ramadan ke dauran kisi ko naraaz karna ya dukh dena mazhab ke khilaf hai. Iss wajeh se hamara aaj ka Roza kharab gaya hai.’ I tried to console him by acknowledging his and his team’s services, but found myself guilt-ridden for having hurt his sentiments.
The best way to do penance, I felt, was to join them. Incidentally, the next day was Monday — my weekly fast for my deity Shiva; it could not have been a better occasion to commence a three-day Roza with prayers to God to shower blessings on Sadiq and his team. To me, it was a spiritual catharsis. I realised that the essence of Ramadan was no different from that of other faiths.
Thus, I did my bit in keeping with the tradition of the Indian Army, which is the epitome of secularism and respect for all sections of society. Where else will you find a Muslim officer performing havan, a Hindu officer commanding Ramadan-observing Muslim troops, a Sikh doing church service and a Christian officer reciting Gurbani?
