Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, has said that dispensing with British-era colonial customs and traditions “would be extremely detrimental to morale and ethos”. Several newspapers have reported that the Army has planned a review of its colonial customs with a view to dispensing with them.
Speaking about the Army’s customs and traditions, the General added: “Traditions are very, very important…they are the binding glue…which binds together all personnel, serving and retired.”
The truth is that the Indian army’s traditions and customs go back centuries. For instance, the Madras Regiment was founded in 1758, the Rajputana Rifles in 1775, the Rajput Regiment in 1778 and the Dogras in 1877. These traditions are not just hallowed, cherished and loved but very possibly sacrosanct for the army.
In a 23-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Lt Gen. Shah said decisions to dispense with colonial customs and practices must not be forced upon the Army. “If they are foisted it would have a very very adverse impact on the battle readiness and performance of the Army”.
He added that veterans must be consulted before any decision is taken. “Veterans are a sounding board and they must be contacted and their opinions taken before any measures are undertaken”.
Lt Gen. Shah firmly opposed the possibility that the Army might do away with ethnically-specific character of regiments – like the Sikh, Gorkha, Mahar, Jat or Rajput. He said this would affect “the war cry, the regimental song, the method of dress and the dietary habits” of the regiments. It would, he added, be “extremely detrimental to their morale and ethos.”
Later in the interview, he cited the example of the American army, which in 1951 did away with regimental names and argued that this had a very adverse impact on the esprit de corps and performance of the American army.
He also strenuously opposed any possibility that the Blue Patrols (the ceremonial winter uniform) could be done away with. He also seemed to oppose doing away with Lanyards. As he put it: “Dress maketh a man.” He added, “Dress is a matter of pride…and soldiers must stand out.” In this context, Lt Gen. Shah cited the example of the Japanese army who, after World War II, were deliberately made to wear sloppy and unimpressive uniforms and, as a result, the Army’s morale suffered terribly until this was reversed.
The interview also included questions about the possibility the Chetwode Oath could be done away with, that the army might disaffiliate from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which pays for the upkeep of cemeteries like the one in Kohima, and, finally, a decision could be taken to do away with Beating Retreat. On all three, the Lt Gen. expressed strong opposition.
Lt Gen. Shah concluded the interview by saying that the army is “subordinate but not subservient” to the government. And, in this instance, he firmly believes that the Army Chief and other top generals must stand up and resist any attempts by the government to do away with British-era customs and practices on the grounds they are symbols of colonialism and slavery. He said the Army has far more pressing issues to attend to. “This is not the time to attend to peripheral issues.”
Watch the full interview here.
