Lt. Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain is one of the most vocal Army veterans on the scene. He speaks up on issues that matter to India’s internal security and also explains strategic issues in simple terms for the common man. Generals like Hasnain are living up to the image of a quintessential soldier who is always on duty. His candid talks on television, writeups in newspapers and discourses in universities and think tanks have changed the public perception about defence and armed forces. General Hasnain rose to become the Army Corps Commander and was posted in Kashmir. His tenure is still remembered for the best Army-Civil relationship in Kashmir during the period of insurgency. Till today General Hasnain is fondly remembered by people in the Valley. Hailing from an Army family, General Hasnain was the only Muslim officer in the Gharwal regiment back then. He spoke about his journey as a soldier and also how the Army maintains its secular ethos even as different regiments have their war cries based on religion to Aasha Khosa, Editor, Awaz-the Voice, English. Excerpts from the interview:

Welcome, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain. A pleasure to have you speak with Awaz-the Voice. Let me begin by asking you about one of the articles of yours that I read recently: Why joining the Indian Army doesn’t make you a lesser Muslim. What made you write this; what was the context?

I am equally enamoured by this question. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting to answer this here. Why I wrote this article is that there is apprehension among a lot of Indian Muslim that doesn’t have a place in the Indian army. They feel they will be somehow discriminated against; feel their dietary habits will not be respected in the Army. Of all things, they feel they are expected to consume alcohol in the Army. Misperceptions about such things have existed for a long especially among the people living in the Walled City (of Delhi) since they have no access to the Army and its culture. It’s important to sensitise not only Muslims but also all segments of the society about the social and professional aspect of the Indian army.

You also happened to be a Muslim; Can you share your experiences with our viewers?

I am glad that through your portal my voice will reach many people. How comfortable are you in Hindi? I want to speak in Hindi because my voice can reach many people.

Sure, please go ahead, Sir.

(IN Hindi) My journey was different. I have no hesitation in saying that I am a privileged person. My father was in the Indian army; he retired as a Major General. That way I was born in the Army – the post-independence one. My father belonged to the pre-independence Indian Army and he continued after India’s independence. He had a choice to move to Pakistan, perhaps, be would have become a General there (chuckles). Consciously, he said a clear no to it. He said I belong to a regiment of the Indian army that I respect; this is my home; my profession. When it was for me to make a choice, I said I will also join the Army. I joined the same regiment; the same battalion.

There are a few things that are interesting for the outsiders.

I was the only Muslim in my regiment. Gharwal Rifles is a pure Ghawrali battalion. Gharwali jawans are the most outstanding Hindus. After all it’s the land of Char dhaam (four key Hindu pilgrimages). I used to go to Char dham very often. I have visited Badrinath several times. In the Army, we learn to respect each other’s faith. I wrote in the Times of India that the faith of his soldiers’ is the faith of their officer.  If your all jawans are Christians, you will follow Christianity; or say all are Hindus you will have to follow their religion.

That means every Sunday you are at the temple with your jawans. Before going on operations be it in Sri Lanka or Siachen, we first go to the temple, offer prayers; fold our hands, apply teeka (vermillion mark on forehead), and, on return, we again apply teeka. We raise the war cry of Jai Badri Vishal. These are very important aspects for the commander of the troops. If people think I can’t do it because I am a Muslim or a Christian, I am sorry, the Army is no place for such people. We are very firm on this; this is our ethos. Respect, transparency and diversity are our respect. In no way does one compromise on this. Just because I have commanding Hindus, I don’t become a lesser Musalmaan. I am equal to the other Muslims. In the army, there is no way anyone’s faith can get compromised.

How do you do it? On one side, when we look at an Army man image of poise, valour discipline people flash in our mind. Yet all the war cries are based on religion. You are from a privileged background and your case may be different. But there a possibility that somebody coming from a conservative background finds himself a misfit in this environment?

I will not deny it (Possibility of someone feeling uncomfortable). There are a lot of people in India who find it (this thought) as such and I don’t blame them. Their social environment, level of education are the factors behind it. I call myself – that is the ideal way of projecting the Indian army - I was born as a Muslim; a Christian by education – I am from Sherwood (A boarding school in Nanital); I belong to a Hindu regiment and have followed all rituals and my best friends are sardars (Sikhs). I imbibe the values of all religions. However, it’s not easy for everyone to do so and assimilate so easily. I don’t blame them since they are brought up in a closed environment. However, after they come into the Army (as officers) they find the environment is different from what they had thought. We train them; more than anything it’s about sensitising them about the troops. They are told that your jawan is your buddy; he’s with you in thick and thin and during the fighting. They are told it’s Indian Army’s ethos and it’s important for them to respect jawans’ faith and also it doesn’t mean you don’t follow yours.

Hindu Officer of a Muslim regiment

It’s not only that I was an officer am trying to respect Hinduism.

There is also the other side: In the Army, there are pure Muslim companies in Grenadiers and Rajputana Rifles and their officer will be Hindu, Christian or Sikh. These have all Muslim troops. This means there are 130 Muslim men who will invariably have a commander who is a Hindu, Sikh, Christian or anyone. I have seen a Hindu commander who offered five-time namaz; keep 30 roza (fasting in the month of Ramazan) with all his troops. It’s not that I was the only Muslim amidst Hindu troops. Hindus are equally doing it.

We are proud of our traditions and we like to sell this idea to the rest of the people. They must see the diversity of the Indian army.

You must look at the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry’s passing out parade. It’s such a thrilling sight to see a Moulvi, Panditji, Granthi and a Buddhist priest together carrying their respective religious book and moving in front of the cadets. The cadets just touch the book to take the pledge to defend their country with their life. It shows much we respect religion.

This means that Muslims shouldn’t have any misgivings about joining the Army. Even those who come with misconceptions and yet join the Army will go through training to change. Religion and duty are too different things. Am I right in this understanding?

Absolutely right. Let me Clarify one small thing.  There are sometimes doubts in the minds of the people that when they join the Army their dietary habits will not be taken into cognizance. Whether they will get jhatka or halal meat or maybe they have to eat pork– all worries will be there. I want to assure them and especially the youth of India that there is no other institution as sensitive towards religion as the Indian Army. It works like this: if the sanctioned strength of a company is say 120 men; it's sanctioned a Moulvi, a Granthi or a Priest on the basis of the religion of the troops. The food is delivered as per the dietary habits of the troops. Suppose under some circumstances it’s not possible to supply the requisite food, then it’s compensated through the alternative food with the same calorific value as sanctioned. Like they will get paneer or butter.

(Cont’d)