An Indian court has effectively decreed that Christians in the armed forces can be forced to take part in non-Christian religious ceremonies on pain of dismissal.
The issue came to a head due to Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan of the Sikh squadron, a practising Christian who, on grounds of conscience, declined to take part in a Sikh ceremony at the regimental gurdwara.
Lieutenant Kamalesan was urged by superior officers to change his mind, however he said that joining the ceremony would violate his own conscience and could be seen as disrespectful to practising Sikhs at the ceremony.
In 2021 Lieutenant Kamalesan’s contract with the army was terminated, bringing an end to around four years of service to the Indian armed forces.
The Indian army claimed that Lieutenant Kamalesan’s stance was harmful to morale and unit cohesion.
The Delhi court examining the case upheld the army’s decision. According to Premier Christian News, the court said, “Commanding Officers are to lead by example and not by division; and by placing the cohesion of the Unit above individual religious preferences, particularly when commanding troops who they will lead in combat situations and war.
“While, to a civilian, this may appear a bit harsh and may even sound far-fetched, however, the standard of discipline required for the Armed Forces is different. The motivation that is to be instilled in the troops may necessitate actions beyond ordinary civilian standards. Therefore, the ordinary person standard may not be truly applicable while judging the requirements of the Armed Forces."
The court claimed that Lieutenant Kamalesan had shown a lack of discipline by placing his religious beliefs above the good of his unit.
