The True Post(Web News) Even the Indian army could not escape religious prejudice in India. Lieutenant Samuel Kamalison was also forced to practice polytheism in Hindu rituals.
Religious discrimination has increased in the army, like in other sectors, during the Modi government. Non-Hindus are also forced to participate in Hindu ceremonies or rituals in the Indian Army. Lieutenant Samuel Kamalison is among those who have been subjected to religious discrimination in the Indian Army. Lieutenant Samuel Kamalison, a Christian, was commissioned in the Indian Army in 2017.
Being a Christian, Lieutenant Samuel Kamalison had apologized for participating in Hindu and Sikh ceremonies of the Sikh regiment. Lieutenant Samuel Kamalison says that “he does not want to insult his religion and also cares about the religious sentiments of other soldiers.” Indian Army authorities termed Lieutenant Samuel’s refusal to participate in other religious ceremonies as a violation of military discipline. For this reason, Lieutenant Samuel Kamalison was dismissed in 2021 under Section 41 of the Army Act.
Lieutenant Samuel Kamalison challenged this dismissal in the Delhi High Court in the hope of getting justice, but instead of giving justice, a Delhi High Court bench comprising Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shailendra found Lieutenant Samuel guilty. The Delhi High Court wrote in its judgment that “this is not a matter of religious freedom but of obeying the lawful order of the officer, which is mandatory for every soldier.” According to the Indian court, Samuel Kamalison considered his religion to be above military discipline, which was against the rules. The court prohibited him from unreasonably challenging the decisions of the army. Lieutenant Samuel’s dismissal and the lack of justice from the courts are clear evidence of the extremism of the current Indian system. India’s claims of being a secular country are at odds with reality.
