Uniform Before Faith: Why Lt Kamalesan’s Dismissal isn't a Religious Case
The Christian army officer's dismissal is not a 'Hindu vs Christian' issue but a matter of obedience & discipline.
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On 25 November 2025, a Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi declined to interfere with the Delhi High Court’s 30 May order upholding the dismissal of Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan, saying the officer had kept his religion above a lawful command from a superior. The officer had reportedly argued that participating in religious rituals went against his Christian beliefs.
Terming it as “clearly an act of indiscipline”, the top court described him as a “misfit" for the armed forces, backing the Army’s decision to terminate his service in 2021.
The dismissal has led to a lot of debate, especially on social media, about the religious freedom of military personnel. It has also led to communal polarisation, with many erroneously perceiving it as a 'Hindu vs Christian' issue.
But there are some aspects of military life that can be understood by only those who don the uniform.
Army Has No Religion but Celebrates All
Every profession has its own nuances and peculiarities. The same goes for the defence forces. It is an institution that thrives on tradition and legacy. There is no written rule book on how an officer must conduct himself within a unit, or even vis-à-vis Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Other Ranks (OR). Some things are done unsaid. An officer learns by carefully watching others, absorbing the culture and ethos of the regiment, and understanding the sentiments of men under command.
One such activity revolves around the religious parades that are conducted within the unit. An officer is expected to partake in all activities that are conducted within the religious place, be it a Mandir (Hindu temple), Masjid (Islamic mosque), Gurudwara (Sikh temple) or Girijaghar (Christian church), irrespective of his/her own religion.
If that does not happen, there would be counselling, more than once. Every possible attempt will be made to make the officer understand. It is only if the problem persists that legal options are considered.
But the occasional reluctance to accept another faith is not uncommon. This is not about being a Christian, Muslim, Sikh, or Hindu. Such a conundrum can and does happen to anyone in the armed forces. But in most such cases, better sense eventually prevails.
Therefore, the narrative around Lieutenant Kamalesan's dismissal should not get highjacked into a 'Hindu vs Christian' debate, because that is exactly what it is not. The question is about obedience and discipline.
'Unbecoming Conduct'
Commissioned in 2017, Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan was posted with a Sikh Squadron of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. He faced disciplinary proceedings for declining to enter the inner sanctum of the Regiment’s mandir and gurudwara during mandatory parades.
Lieutenant Kamalesan reportedly claimed that his objection stemmed not only from it being a sign of respect for his Christian faith, but also out of respect for the sentiments of his troops. He also argued that his troops did not take offence, nor did it impact his strong bond with them, as per reports in The Bar and Bench.
The Army, however, said the officer refused to change his stance even after counselling by senior officers and Christian clergy. His services were eventually terminated in 2021.
There is no doubt that his attitude vitiated the atmosphere in his Regiment, undermined unit cohesion and troop morale. Hence, his dismissal was the only logical option.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who appeared for Lieutenant Kamalesan, argued that the officer had committed only a “single infraction” by refusing to enter the sanctum at his place of posting. He went on to state that, “Entering the sanctum sanctorum is a violation of my faith… It’s not that when you join the Army, you lose the vestiges of your faith,” adding that, “No one had a problem. Only one person.”
That ‘one’ person happened to be the Commandant of the Regiment, who is entrusted with the responsibility of command and control. The Commandant also upholds the honour and traditions of the Regiment, apart from looking into the welfare of the men they command.
The command of a unit is undoubtedly the most significant responsibility entrusted to an officer. He is not just ‘one person’ but ‘the person’, as far as a unit is concerned. He is the person responsible for holding the Unit together through thick and thin, and thus they must be completely impartial and fair in all respects.
Moreover, it can be said with certainty that this was not a solitary decision but supported and upheld by Commanders in the chain till the highest level.
Justice Bagchi noted that Lieutenant Kamalesan was counselled by a Pastor who said there was no issue entering the sanctum sanctorum. But the officer had his own personal interpretation of the First Commandment, and refused to conform.
CJI Kant said the leaders of troops must “lead by example.”
“What kind of message is he sending? Gross indiscipline by an Army officer. He may be an outstanding officer but he is a misfit for the Indian Army. The amount of responsibilities our forces have at this time…this is not what we want to entertain,” the Court added.
The 3rd Cavalry & Army's Secular Ethos
The 3rd Cavalry Regiment is one of the oldest Armoured Regiments of the Indian Army. It owes its origin to two older Regiments, the 7th Irregular Cavalry, raised in 1841 at Bareilly, and the 17th Cavalry, raised at Sultanpur in 1846.
The Regiment earned the sobriquet of ‘Patton Wreckers’ when their Centurion tanks stopped the advance of Pakistan’s Armoured Division in the battle of Assal Uttar in Punjab during the 1965 War.
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) Salim Caleb, a Christian who led his troops valiantly to victory, the Regiment earned the Battle Honour, ‘Asal Uttar’ and a Theatre Honour, ‘Punjab 71.’ Caleb himself was deservedly awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
(Photo: Special Arrangement/Screenshot)
The troops of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, comprise of a squadron each (approximately 120 men) of Jats, Rajputs, and Sikhs. Since its inception, the Regiment has been commanded by officers who have been Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, and Christian. In fact, Colonel (later Brigadier) Kutab Hai was a Muslim officer who commanded the same Regiment. He had earlier commanded the Sikh Squadron. As a Squadron Commander he was at the forefront of all religious activities in the gurudwara.
This is extremely common in the Indian army. Another example is Lt Gen Ata Hasnain of the Garhwal Rifles says, I quote, “Most importantly, as a young company commander and a Commanding Officer (CO), I would ensure every operation began and ended with a short gathering at a small makeshift temple constructed by the troops. Not because it was my ritual—but because it was ours.”
At the Regimental level, the officer would have been guided and schooled regarding the rich traditions, history, and ethos of the Regiment as well as about the culture and religious beliefs of its troops.
There are units which are based on one class or community such as the Sikh, Jat, Rajput, Dogra, and Gorkha Regiments. These maintain the places of worship of their troops and have Religious Teachers posted as per the religion of their men. Then there are those that have a mix of communities but from a particular area such as the JAK Light Infantry and JAK Rifles, where the men mainly belong to Jammu & Kashmir and the former maintains a Mandir, Masjid, and Gurudwara.
The older, Armoured Regiments such as the 3rd Cavalry are a fixed class with each Sabre Squadron belonging to a particular class composition. Some of the newer regiments are based on the All India All Class, concept. Since the troops in some cases belong to more than one religion, the unit has a Sarva Dharmasthal, which is a building with a temple, gurudwara, mosque and church, all in one.
It is very common and apparently natural for troops, irrespective of religion to gather at the church during Christmas, or the mosque for Eid celebrations, or the gurudwara for Guru Parab. In fact, there have been occasions when the Maulvi has welcomed the birth of the Hindu deity Krishna during Janmashtami, because the pandit (Hindu priest) was on leave.
Religion in the defence forces is a facilitator, meant to instill belief and support in adherents amid difficult situations.
(Photo: Special Arrangement)
Uniform Before Faith
Religion in the Armed Forces is a binding force that is visible during operations, and this needs to be clearly understood. The basic function of all military units is to undertake operational tasks in war and train for that during peace. It is the faith of the troops in their religion and their training that affords the strength to press-home against a well-entrenched adversary at such times. Faith is used to strengthen the fraternity, which, in turn, has faith in each other.
For an officer in the Indian Army, it would be fair to say that the nation is their mother, the Indian Army their father, their family is the Regiment and their religion is that of the troops.
Our own religion does not figure anywhere. We are proud to say that one of the co-authors of this article is Sikh and the other Hindu, and we have both participated in the religious beliefs of the troops we commanded, in which the former prayed with his troops in both Mandir and Masjid and the latter in the Gurdwara. This is the very essence of the Indian Army.
Religion in the defence forces is a facilitator, meant to instill belief and support in adherents amid difficult situations. Acting against the ethos of a regiment/unit/battalion, a failure to obey a lawful command, can be termed as rebellion. Such an act cannot be overlooked, as it would have devastating effects and may cause a breakdown in the very ethos of command and control, as it would open doors to questioning every lawful command, and may well result in a mutiny.
The Indian Army today has a healthy mix of Fixed-Class composition Regiments and Mixed-Class composition Regiments. This affords one to learn from the other with distinct benefits in operations. The strength of both is leveraged by the field Commander when the operational grouping is ordained for operations.
Religion in the Armed Forces is a binding force that is visible during operations, and this needs to be clearly understood. The basic function of all military units is to undertake operational tasks in war and train for that during peace.
During war, the situation is extremely fluid and tense. It is the faith of the troops in their religion and their training that affords the strength to press-home against a well-entrenched adversary at such times. The life altering experience then finds solace in the Regiment’s War-cry and the troops’ religious affinity, often with battle-winning outcomes, at times against all odds. Faith is used to strengthen the fraternity which in turn has faith in each other.
Kamalesan's Case
Though the Army does have a very structured way of judging an individual by means of the Services Selection Board (SSB) before he is found fit to be trained as an officer, Kamalesan’s rigidity regarding his belief overriding that of the organisation seems to have been overlooked. There definitely needs to be an examination of his reports including those of the psychologist at the SSB and while he was in his Training Academy.
It is this practice that results in officers attending and partaking in the various religious rituals of their troops irrespective of their own faith. A Regiment may have a class composition of Sikhs, Muslims, and Rajputs, but all ranks willingly participate in the religious functions. That is what makes the Defence Forces truly secular.
The fundamental right to practice religion cannot be applied in such circumstances as the individual’s interpretation of religious right is not offended. In fact, in the Army religion is seen as a uniting factor for all communities.
This judgment is not against any individual or faiths, but it is in support of traditional military ethos. The Army and the Regiment come above everything else. Any attempt by anyone to upset this balance will be dealt with a heavy hand. Personal belief has no place in regimental duty.
Regimental temples, gurudwaras, churches and Sarva Dharmasthalas are symbols of regimental identity, tradition, morale, and shared purpose. They nurture a sense of belonging, not just worship. Any action to obfuscate this matter or to give it a political or religious fervor should be vehemently opposed. We must respect the last bastion standing and not interfere in the ethos of a perfectly well-functioning institution.
(The authors are retired Major Generals of the Indian Army. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)