ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD

Video of Army Officer’s Lesson on Religion in India Goes Viral

Colonel Saurabh Shekhawat has an excellent solution to communal tension in India.

Published
India
2 min read
story-hero-img
i
Aa
Aa
Small
Aa
Medium
Aa
Large
Hindi Female

Colonel Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, perhaps the most decorated serving army officer in India, is making a mark in the online world again. A video of the officer sharing an anecdote about his training days and the lesson he learned in Indian identity and religion, has gone viral.

A member of the 21st battalion of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), he boasts of many gallantry awards to his name — Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra and Sena Medal — and a Vishisht Sena Medal for distinguished service.

In the one-minute video shared by ex-Army man Raghu Raman, Shekhawat is first seen narrating an incident when he was punished and asked to take a dip in dirty water for calling himself a “Hindu Rajput”.

(Video Courtesy: Twitter)

ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD
When I was commissioned and when I joined special forces (SF), I was asked what is your religion and what is your caste. I said I am a Hindu Rajput. He said ‘Bloody chap, go and take a dip in dirty water.’ I went and took a dip and I realised I had said something wrong. He asked me again and then I said that my religion is SF and my caste is SF, and he said, ‘Now you know.’ 
Colonel Saurabh Singh Shekhawat

Colonel Shekhawat then went on to say something that has a lesson the entire nation needs to learn, especially in times of increasing reports of communal disharmony.

He told me that when I am an officer, your religion is that religion of your boys. If your boy is a Hindu, you are a Hindu. If your boy is a Sikh, you are a Sikh. If your boy is a Christian, you are a Christian and if your boy is a Muslim, you are a Muslim. As an officer, you are everything. When we have this kind of a template, and if we apply this template in the country, most of the problems will be solved.
Colonel Saurabh Singh Shekhawat

Colonel Shekhawat is a serving Army officer with a vast experience of counter-insurgency operations in the North and North East. According to Institute of Defence Services and Analysis, he has also served as the United Nations’ Military Observer for the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College and has an M.Phil degree from the University of Hyderabad.

An accomplished mountaineer, he has scaled Mount Everest thrice. He has also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Mount Blanc, highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe. He has scaled 14 peaks till date.

In an interview given to Wild Films India, Shekhawat spoke of his struggle while climbing the Everest.

In 2017, he audaciously called out alleged injustice being faced within the army ranks over the Jorhat operation, reported Hindustan Times. There’s clearly more to Colonel Shekhawat than the medals.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times and Instiute of Defence Services and Analysis)

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

0

Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from news and india

Topics:  Indian Army   Communalism   Army Officer 

Speaking truth to power requires allies like you.
Become a Member
3 months
12 months
12 months
Check Member Benefits
Read More
×
×