DNA

Mumbai, Oct 31: They talk of going off to battle with a prayer on their lips. And the Indian army is a great believer in the power of prayer. In tune with the army’s tradition of equal importance for all religions, all its regiments have either pundits or granthis or maulvis or padres who are also posted in some field areas.

But now there are problems in paradise, so to speak. There’s a shortage of these religious teachers as they are called in army parlance. The Army wants to recruit some 62 pandits and four maulvis to fill the vacancies. Not just that, it wants to run two courses to train the religious teachers in the army mould.

Unlike their civilian counterparts, the army’s religious teachers have to undergo rigorous military training. The only sop is that instead of joining as sepoys, they are directly granted the rank of Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO). Free rations and accommodation are add-ons.

According to army guidelines, the religious teachers have to preach the scriptures to troops and conduct various rituals at regimental or unit institutions. The other duties include attending to the religious instruction and welfare of all ranks and their families.

“The religious teachers play an important role as counsellors ministering to the sick in hospitals, conducting funerals, reading prayers with the convalescents, and visiting soldiers undergoing sentences at the army detention centres,” says Abhay Lambhate, Defence spokesperson, Mumbai.

“Their roles becomes very important during war or anti-insurgent operations when cries of ‘bole so nihal’, ‘har har mahadev’ or ‘Allah o Akbar’ instill a sense or responsibility and sacrifice among the soldiers and officers,” Lambhate added. “Though it is a well paid and respected job, few learned men come forward to join the army as life in the barracks and on the borders is tough. A religious teacher is like any other soldier in uniform and has to adhere to the strict military discipline,” he added.