I received a WhatsApp message with a photograph yesterday (14.12.2024) from an ex-army Major General which set me thinking about the way we Indians are. I think the reason for all our problems as a Democratic country is because the way we are — tolerant in the face of intolerance, compromising in the face of victory, servility in the face of superiority. Sometimes cutting the nose to spite our face. Advantage our adversary. The WhatsApp message mentioned above seems to substantiate my opinion about we the Indians. But now let me publish excerpts from the WhatsApp message. The picture is published above.

The picture is that of the historic surrender of Pakistan Army to Indian Army in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 16th December 1971 following Bangladesh War. That victory day is observed as Vijay Diwas.                      Now the WhatsApp message says that this picture that had been in the Army HQ has been removed and the army veterans are much upset and angry.

While it is not clear when the photograph was removed from the army headquarters, veterans believe it is part of the ‘decolonisation’ drive undertaken by the BJP government for the past several years. The removal of the iconic photograph, however, is a serious mistake and an insult to the Indian armed forces, they say.

The photograph of the surrender reflected a historic and comprehensive military victory and has inspired successive generations of officers and the ranks. Why would the government decide to remove it from its vantage position at the office of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) where military leaders from abroad and visitors liked to be photographed with the picture of the surrender as the backdrop?

No explanation has come yet from the Ministry of Defence or the Defence Minister. Veterans however have voiced their dismay at the development. They say it is an assault on military history, tradition and creed.

They believe that reasons are entirely political and the BJP government at the Centre wants to erase the memory of the 1971 victory so that they do not have to give credit to the then PM Indira Gandhi.

Veterans have also questioned the rationale behind the removal of what is known as the ‘Chetwode Credo’ too from the Army Head Quarters. Field Marshal Philip Chetwode was the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and is credited for setting up of the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. The Chetwode Credo is derived from an address the Field Marshal gave to the Academy in 1932.

“I would ask you to remember that you have come here to have your first lessons in three principles which must guide an officer of a National Army,” the Field Marshal had said and laid down the three following rules to follow:

First: The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time.

Second: The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.

Third: Your own ease, comfort and safety come last,  always and every time.

“Do not find anything colonial in what Field Marshal Chetwode said. In fact, his credo for officers is even more relevant today than in those times,” the message said.

If Modi government thinks this is the way to rewrite our military history under the political policy of ‘decolonisation’ drive, as some veterans believe them to be, it is much regrettable and undesirable. How would those who fought in the Bangladesh War feel? I guess the present government in its enthusiasm to correct historical wrongs, which is necessary, is barking up the wrong tree.

The history of India before Independence (15th August 1947) should certainly be rewritten and references to rewrite are available from many authentic sources — excavation, writings on palmyra leaves, copper plates, archives, cave paintings and wall reliefs, stone engravings, Ashoka Pillars, edicts so on and so forth.

During the days of Nehru and Indira Gandhi past history was certainly not written truthfully with veracity for political reason — primarily to please the Muslim voters. Therefore, Indian history, in many cases, must be rewritten but ‘decolonisation’ move must not hurt the history makers of post-independence era. But what was done at the Army HQ with that historic picture is certainly  not correct. Unfortunately, Nehru lost in one war, Lal Bahadur Shastri won a war, Indira Gandhi too won a war (in 1971) and Atal Bihari Vajpayee won the Kargil war. All wars were fought by our INDIAN ARMY. Then what’s the problem? What is historically wrong here?

“Decolonisation” should start with removing all Mughal and Colonial names of streets and buildings that bear the names of Muslim rulers like Aurangzeb and British politicians and Generals like Reginald Dyer or Robert Clive. But spare the name of foreigners who contributed for the good of our administrative systems and the country like Field Marshal Chetwode.

However, let Modi government focus attention on ‘decolonisation’, as some call this, being already late by 75 years. To begin with let us remove the Mughal and British names of roads named after persons who were evil and bad rulers.

We should not throw the baby with the bathwater.

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