New Delhi/ Gurugram | Aalok Sensharma: Commuters were left stuck for several hours at the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Wednesday due to a protest march called out by the Ahir community. The march was led by Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha (SARM), which is demanding a separate regiment for the Ahir community in the Indian Army.
The community, which has held several protests in the past, argues that caste-based regiments have existed in the Army for long and their "sacrifices need to be honoured". "We want it (regiment), our leaders want it and they will have to give it," news agency PTI quoted Manoj Mokalwas, a member of the SARM, as saying.
However, Army veterans don't agree with their demands. Lieutenant General (Retired) Shakti Gurung says caste-based regiments were actually created by the Britishers in an attempt of dividing Indians, noting that no such regiments have been raised in the Army since Independence.
"These have been existing since that time, and these are based on past history. For example, my regiment Grenadiers has existed for more than 250 years. All these regiments have got a legacy behind them, it's not like that some particular regiment... except the Naga regiment, it was raised... but it was also a part of the Kumaon regiment," he told Jagran English over a phone call.
He further argues that it is wrong to say that caste-based regiments are exclusively caste-based because a regiment includes recruits of different castes and religions. "It's not that one particular community has a regiment. It's a misunderstanding that people have," he noted.
Speaking about the Ahirs' demands, Lieutenant General (Retired) Gurung said he doesn't think that raising a caste-based regiment would be right as it might create divisibility. He, however, feels that Ahirs "can be merged with other regiments like a company of Ahirs goes to a particular regiment, another company goes another regiment."
"For example, the Punjab regiment has got the Sikhs, the Dogras, and other communities, and that's how it is. It's not that Ahirs have demanded a separate regiment, then they should get one. When I was in the service, I was the DG Recruitment and I don't believe in it," he explained to Jagran English.
"I also want to add that there is no reservation in the Indian Army. That's a very important point, unlike the civil services where there is a reservation for the SCs, STs... No particular community so cannot claim to have a regiment on their name," he added.
Lieutenant General (Retired) AK Bakshi also feels the same that raising caste-based regiments in the Indian Army wouldn't be the right option. In a telephonic conversation with Jagran English, Lieutenant General (Retired) Bakshi explained that caste-based regiments were only raised by the Britishers to "exploit that community" against another community.
"Maybe people demand community-based regiments because of vacancy and employment issues. At that time these were not issues. At that time, the issue was to exploit Indian communities against each other...," he said, adding that "making community-based regiments is more divisible."
"The tendency is now to raise an all community-based regiment. Like in my Bihar regiment, earlier there were only Biharis and Adivasis. Later, Adivasis from Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh were included. Then we included Gujaratis and people from Andaman and Nicobar Islands... because it is not good to have community-based regiments," he told Jagran English.
When asked about SARM's claims that the government had promised to create a separate regiment for them, Lieutenant General (Retired) Bakshi said a "Parliament resolution cannot be a binding factor."
"And I don't think someone even made such a promise. This cannot be a reason, tomorrow Gujjars will demand a regiment for them, others will also join them. Ahirs are there in very much every regiment. And even if an Ahir regiment is raised, it cannot be a pure community-based regiment."