From Mallareddy Palli to the Front Lines: The Legendary Valor of India's Muslim Troops
Indian Muslims serving in the armed forces during the conflict in 1965 were honoured with several of the nation's highest military honours for gallantry. In 1965, during the Battle of Poonch, predominantly Muslim soldiers from the Rajput Regiment were victorious over the Pakistani Army and were able to take control of the region. The Param Vir Chakra was presented to Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid as a token of gratitude for his brave acts during the Battle of Asal Uttar.
Air Commodore Idris Hasan Latif was promoted to the position of Chief of the Indian Air Force before he eventually retired after being awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal for his service in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation struggle.
In certain parts of India, such as certain villages, it is traditional for at least one son to enlist in the Indian Army. In the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, one of the villages where this phenomenon is observed is called Mallareddy Palli. In this region, the majority of the population identifies as Muslim. It is stated that the sons born in this village are brave and fearless and that they protect their country. Every boy of fighting age in this hamlet is conscripted and taken to the frontier to battle with the adversary. Every young man in this town gets up early and immediately gets to work in order to fulfil his lifelong ambition of joining the Indian Army.
Mallareddy Palli Village is home to numerous valiant troops who fought in the Indo-Pak Wars, Kargil War, and India-China War. The old here encourage the youth to serve their country by joining the military, and they support their efforts to continue this tradition.
There are 86 households that make their home in the village of Mallareddy Palli, and out of those homes, 130 young people have been assigned to guard the frontiers of the country. One of the most notable characteristics of this community is that its young people continue their service in the armed forces even after achieving higher levels of schooling.
There are no available official figures on the percentage of Muslims serving in the Indian armed forces. In the late 1990s, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had previously served as India's Minister of Defense, declared that barely 1% of the country's armed forces consisted of Muslims. The number that was once present is unrecognisable compared to this current one.
Due to the fact that Muslims served as a primary source of the uprising for Indian independence, the British colonial government viewed its Muslim members in the military services with a high level of distrust. Despite the distrust, the percentage of Muslims serving in the Indian Army reached approximately 30 per cent just as the sun was setting on the British Raj. According to the minister of state for the defence at the time, this number had dropped to two per cent in a mere six years after it had initially been recorded. Prime Minister Nehru expressed serious concern and actively pursued measures to increase Muslim participation in the military.
There are no available official figures on the percentage of Muslims serving in the Indian armed forces. In the late 1990s, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had previously served as India's Minister of Defense, declared that barely 1% of the country's armed forces consisted of Muslims. The number that was once present is unrecognisable compared to this current one.
In 2010, it came to light that Muslims accounted for 3% of those killed in the attack on the American military and 6% of the martyrs. The Indian Army said that in 2010, various actions resulted in the loss of 15 officers, 13 junior commissioned officers, and 159 men. Twelve of the soldiers who died in the line of duty were Muslims, which represents 6.41% of the total number of martyrs. Another fact worth noting is that ten of the twelve individuals served in the infantry unit of the Army.
The latest Agnipath scheme of the Indian government has raised protests from the majority of the ex-armed forces personnel and aspirants. The Agnipath scheme is a new initiative established by the Government of India on 14 June 2022 for the recruitment of non-commissioned officers into the three military services. The recruits will serve for four years, including six months of training followed by three and a half years of deployment. After retirement, individuals will be able to apply to remain in the armed services, and up to 25 per cent of those who apply will be selected for the permanent cadre. Personnel who retire after four years of service will not be entitled to a pension but will instead get a lump sum of about 11.71 lakhs.
In contrast to the majority, Muslim clerics encouraged the youth to participate in the programme. In June, the appeal was made from mosques in several regions of Uttar Pradesh before Friday prayers. The clergy also provided information about the programme, emphasising that applicants must have passed the Class 10 and Class 12 examinations.
The Indian Army is a secular organisation, and all officers and soldiers, regardless of religion, caste, creed, or gender, serve the nation with pride.
Girish Linganna
Aerospace & Defence Analyst
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Man sets himself on fire near Parliament, hospitalised with 95 pc burns
New Delhi, Dec 25: A man in his early 30s is undergoing treatment for 95 per cent burns after he set himself on fire near the new Parliament building on Wednesday afternoon, officials said here.
Delhi Fire Services officials said the incident occurred around 3.35 pm near the Railway Bhawan opposite the Parliament building.
They said security personnel deployed near Parliament rushed the man, identified as Jitendra of Uttar Pradesh's Bagpat, to the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital.
The man suffered 95 per cent deep burns and is undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the burns department, a professor in the department of medicine at the hospital said.
Dr Pulin Kumar Gupta, who is also the RML's media head, said a team of doctors were taking care of him.
According to an official statement, "He set himself on fire at the roundabout near Rail Bhawan. The local police and railway police, along with some people, immediately extinguished the fire and the person was sent to hospital."
According to initial investigations, the man took the extreme step due to a dispute with some people back home in Bagpat, it said.
Carrying a bag containing some clothes and a notebook, he sat on the footpath for a few minutes before pouring some chemicals over himself and setting himself on fire, a police officer said.
"With his body engulfed in the flames, he ran on the road and fell. Security personnel put the blanket on him to douse the fire," he said.
Police said Jitendra took a train to Delhi's Shahdara railway station on Wednesday morning. His half-burnt backpack and some other belongings were seized from the spot.
A general ticket of Rs 15 has also been recovered from his pocket, police said.
Sources said police have found that some cases were going on against him and his family members in Bagpat and he was upset over it.
The officer said the man's family members have been contacted and further investigations were on.
