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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HC to decide if gram panchayat members can continue in Manipur post tenure: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday said the high court would decide whether the elected gram panchayat members, whose five-year tenure was over in Manipur, were entitled to continue in their posts in the event of the appointment of an administrative committee or an administrator.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said it would like to have the benefit of the view of the high court in the matter and set a three-month time frame to adjudicate the legal question.
"The question that falls for consideration in this case is that whether the elected member of the Gram Panchayat whose five-year tenure is over was entitled to continue as members of the gram panchayat in the event of appointment of administrative committee or administrator, as contemplated under Section 22 of the Manipur Panchayati Raj Act of 1994," the bench noted.
The Manipur government’s counsel said the state could not hold panchayat elections due to the unprecedented violence.
"Since, we would like to have the advantage of the opinion of the high court, we dispose of the special leave petition without expressing any opinion on merits, with the request to the chief justice of Manipur High Court to post the main case before a division bench at the earliest. We further request the division bench, before whom the matter is listed, to provide expeditious hearing with an endeavour to resolve the controversy within three months," the bench said.
The bench noted that provision of Manipur Panchayati Raj Act was amended to substitute the word "cease" with the word "continue" with respect to the tenure of the elected members of the gram panchayat.
The petitioners have challenged a high court order and submitted that since elections in gram panchayat could not be held in Manipur for various reasons, the previously elected members of the panchayat were entitled to continue as per the amended Section 22 (3) of 1994 Act.
Section 22 deals with the power of deputy commissioner to appoint an administrative committee or an administrator for a period of six months, which will then oversee the election.
Section 22 (3) of the law says once the administrative committee or an administrator is appointed by the deputy commissioner, the elected members of earlier gram panchayat shall cease to exist.
The top court said what has been challenged before it was an interlocutory order of the high court and the main petition in which the question of law that had been raised was still pending.
The original petitioners before the high court were elected representatives at the fifth general elections for gram panchayats and the zilla parishads who sought a direction to continue in the office beyond the period of five years as stipulated by law as elections were last held in 2017.
They sought to continue as panchayat members till the time the state election commission notified the election for the sixth general elections for gram panchayats and zilla parishads.
On February 29, last year, the high court in its interim order gave liberty to Manipur government to appoint an administrative committee for each gram panchayat and zilla parishad in accordance with law and the provision of the Act.
