A place of worship for all

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While serving in the Army, I had the opportunity to master several Indian languages and learn about the customs of various religions. The credit for this goes to the innumerable postings which always used to push me out of my comfort zone. I had learnt Gurkhali from the fearless Gurkhas and Punjabi from the lionhearted Sikhs.

I was once posted as the Deputy Commander who happens to be the ex-officio Officer Commanding Troops of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment in that brigade headquarters. In the blink of an eye, I had learnt the “Salah procedure” of Islamic prayer and would join the Muslim soldiers in offering prayers.

After about a few months, my Commander finally approved my annual leave. On the last PT parade before leave, my Subedar Major, a Muslim, and I were jogging on an offbeat track when my eyes fell on a dilapidated temple. “If someone constructed it, he should have ensured its maintenance,” I told him.

The next day, my family and I departed for the much-deserved break. After about a month, on the very first day back in office, I found a neatly handwritten invitation from the Subedar Major for some inauguration. I advised him that this privilege was the prerogative of the Commander and not the Deputy. “This has to be inaugurated by you only,” he said. “At least tell me what I have to inaugurate,” I asked him inquisitively. “I will tell you on the ground during PT parade tomorrow,” he replied.

I had a restless night wondering about the surprise in store for me. The next morning, he took me on a jog on the same route where I had spotted the derelict temple. On reaching there, I was speechless. The crumbling structure had been given a complete makeover. The cracks in the walls and the damaged roof had been repaired. The walls, ceiling and the dome had been given a fresh coat of paint.

I deeply appreciated his warm gesture and the Herculean effort. In the same breath, I ordered him to convert the temple into a Sarv Dharamsthal by placing the Guru Granth Sahib, the Bible, and the Koran inside. When I visited the same brigade last month, it satisfied me no end when I witnessed troops from all religions offering prayers in the building. Whenever I read these days about mandir-masjid conflict straining our secular fabric, I am reminded about my Subedar Major who proved himself to be a pluralist in the real sense of the term.

advityanidhi14@gmail.com