Credit: X/ADG PI – Indian Army
Two recent moves by the Indian Army have triggered concerns over whether the armed forces, known for their staunch adherence to the principles of secularism, are coming under the ideological sway of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist forces.
In the second week of December, a painting depicting the historic moment of the Pakistan Army’s surrender to India in the 1971 war was removed from the army chief’s lounge. That surrender on December 16, 1971, marked the liberation of East Pakistan, which then became Bangladesh.
The painting depicting the historic moment was replaced with a new painting set in the backdrop of the Pangong Tso, a lake along the China-India border. The painting features modern military assets along with the ancient historical figure Chanakya; the Indian epic Mahabharata’s depiction of the Hindu god, Krishna, guiding Arjuna’s chariot; and the Hindu mythological figure Garuda from the epic Ramayana.
Then on December 26, 2024, the Fire and Fury Corps of the Indian Army unveiled a statue of the 17th-century Indian king “Chhatrapati” Shivaji on the bank of the Pangong Tso. Behind the statue flutters a saffron flag with an image of Shivaji imprinted on it. India’s ruling Hindu nationalists celebrate Shivaji’s coronation day as Hindu Samrajya Divas (Hindu Empire Day).
“The event celebrates the unwavering spirit of the Indian ruler, whose legacy remains a source of inspiration for generations,” said the Corps in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter. It described Shivaji, whose Maharashtra-centric kingdom ruled parts of western India, as a “towering symbol of valor, vision and unwavering justice.”
On the face of it, the two moves seem to symbolize India’s recognition of the changed reality that China, and not Pakistan, is India’s principal security concern. Both moves involve the Pangong Tso — the painting sets the lake as its backdrop and the other sees a statue installed at the lake. The strategically important Pangong Tso straddles the disputed China-India border in Ladakh. It is among the “friction points” that emerged between the two countries amid the tensions between their troops since May 2020.
This story was originally published in thediplomat.com. Read the full story here.
