Ethnic Group Recruitment in the Indian Army: The Contrasting Cases of Sikhs, Muslims, Gurkhas and Others

In: Pacific affairs, Band 74, Heft 4, S. 529-552

Abstract

Recent scholarship has brought forth several works on the ethnic/religious composition of the Indian army during the colonial period, but no systematic account of its composition in the postindependence era exists. What is the current recruitment policy? Does the composition of the military personnel mirror the religious & ethnic diversity of the Indian national population? Does the military attempt to inculcate national values & perspectives in recruit training & professional education? Does common military experience serve to reduce ethnoreligious identification by building cross-ethnic pressures? Is there trans-community deployment of military personnel? Are promotions based on perceived competence rather than ethnoreligious affiliation? What is the impact of the polarization of the Indian society along religious divide between Hindus, Muslims, & Sikhs since 1947? Answers to these questions are based on interviews with former military officers, published accounts of military & defense officials, & the writings of informed journalists & academics. The role of the armed forces has been exceptionally positive in remaining neutral peacemakers during Hindu-Muslim violence, although it is changing due to the rise of Hindu extremism. 2 Tables. Adapted from the source document.