Arise Bharat

The Supreme Court has upheld the dismissal of a Christian Army officer who refused to enter a gurdwara to perform a puja, citing it would compromise his faith. The officer, Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan, was criticised by the court for being a “cantankerous man” and a “misfit” for the Indian Army.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant stated that Kamalesan’s actions constituted “gross indiscipline” and backed the armed forces’ decision to terminate his service. The court noted that Kamalesan had defied a lawful command from his superior officer and had even ignored the advice of his own pastor.

The Delhi High Court had previously ruled that Kamalesan’s refusal to comply with the command was an act of indiscipline, violating essential military ethos. The Supreme Court agreed, dismissing Kamalesan’s appeal.

Kamalesan’s lawyer had argued that his client’s actions were protected by the Constitution, which guarantees the right to practice one’s own religion and not participate in others’ practices. However, the court was not convinced by this argument.

“What kind of message is he sending? Gross indiscipline by an Army officer. He should have been terminated. This kind of cantankerous persons deserves to be in the military?” the bench remarked.

“He may be an outstanding officer but he is a misfit for the Indian Army. The amount of responsibilities our forces have at this time… this is not what we want to entertain.”

The court also noted that Kamalesan had participated in other religious festivals like Holi and Diwali, but drew the line at entering the sanctum sanctorum of the gurdwara.

“When your pastor counsels you… you leave it at that. You cannot have your private understanding of what your religion permits. That too, in uniform…” Justice Joymala Bagchi observed.

Kamalesan’s lawyer, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, had argued that the Army had dismissed his client for a single infraction and that Kamalesan had displayed respect towards other religions. He pointed out that the gurdwara did not have a sarv dharm sthal and that Kamalesan had stood outside the sanctorum, offering to participate in other activities.

The Supreme Court, however, was not swayed by these arguments, concluding that Kamalesan’s actions were unacceptable in the military context.