Author: Anil Rana in Gandhinagar
Publication: The Statesman
Date: May 27, 2003
Moving to ensure that personal appearances
do not disclose an individual's religion or lead to bias, the IAF has ordered
its men in uniform not to sport "tilak/vibhuti on the forehead, thread
on wrists and trinklets and earrings."
The order, dated 24 February and
signed by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Krishna Swamy, has a thing
or two to say about the sporting of beards too. And this has not gone down
well with Muslims in IAF service. Only those Muslim personnel who had kept
a beard along with a moustache at the time of commissioning/enrolment prior
to 1 January 2002 would be allowed to continue with their beard and moustache,
the order states.
"Such personnel (Muslims) are to
maintain it (beard) in a manner ... neat, trimmed and tidy and not more
than the length covered by a fist... Muslims who have grown a beard after
joining service should shave it off. A Muslim who joined service before
1 January 2002 and had a beard at the time of joining shall not be allowed
to maintain it without the moustache...," the order said. The directive
comes into force with "immediate effect" and supercedes an earlier order
dated 6 October 1999.
Earlier, an IAF order of 10 August
1982 titled 'Discipline: Growth of Hair and Beard and Wearing of Turbans'
allowed Muslims to grow a beard after securing the permission of their
commanding officers even if they did not sport one at the time of commissioning.
The latest order withdraws this provision.
A section of airmen who have maintained
a beard for years, with due permission, are not happy. "There are two options
left for me: quit or shave off my beard... I grew a beard 15 years ago,"
said a pilot.
What also bothers serving Muslim
airmen is that new recruits will now have to go without a beard or a moustache.
One viewed this as "a choice between religion and service in the defence
forces". Furthermore, they point out that from now on IAF personnel will
not be allowed to maintain only a beard, but it will have to be accompanied
with a moustache.
Some find the order "discriminatory".
A section of airmen who had a beard and a moustache at the time of joining
will be able to continue with both. But others will not be allowed to follow
this particular dictate of their religion.
