A controversial far-left NGO has raised objections against the Indian Army displaying its war cry at one of its regimental headquarters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, reports Times Now. According to the reports, a far-left self-proclaimed ‘activist’ group named the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations objected to the Indian Army displaying its battle cry – ‘Veeravel Vetrivel’ outside the 3rd Madras Regiment headquarters at Madukkarai near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
According to the NGO, the battle cry of ‘Veeravel Vetrivel’ is a religious slogan, and it should not be permissible in the Armed Forces.
#NewsAlert | National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations opposes ‘Veeravel Vetrivel’ slogan displayed at the entrance of Indian Army base in #Coimbatore. NCHRO says ‘religious slogan’ is not permitted in the Armed Forces.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) July 15, 2021
Shabbir Ahmed with details. pic.twitter.com/zWUw1dyTis
“Vetrivel, Veeravel”, translated to “victorious spear, courageous spear”, is one of the oldest battle cries of the Indian Army, which is historically used as a war cry by Tamil warriors since ancient times. Vel is the holy spear of Murugan, the Hindu war deity.
Reacting to the objection of the NGO, the Public Relations Officer of the Department of Defence said the slogan had been at the Army Regiment in Madukkarai for ages and each regiment in the Army had such distinct victory slogans. “Vetrivel, Veeravel has been used by the Madukkarai Regiment and has no other connection”, the official clarified.
The Indian Army, a secular and non-political institution, has adopted slogans of every religion and also proudly displays them often. This slogan is among many battle cries of the Indian Army, which is also adopted by the Madras Regiment.
However, the obscure NGO – National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations, which has glorified anti-India propagandists and Naxal sympathisers such as Stan Lourduswamy aka Stan Swamy – an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, attempts to drag the Indian Army into its petty politics by communalising one of its battle cries.
Stan Lourduswamy, commonly known as Stan Swamy, was an undertrial prisoner in the Elgar-Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence case, died last week at a Mumbai private hospital. The far-left NGO, which has a problem with the Indian Army’s war cry, has referred to the death of Naxal sympathiser Stan Lourduswamy’s death as an ‘institutional murder’ and issued a stern warning to the Indian state that his death will not be forgotten.
