Lt Col Sandeep Ahlawat, an Indian Army officer wrote a post on social media expressing his discontentment with politicians using the military uniform for gaining votes. Ahlawat opines that a faux uniform can be bought but not a soldier’s heart.

My Dear Politicians,

A military jacket inspires confidence, people of India trust an enlisted combatant with their lives. Military regalia gives you stark clean look that makes you feel invincible. It gives you a powerful “in-charge persona”. A happy go lucky teenager’s appropriation of camouflage Cargo trousers as a fashion statement is well understood as it is a legitimate cultural expression, but a politician wearing a military jacket in a political rally is anathema of humongous proportions. You will be able to buy some fancy military wear from a shop but where from will you get the heart of a soldier whose all four chambers beat for India? You can’t order a soldier’s heart from Amazon!!

Politicians selling online an Indian Army cap or donning a camouflage military shirt/Jacket ( especially during political rallies ) means:-

1 You are stealing the valour of the Forces for your political gains.
2. You are profiteering by selling fake nationalism.
3. You are resorting to illegal activity by selling Military accoutrement.
4. Don’t appropriate anything military, both serving and veteran community are seething in anger.
5. Combat apparels look cool in a combat zone and not in some bike rally in cosy confines of Delhi!! Combat wear with a Tilak on your forehead is terrible optics.
6. You are dragging Indian Armed Forces into a political discourse that too against their will and without their consent.
7. Indian Armed Forces belong to 130 crore Indians and Faujis owe their allegiance only to people of India, the constitution of India and Republic of India!!

Get enlisted! Get trained! Take an oath! Spill blood! Lose a limb! Give your life! Lose your brother! Suffer PTSD! Come back on leave and then wear the disruptive pattern with elan but not for surreptitiously begging for votes!!

Without embodiment and without the “Oath” it is all Bunkum!!

Please respect the fact that servicemen have never appropriated your Kurta Pajama Or Khadi!!
And yes Nehru Jacket or Burberry jacket looks cool with Kurta Pajama, not a military disruptive camouflage jacket!!

The only jacket politicians should be wearing is a straight jacket!!  And I repeat …….you can order a military jacket but you can’t order a soldier’s heart on Amazon.

Hope you get the drift.

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