A military officer in India who was recently sacked for refusing to follow orders he believed were contrary to his Christian faith faced the High Court this week.
Samuel Kamalesan, a former lieutenant of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, was dismissed earlier this year for refusing to enter a gurdwara, a Sikh temple, to perform a religious ritual.
According to a report by Gulf News, he was subsequently removed from his post on the grounds of refusing orders and showing disrespect towards the faith of his fellow Sikh officers.
Kamalesan argued that taking part in the puja ritual would have conflicted with his Christian belief in one God. The Army responded by dismissing him for disobeying a direct order from a superior.
The High Court in New Delhi ruled in favour of the Army’s decision, labelling his actions as indiscipline because he placed his personal faith above military orders.
The Supreme Court addressed the case this week and also ruled in the Army’s favour, stating that duty must come above personal belief. The judges criticised his conduct, calling him a "cantankerous man" and a "misfit".
“What kind of message is he sending?” one judge asked, further questioning whether he deserved to be in the military.
It later emerged during proceedings that Kamalesan had ignored advice from his pastor regarding the situation, a point the bench highlighted and criticised.
Kamalesan’s defence lawyer argued that, aside from this incident, he had always respected other faiths and had taken part in various religious festivals.
The court maintained throughout that Kamalesan’s actions were not justified and concluded that they reflected an unwillingness to follow orders. “You cannot have your private understanding of what your religion permits when you are in uniform,” a judge stated.
Despite acknowledging that he was otherwise an exceptional soldier, the court upheld the decisions of both the Army and the High Court regarding Kamalesan’s removal.
Christianity currently makes up 5.1 per cent of India’s population, according to Open Doors, with Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam being the other major religions.