ASIA/INDIA - Christian officer's appeal rejected: "Freedom of conscience trampled upon"

New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – The Supreme Court of India has rejected the appeal of a Christian army officer who challenged his dismissal from the armed forces. The dismissal was ordered after the man refused to participate in his regiment's religious activities at a Sikh temple. The Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Delhi High Court, which had confirmed the army's action and described the conduct of Protestant officer Samuel Kamalesan as "incompatible with military discipline."
The officer was dismissed from service for a single act of refusing to enter the holiest site of a Sikh temple, as this was deemed contrary to his Christian faith. Kamalesan claimed that he nevertheless respectfully participated in all other events and visited the regiment's multi-faith spaces. The man had refused to accompany his soldiers, all of whom belong to the Sikh religion, to a place they consider sacred.
The man's lawyer stated that "the appellant's fundamental right to freedom of religion under Article 25 of the Constitution cannot be denied solely on the grounds of wearing a uniform." However, the court ruled that this right is not violated by entering a place of worship of another religion, and emphasized that the officer had also ignored the advice of a local Christian pastor who had assured him he was free to enter.
Kamalesan stated that he had always accompanied troops on religious parades, but had refrained from entering the Sikh shrine during times of worship and special celebrations or prayers, citing "reasons of religious conscience."
He was subsequently dismissed from the army "for serious disciplinary offenses," a dismissal upheld by the Delhi High Court and now by the Supreme Court. “This is a serious act that tramples on the freedom of conscience and religion enshrined in the constitution,” commented Indian Catholic journalist and writer John Dayal to Fides. “The avoidance of a religious rite or gesture on grounds of conscience is a legally protected right and concerns the private sphere of a person. No citizen should be forced or punished for this reason,” Dayal noted.
The case has opened a broader debate on the possibility of placing "reasonable limits" on religious freedom in the context of military service and on how secularism should function within the traditions of the Armed Forces. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 29/11/2025)

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religious freedom

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freedom of conscience

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human rights

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