Some misconceptions about the Indian Armed Forces need correction.There has never been a bar on anyone joining the Armed Forces as officers. Social class has never been a barrier.English is still very much a necessity to becoming an Army officer for the simple reason that the Services do a lot of their work in that language. There is more military literature available in English than in any other language. All over the world that is. As for food most disagreements in Officers Messes under the British were over the need to serve Indian food and the British officers' refusal to oblige their Indian comrades. Mandeep ----- Original Message ----- From: "Arvind Kolhatkar" <akolhatkar@rogers.com> To: <india-british-raj@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 9:19 PM Subject: Re: [INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ] Images of India > Dear Listers, > > Harshawardhan says: > > <Even our military, which is steeped in British traditions, has relaxed > some > of its rigidity and got ''Indianised'' wherever necessary. But not these > old > clubs at places like Bombay, Calcutta or Bangalore. Their defence I think > is > that they are private bodies.> > > The old guard in Civil Services as also in the Defence forces tried to > keep > to the traditions handed down by the British to the extent they could but > democracy and economic forces have been eating into them and bringing > these > institutions closer to the 'Indian' India. Entry into the Defence Forces > at > the officer level was, till the 60's, restricted to upper class boys from > bigger cities, educated in the English medium. Ditto for IAS and other > higher Civil Services. As the economy expanded, these boys either left > India for the western countries or joined management ranks of > multinationals > and big Indian companies because of better monetary rewards. Their place > was taken by bright boys from smaller towns and vernacular schools and > these > brought their 'Indian' habits with them. As an example, in 1981 I had > occasion to spend a few days in Leh, Ladakh and was staying in the camp of > the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, a para-military outfit. Indian 'ghee' was > a > part of the fare in the mess, something unthinkable till the 60's! Yet, > they still followed the old rule of not allowing women into the mess > except > on guest nights by invitation. > > As probationers in the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, we > were taught how to solemnly rise at the end of formal dinners and toast > 'the > President' with orange juice! Our Director was the redoubtable Mr. > Pimputkar, ICS, a member of the old guard and a stickler for timetables > and > rules. I do not think this ritual, so 'British Empire', survives any more > under Directors of later years. > > As to the exclusive clubs, I remember the furor in the 60' when it became > known that the Breach Candy Swimming Club in Bombay would not accept > Indians > as members. Their rules have relaxed since then but even today if an > Indian > wants to be a member there, it helps if he has a foreign connection - a > wife, for example, from one of the rich countries. > > Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, December 03, 2007. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >