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PAKISTAN : WEAKENING OF THE DEFENCES
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rivalries are strongly marked. Let all races, Hindu or Mahomedan of one province be enlisted in one regiment and no others, and having created distinctive regiments, let us keep them so, against the hour of need…….. By the system thus indicated two great evils are avoided : firstly, that community of feeling throughout the native army and that mischievous political activity and intrigue which results from association with other races and travel in other Indian provinces.” *
This proposal was supported by many military men before the Peel Commission and was recommended by it as a principle of Indian Army Policy. This principle was known as the principle of Class Composition.
The Special Army Committee of 1879 was concerned with quite a different problem. What the problem was, becomes manifest from the questionnaire issued by the Committee. The questionnaire included the following question :—
“If the efficient and available reserve of the Indian Army is considered necessary for the safety of the Empire, should it not be recruited and maintained from those parts of the country which give us best soldiers, rather than among the weakest and least warlike races of India, due regard, of course, being had to the necessity of not giving too great strenght or prominence to any particular race or religious group and with due regard to the safety of the Empire ?”
The principal part of the question is obviously the necessity or otherwise of “not giving too great strength or prominence to any particular race or religious group”. On this question official opinion expressed before the Committee was unanimous.
Lt.-General H. J. Warres, Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army, stated :—
“I consider it is not possible to recruit the reserve of the Indian Army altogether from those parts of India which are said to produce best soldiers, without giving undue strength and prominence to the races and religions of these countries.”
The Commander-in-Chief, Sir Frederick P. Haines, said:—
“Distinct in race, language and interests from the more numerous Army of Bengal, it is, in my opinion, eminently politic and wise
*As quoted by Chaudhari.