TODAY has learnt, though, that during his Basic Military Training in December, Pte Madana’s unit accommodated his requests to keep his tuft of long hair, which he wanted to maintain because he was a Brahmin priest at a temple here. The unit also allowed his request to have home-cooked food to be delivered to him daily.
channelnewsasia.com - NSF gets five days’ detention
It’s so ironic. The poor NS serviceman has been fighting so hard to keep his hair and now that he is sentenced to detention barracks, he would have his head shaved!
I personally knew of a Brahmin and I believe they are generally good people (god fearing). Well, obviously there is a cultural clash when SAF meets religion. I hope it all turns out well for the NS serviceman and wish him all the best. Serve his time and frak off from the army.
I totally understand the unbending nature of SAF. If they allow Brahmins to eat their own food and not cut their hair, then the other religions will demand for other privileges. SAF prefers to keep the pandora sealed shut. A NSman myself, I can sympathize with this fellow serviceman. Well, all I can say is for the serviceman to bare with it and get it over with. There is little else he or his family can do.
I am more interested to see how the Brahmin community as a whole react to this event.
