The Army headquarters has issued a letter to all its Commands on the incorrect use of the term “martyr” for soldiers who fell in the line of duty, which it said “may not be inappropriate.”

“Martyr refers to a person who suffers death as a penalty for refusing to renounce a religion or a person who suffers very much or is killed because of their religious or political beliefs,” the letter dated February 2 says, adding, so “the continued reference to Indian Army soldiers as martyrs may not be appropriate”. It noted that over the years, some officials of the armed forces and the media describe soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice as “martyrs”.

Alternative terms

An Army source this was a routine reminder sent periodically to all formations. The letter seen by Rashtra News listed six terms that can be used for fallen soldiers.

The letter further stated that in order to “preserve the memory and maintain the dignity of Indian Army soldiers” who have made the “supreme sacrifice” while protecting the sovereignty and integrity of the nation, it is requested that “any one of the following terms (as per context) may be used” when referring to them in public in speech or in written form. The six terms suggested are: killed in action, laid down their lives, supreme sacrifice for the nation, fallen heroes, Indian Army braves and fallen soldiers.

There has been an increasing trend in recent years to refer to soldiers killed in the line of duty as ‘martyrs’. Over the years, both Defence and Home Ministries have on several occasions reiterated that there is no official usage of the term ‘martyr.’

For instance, on December 22, 2015, the Home Ministry said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the Ministry of Defence has informed that the word “martyr” is not used in reference to any of the casualties in Indian armed forces. “Similarly, no such term is used in reference to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) personnel killed in action or on any operation,” then Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, said in the written reply.

Very recently, the Home Ministry had reiterated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha in December 2021.