Cadet Prayer

The day’s opening hours, for me, must include a scan of the newspaper headlines. A common feature, of late, has been the army, its officers and various unsavoury shenanigans. Whither the Indian Army?

My father served in the Indian Army. I treasure his parchment commission, received at the time of Independence and signed by our first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Thankfully, for the duration of his service, the Indian Army was the exemplar of discipline and duty: standards that were set for home and family too. The army way of life then and now are far removed from each other. Life was more difficult then without the major comforts that army families enjoy today. That was the time of laying foundations, of building, of creating a blueprint for those to follow. It was also a time of intermittent but very active war. It was a trying time that built men of character. It was a time when men of character were trying to build a nation.

And I like to think that what kept these men straight and true was the Cadet Prayer. Though he served with the Indian Army, my father was trained by the British and he always carried a little card embossed with the title ‘Cadet Prayer’. No author is mentioned. Travel stained and somewhat faded with time, this little card must have been part of the cadets’ kit.

Here are the words:

“O God, our Father, Thou searcher of men’s hearts, help us to draw near to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural.

Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretence ever to diminish. Encourage us in our endeavour to live above the common level of life. Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy. Guard us against flippancy and irreverence in the sacred things of life. Grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service. Kindle our hearts in fellowship with those of a cheerful countenance and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer. May we find genuine pleasure in clean and wholesome mirth and feel inherent disgust for all coarse minded humour. Help us, in our work and in our play, to keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight, that we may the better maintain the honour of the Corps untarnished and unsullied, and acquit ourselves like men in our effort tor realize the ideals of our Army in doing our duty to Thee and to our Country. All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of men.”

Christian in concept, the prayer is universal. It holds man in commitment to God and Country. Sadly, many have been killed in the name of both.