Wear uniforms, medals as per rule, Army tells veterans

The Army has issued an advisory to all veterans, reminding them of the guidelines governing the use of uniform and medals and advising them not wear them at non-ceremonial events, a defence source said.

The advisory, issued couple of weeks back, comes in the backdrop of instances reported at the ongoing farmers’ protest where veterans were seen wearing uniform.

The advisory sent to the Kendriya Sainik Board says that uniform and medals should not be worn by ex-Servicemen in places where they were not authorised, the source said. There were regulations laid down in ‘regulations for the Army’, which state that uniform and medals could be worn by veterans during ceremonial events such as parades and wreath-laying, the source added.

The advisory was a general reiteration of the guidelines which did not permit the donning of uniform or pinning of medals on the chest by veterans at political events and did not specifically refer to the farmers’ protest, a second source said.

After reports that serving personnel on leave may be joining the ongoing farmers’ protests against the new farm laws, the Army has also sensitised personnel from joining them.