The Air Force announced the visit of senior Indian Air Force leaders to Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, in late July.  The officers were reportedly in Kirtland to observe the USAF use of simulators for flight training.

A picture of an officer accepting a gift from the visiting leaders was interesting for its demonstration of the integration of religion not only with the Indian culture, but also its military:

Air Commodore J.S. Walia is evidently a Sikh, as he wears the religious articles of a member of that faith.  Currently, the US military has granted only a few exceptions to uniform wear to allow Sikhs to serve.

Also interesting is the gift chosen.  The gift is a replica of the National Emblem of India, which is based on the Lion of Sarnath.  The Indian emblem is based on a symbol that commemorates the third century proclamation of Buddhist doctrine.  Within India, Buddhists represent only a fraction of the population.  The motto that accompanies the emblem, Satyameva Jayate (“truth alone triumphs”) is a quote from Hindu religious texts; estimates place Hinduism as the most prominent religion in India, at 80% of the population.

There’s a bit of irony in a foreign military leader giving a gift like that to a country that still sees lawsuits over its own national motto, and whose military is sometimes criticized over the slightest association with a specific religious doctrine.