By IANS,
Kolkata : The Indian Army Monday said the term “jawan” denoted a soldier of the army and urged that it should not be used to describe equivalent personnel in the police and paramilitary forces.
“Incorrect use of the term jawan may project an undesired image of an organisation nationally as well as internationally.
“It is requested that personnel equivalent to jawans of the Indian Army serving in police or paramilitary organisation should be addressed as ‘policemen’ or paramilitary persons,” a press communique, issued by the office of a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson (Eastern Command), said.
It also pointed out that the term ‘jawan’ was coined by late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
“Lal Bahadur Shastriji had first coined the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. Since then the word has become synonymous to the soldiers of the Indian Army,” it said.