2020 video of Army “piping ceremony” tradition shared out of context as officers forcing a soldier to drink
2020 video of Army “piping ceremony” tradition shared out of context as officers forcing a soldier to drink
Executive Summaryसारांश
: A video showing an Indian Army soldier drinking from a glass as a senior officer and his wife look on is circulating with a misleading claim. Fact-checkers traced it to a Times of India report from March 5, 2020. It shows a traditional “piping” ceremony marking a soldier’s promotion to Naib Subedar.: A video showing an Indian Army soldier drinking from a glass as a senior officer and his wife look on is circulating with a misleading claim. Fact-checkers traced it to a Times of India report from March 5, 2020. It shows a traditional “piping” ceremony marking a soldier’s promotion to Naib Subedar.
Full Reportपूरी रिपोर्ट
Fact-checkers have found that the viral clip is more than six years old. On March 5, 2020, the Times of India published the video under the headline “Watch: NCO gets pipped by wife and CO, with rank dipped in ‘special liquid’”. The report explained that the soldier had been promoted to Naib Subedar, a Junior Commissioned Officer rank, and his new rank insignia was being “pipped” on by his wife and his Commanding Officer. By regimental tradition, the insignia is dipped in a “special liquid”, and the glass is then drunk in one go. In the video, the wife mentions that he does not drink, and the CO replies, in a lighthearted way, that the drink represents the rank and must be taken. The clip shows a ceremonial unit custom marking a promotion, filmed openly with family members present, not misconduct or coercion. Recirculating old footage of regimental traditions without context to portray the Army negatively is misleading, so a video’s original source and date should be checked before it is shared.
Fact-checkers have found that the viral clip is more than six years old. On March 5, 2020, the Times of India published the video under the headline “Watch: NCO gets pipped by wife and CO, with rank dipped in ‘special liquid’”. The report explained that the soldier had been promoted to Naib Subedar, a Junior Commissioned Officer rank, and his new rank insignia was being “pipped” on by his wife and his Commanding Officer. By regimental tradition, the insignia is dipped in a “special liquid”, and the glass is then drunk in one go. In the video, the wife mentions that he does not drink, and the CO replies, in a lighthearted way, that the drink represents the rank and must be taken. The clip shows a ceremonial unit custom marking a promotion, filmed openly with family members present, not misconduct or coercion. Recirculating old footage of regimental traditions without context to portray the Army negatively is misleading, so a video’s original source and date should be checked before it is shared.