Indian Army officials ordered the destruction of mobile phones belonging to 50 soldiers recently.

As the men were ordered to stand and watch, two of their colleagues smashed the phones with stones.

The officers of the unit had banned mobile phones to curb the use of social media. When they spotted a few soldiers with phones they ordered a search that led to the confiscation of the phones.

The video of the incident which took place at the Mahar regiment in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, highlights the underlying tension between the ranks of the world’s second largest military force.

Many soldiers, unhappy at the facilities and treatment they receive, have made videos of their shoddy living conditions and shared them on social media triggering huge controversies.

Much of the grievance is targeted at the orderly system, a colonial hangover, under which soldiers are assigned to manual work at the homes of senior officers.

Alarmed by the growing incidents of soldiers sharing videos on social media, Army chief General Bipin Rawat had shared a What’s App number early this year and urged his men to air their grievances through that.

Junior Warrant Officer (rtd) Nalin Talwar, who fights for the rights of soldiers, said many who complained on the official What’s App number had been victimised.

Sharing the Mahar regiment video, he said, there was no need to destroy the phones of soldiers. “They could have been just confiscated and returned later to send a message,” he said.