Living Legends [Correction 12/28/05] ; Rule Changers. Ground Breakers. The Nation has Grown Up with Them. They Have Changed the Contours of Their Arena, As Much As They Have Altered the Way We Live, Think, Dream, Buy, Even Amuse Ourselves. They Are Our National Treasures Who Have Created Records Meant to Be Broken and Standards Meant to Be Equalled.

India Today › December 27, 2005

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Summary

J.J. SINGH ON S.H.F.J. MANEKSHAW

An Officer and a Gentleman

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Living Legends [Correction 12/28/05] ; Rule Changers. Ground Breakers. The Nation has Grown Up with Them. They Have Changed the Contours of Their Arena, As Much As They Have Altered the Way We Live, Think, Dream, Buy, Even Amuse Ourselves. They Are Our National Treasures Who Have Created Records Meant to Be Broken and Standards Meant to Be Equalled.

I first heard about the Field Marshal as a schoolboy in Jammu where he was commanding the Tiger Division. He had a handsome and flamboyant personality with a rare and distinguished charisma. He endeared himself to everyone, from a sepoy to a general, with his humility and humane outlook on life.

General Manekshaw would often go for a walk in the evening towards the officers' transit camp in Jammu. On one such visit, he came across a young officer returning from leave and struggling with his luggage. On finding him in a spot, Sam Bahadur, as he was lovingly called, then in his civvies, promptly helped the officer carry his bags to the transit camp. The guards on duty smartly saluted their general officer. A bit surprised, the young officer guardedly enquired of him, "Thank you, sir. Who are you?" Sam replied, "Oh, I help soldiers like I just did, and in my spare time I command the division." After being commissioned in the army, I served under the Field Marshal when he was the commander of the Eastern Army. At that time, I was with my battalion in Nagaland. It was during this tenure that I imbibed the counter-insurgency philosophy outlined by Sam which was based on a humane approach and was aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the Nagas. The success of his combat philosophy was evident when we conducted an operation to trap an infiltrating insurgent group led by the self-styled Naga general Mowu Angami. Intelligence poured in from local people at all stages of the operation thanks to our people-friendly approach. The operation was a major success and left an indelible impression on my mind. To an extent, the central theme of my counter-terrorist operations is inspired by this approach.

In early 1971, a cabinet meeting was in progress after the crackdown in Bangladesh by the Pakistani forces. Indira Gandhi was in the chair with senior cabinet ministers. The then chief of army staff was an invitee. Mrs Gandhi was furious about the continuous and frantic reports of refugees pouring into the border states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, and wanted immediate intervening military action. Rather than toeing her line as most would have done in his place, the chief had the presence of mind and, most importantly, the moral courage to reply, "Prime minister, that would mean going to war, and we are not ready at the moment."

Thereafter, he listed the advantages of going to war at a later date and was able to convince the prime minister. That was Sam. After the setbacks suffered in 1962 on the Sino-Indian border and the successes of the 1965 conflict with Pakistan, the Indian Army rallied under Sam to give the nation its finest hour. He masterminded a brilliant, 14-day military campaign to achieve victory and liberate Bangladesh. His stoic insistence on buying time to prepare the army resulted in the historic win and surrender of 93,000 Pakistani troops, a record in the annals of military history. It is also his greatest contribution to the nation and the armed forces.

Sam can disarm the most hostile crowd with a smile, forthright style and wit. He was and remains a soldier's general, who can identify with the rank and file of the organisation. He is also a great communicator and can hold the attention of any group. It is said that old soldiers never die, they just fade away. I am sure Sam won't. He will continue to charm us with that twinkle in his eye, rekindling hope. Ninety years young, he will remain the epitome of an officer and a gentleman, carrying the spirit of soldiering from the past, reliving it in the present and preserving it for the future.

(The writer is the chief of army staff.)

BIO

Born in Amritsar, Punjab, in 1914

First Field Marshal of India

Led India to victory in 1971 war

Now lives alone in Kunnoor with his favourite Gorkha retainer

"If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying, or he is a Gorkha."

March 15, 1986

Featured in the Aug 21, 2000 issue

Did You Know?

He has a keen interest in gardening and has tried his hand at cooking.

1942 the year he was awarded the Military Cross

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I remember my first look at the man who would one day embody the historic right turn in Indian politics. It was 1967, and he was addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in east Delhi. Indira Gandhi was just a year old in office, her goongi gudiya days. Vajpayee, known for his poetic flourish, in a 40-minute speech, didn't attack her personal...

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