Sam Manekshaw: An Obituary
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw is no more.
Even though I never knew him nor met him I feel sad. While growing up, reading about him in papers and hearing stories about him from elders, had made him synonymous with bravery and courage. He personified all those qualities that a small kid should look up to. He was a part of my childhood, a part of my life.
A few years before I joined my junior college he had addressed our annual function. My teacher once told the class about it:
"After his speech, a girl looked the Field Marshal straight in the eye and asked," Field Marshal, on one hand the army allows boys to go into combat but denies us girls the same honor. If the army is the best way to serve the nation, what can we girls do to get in?"
Pointing at the army men who accompanied him, the Field Marshal quipped, "Marry us."
The auditorium rang with laughter and cheers. Most of those cheering were girls. They cheered because far from being sexist, the Field Marshal was merely underlining the tremendous role played by army wives in our country's defense.”
When Nehru ordered him to command the retreating Indian forces in the disastrous 1962 Indo-China war, his first order was the by now legendary, "There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued." Galvanised, the army stopped the Chinese advance.
Another story goes something like this: The 1972 war was planned so well that to avoid excesses by the Indian army, the General used the one weapon that never fails: humor. When the first Indian soldiers entered Bangladesh, they encountered sign-posts put up by their General on the border. The sign posts said: “Hands in your pockets, boys. You are entering Pakistani territory. Indian girls are much prettier.” Not a single Bangladeshi girl was touched by the Indian forces during the campaign.
Anecdotes like these abound about independent India’s second Field Marshal who was lovingly named ‘Sam Bahadur’ by the Gorkha regiment he commanded. I am not going to write a conclusion to this piece because if you are an Indian, you must find more about men like Sam Bahadur. I am starting you off with these links to articles from people who were fortunate enough to know him better:
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/apr/03sam1.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/apr/03sam.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/apr/04sam.htm
Even though I never knew him nor met him I feel sad. While growing up, reading about him in papers and hearing stories about him from elders, had made him synonymous with bravery and courage. He personified all those qualities that a small kid should look up to. He was a part of my childhood, a part of my life.
A few years before I joined my junior college he had addressed our annual function. My teacher once told the class about it:
"After his speech, a girl looked the Field Marshal straight in the eye and asked," Field Marshal, on one hand the army allows boys to go into combat but denies us girls the same honor. If the army is the best way to serve the nation, what can we girls do to get in?"
Pointing at the army men who accompanied him, the Field Marshal quipped, "Marry us."
The auditorium rang with laughter and cheers. Most of those cheering were girls. They cheered because far from being sexist, the Field Marshal was merely underlining the tremendous role played by army wives in our country's defense.”
When Nehru ordered him to command the retreating Indian forces in the disastrous 1962 Indo-China war, his first order was the by now legendary, "There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued." Galvanised, the army stopped the Chinese advance.
Another story goes something like this: The 1972 war was planned so well that to avoid excesses by the Indian army, the General used the one weapon that never fails: humor. When the first Indian soldiers entered Bangladesh, they encountered sign-posts put up by their General on the border. The sign posts said: “Hands in your pockets, boys. You are entering Pakistani territory. Indian girls are much prettier.” Not a single Bangladeshi girl was touched by the Indian forces during the campaign.
Anecdotes like these abound about independent India’s second Field Marshal who was lovingly named ‘Sam Bahadur’ by the Gorkha regiment he commanded. I am not going to write a conclusion to this piece because if you are an Indian, you must find more about men like Sam Bahadur. I am starting you off with these links to articles from people who were fortunate enough to know him better:
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/apr/03sam1.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/apr/03sam.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/apr/04sam.htm
posted by Ishan Bhole | 5:42 AM
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