Field Marshal Manekshaw

Sam Manekshaw: The Stuff of Legend

Kanayalal Raina *   

The legend of Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, who died on 27th June 2008 at the age of 94, will never die although his mortal remains have been buried. Rare are the heroes of a nation admired by commoners as their idol, inspiration and icon. Manekshaw was one such hero India always looked up to with pride and excitement. Sam Bahadur, as he was widely known, will continue to inspire generations of future soldiers. He had the rare distinction of winning a medal on a battlefield. On February 22, 1942, Captain Manekshaw had just captured two Japanese positions in the Burma campaign of World War Two, when seven bullets from a machine-gun whipped through his body. Major General D T Cowan instantly pinned his own medal on Manekshaw, saying, “You can’t award a dead man the Military Cross.” As a young officer while he suffered grievous injuries he did not give up. Seeing his valour Cowan pinned his own Military Cross ribbon on to Manekshaw saying: "A dead person can't be awarded a Military Cross." For the people like him a thinker has observed: "There are three marks of a superior man; being virtuous, he is free from anxiety; being wise he is free from perplexity; being brave he is free from fear."

Those who have had the occasion of watching him closely can vouch for his immense popularity among the people under his command. He was truly a soldier and a soldiers' general. I had an opportunity to meet him once at Mumbai, Oberoi Intercontinental hotel, while walking with him after he had left the Army (he was chairman of the All-India Sports Council then) one has seen him warmly shaking hands with former soldiers, well wishers and the latter responding equally sincerely.

Nothing seemed to matter him more than his country and the respect for his and his colleagues' uniform. He is stated to have persuaded the political leadership to let Lt Gen J.S. Aurora accept the surrender of Pakistani forces in Dhaka being the man in charge of the Eastern Sector. There are several incidents that explain the character of Sam Bahadur (he was so called because of his long association with the Gurkha Regiment after his original force, the Frontier Rifles, was allocated to Pakistan.

One of his famous quotes mentioned in almost all his obituaries is: "If anyone tells you he is never afraid he is a liar or a Gurkha." Lt-General A.K. Kalkat, a former army commander in Manekshaw's regiment, remembers, once there was a heated conversation between Sam and a general exposed to the charge of misusing funds. In an obvious bid to camouflage his misdeed, the "accused" tried to sound bitter: "Sir, do you know what you are saying? You are accusing a general of being dishonest." Sam replied: "Your chief is not only accusing you of being dishonest but also calling you a thief. If I were you I would go home and either shoot myself or resign. I am waiting to see what you will do." The general tendered his resignation. Krishna Menon once asked Manekshaw for his frank opinion of his superior officers. Manekshaw replied that criticising a superior officer behind his back was the best way of undermining discipline.

His argument with Indira Gandhi over the timing of the Bangladesh war reveals the stuff of which he was made of. He did not wish to rush into the exercise till the monsoons were over as it always rained heavily in that part of the sub-continent. He explained that neither the Army would be able to move effectively nor the Air Force would be in a position to provide support. He underlined his argument effectively ("it is my job to fight, it is my job to fight to win and I have to tell you the truth") and waited for a final decision by Indira Gandhi who was the Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi took some time to think and eventually agreed with him. It was in April 1971. What happened eight months later is part of our glorious history. Sam led India to victory and Bangladesh to liberation.     

[Kanayalal Raina is a Brampton-based engineer by training, project consultant by profession and freelance writer by passion. He is a Kashmir Pandit now staying in Canada.]