ONCE A SOLIDER ALWAYS A SOLIDER - SAULTE TO SAM ON HIS DEATH ANNIVERSARY Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw MC ( 3 April 1914 – 27 June 2008 ) also known as Sam Bahadur (Sam the Brave) was an Indian military leader who was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw remains one of the most enigmatic personas of our times. His distinguished military career spanned four decades and five wars, beginning with service in the British Indian Army in World War II.Sam Manekshaw was decorated with a Military Cross (MC) for his exemplary courage during this period as it was feared he might die. MC, it may be known, was not awarded posthumously until 1979. Sam not only survived the ordeal but lived on to be 94 His greatness could be ascertained from his following his words.. (1) You know I have no political ambitions. My job is to command my army and see that it is kept as a first rate instrument. Your job is to look after the country. ( This was a reply he gave when Indira Gandhi called him to her chamber and confronted him with the question Are you trying to take over from me? Pupul Jayakar (27 November 1997). Indira Gandhi: A Biography. ) (2) The status of the field marshal of the country or the equivalent has to be unique for the nation. ( His remark to A.P.J.Abdul Kalam during a meeting in 2007.A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Turning Points. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-93-5029-543-4.) (3) If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha. ( PREMJI. A Nomad Repaints the Globe. PartridgeIndia. pp. 70–. ISBN 978-1-4828-1337-1.) (4) I wonder whether those of our political masters who have been put in charge of the defence of the country can distinguish a mortar from a motor; a gun from a howitzer; a guerrilla from a gorilla, although a great many resemble the latter. ( His view on the military knowledge of politicians quoted in NRIs irked by poor Manekshaw farewell. Diligent Media Corporation Ltd.. 7 July 2008. Retrieved on 2 December 2013.) (5) There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued. ( His remark on assuming command of the retreating 4 Corps during the Sino-Indian War of 1962 quoted in Sam Manekshaw, soldier, died on June 27th, aged 94. The Economist. 3 July 2008. Retrieved on 2 December 2013.) (6) Then I guess Pakistan would have won (the 1971 war).His quip when asked asked, if had he opted for Pakistan at the time of the Partition in 1947, quoted in A soldiers general. ( Mumbai Mirror. 28 June 2008. Retrieved on 2 December 2013.) (7) Its nonsense that people join the army to serve the country, like the politicians do it only for the sake of the country. ( Quotations by 60 Greatest Indians. Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology.) (8) Give me a man or a woman with common sense and who is not an idiot and I assure you can make a leader out of him or her ( During a lecture on leadership quoted in Field Marshal KM Kariappa Memorial Lectures, 1995-2000. Lancer Publishers. 2001. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-81-7062-119-5.) (9) A ‘Yes man’ is a dangerous man. He is a menace. He will go very far. He can become a minister, a secretary or a Field Marshall but he can never become a leader nor, ever be respected. He will be used by his superiors, disliked by his colleagues and despised by his subordinates. So discard the ‘Yes man’. ( His lecture on leadership quoted in Field Marshal KM Kariappa Memorial Lectures, 1995-2000, page=28) (10) The primary, the cardinal attribute of leadership is professional knowledge and professional competence. And you will agree with me... that you cannot be born with professional knowledge and professional competence. Not even if you are the son of the Prime Minister, an industrialist, or a Field Marshal. Professional knowledge has to be acquired the hard way. It is continuous study and you never acquire it in today’s fast-moving technological world that you are living in. You have to keep up with your profession whatever you are in.Professional knowledge and professional competence are the main attributes of leadership. Unless you know, and the men you command know that you know your job, you will never be a leader. His lecture on leadership quoted in Field Marshal KM Kariappa Memorial Lectures, 1995-2000, page=26 Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was one of Indias greatest generals, Like a good officer, he was blunt and gentleman to the core. In April 1971, as Indias Army Chief, he refused to be rushed into a war with Pakistan since the time wasnt right. Despite pressure from the cabinet, he stuck to his guns. The Indian Army launched the assault in December that year and won the war that led to the birth of Bangladesh. Sam Manekshaw, already a famous man, became an icon. He was first honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, the nations second highest civilian award. Then in 1973, he became the first Indian army officer to be promoted to the highest military rank of Field Marshal. A quintessential soldier, he once told the cadets at the Indian Military Academy, You will not have wealth, you will not be rich but you will have respect, you will be the soldier of this great Army. But Sams larger-than-life image also earned him some enemies. For long, he was denied the benefits and status due to a Field Marshal. It was not until 2006-07 that President Abdul Kalam took the initiative and made sure the general got his full dues. But perhaps, it was too late by then. Sam was already in hospital. His wifes loss had left him weaker. Field Marshal Manekshaw travelled the world, led the Indian Army, witnessed and participated in five different wars but in the end he settled down in serene town of Coonoor, in the Nilgiri Hills, and built a house with his wife Seelu. It is here that he spent the last three decades of his life.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 14:36:51 +0000
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