Rest In Peace Sam Bahadur!

The first active Field Marshall of the Indian Army, Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw is active no more. The nonagenarian took his last breath on 27th June 2008 at a Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu at the age of 94.

He was a hero in the 2nd world war and was decorated right in the battle field. Fighting on the Burma front against the Japanese in 1942, Manekshaw was almost pronounced dead when brought to Rangoon hospital with nine bullets in the lung, liver and kidneys. The military surgeon was reluctant to operate seeing the hopeless condition even though Sam was just about conscious. The surgeon asked what had happened to him. Sam replied: “Oh, a donkey kicked.” The surgeon decided that if a soldier could have such a sense of humour at that critical hour, he must operate to save him. Sam survived androse to become India's eighth army chief.

Best remembered for his authoritarian (some call it rebel like) stand on the Indo-Pak war in 1971, he was aman of conviction. No one can forget how he stood up to Indira Gandhi (then the Prime Minister in 1971) when she had called a cabinet meeting to declare a war on Pakistan in April 1971. In front of the cabinet Sam Bahadur rebuked her giving the reason that in April with the snow melting he could not advocate that risk when even China was a threat, and stood firm. After the cabinet meeting he politely asked Mrs. Gandhi "When should I send you my resignation letter?"

The resignation never happened, Indira trusted the General and made him time the war which happened in December 1971 after some really careful planning and intelligence operations by RAW and Indian Military in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Sam Bahadur went into the war with his own conditions and with the PM's trust and came out triumphant in 14 days flat. This was the first convincing Military victory for India in ages. It resulted in splitting of Pakistan and the surrender of some 90000 odd Paki troops.

Indira had asked Manekshaw to go to Bengal and oversee the surrender. Sam famously refused to go allowing the chief of Eastern Command General Jasjit Arora to have that honour. He said that he will go only if the entire Paki army surrendered. He won the hearts of one and all in the military and every Indian. This war was the most defining moment in Indian military history and his illustrious career.

So was the popularity of the decorated hero that Indira once asked him if he was planning a coup. To this he famously replied pointing to his long nose "I do not poke my nose in others' matters"

 

I do not know when we will get another Sam Bahadur, but the legacy he has left will surely inspire many young Indians to follow his foosteps in the years to come.

I, an Indian, salute you sir. Thanks for all you did Sir! Good bye...rest in peace!
Jai Hind

 

Reference: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Columnists/Tarun_Vijay_Saluting_Sam_Bahadur/articleshow/3179920.cms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Manekshaw