Personification of Intellect, Valour, and Patriotism! Remembering “Sam the Brave”
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After his military education, Manekshaw lived his life as a mirror reflection of valor. he's bravery and valor is reflected in his own assertion- “If anyone tells you he is never afraid, either he is a liar or he is a Gurkha”.
“If God’s duty to forgive enemies, but it’s our duty to convene a meeting between the two!, the statement which pulsates every drop of blood from every Indian soldier, the statement which made impossible victory into possible is the essence of Indian Army. This statement was made by such fearless and ‘dangerous’ man who crafted the nature of Indian army, India’s first Field Marshal Sam Bahadur Manekshaw i.e ‘Sam the Brave’.
Sam Manekshaw is the man With a military mustache guarding a friendly face, he was known as a stern disciplinarian with a common touch.
Today, India is paying homage to Manekshaw on his 11th death anniversary with the remembrance of his selfless service and gallantry for motherland India. He is the man who fought under two flags for one land.
With splendid career of four decades and five wars which starts with service in the British Indian Army in WWII to Independent Indian Army, Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, popularly known as ‘Sam Bahadur’ was Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal.
Manekshaw joined the first intake of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in 1932. He was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots, and later posted to the 4th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment. In World War II, he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. Following the partition of India in 1947, he was reassigned to the 8th Gorkha Rifles.
Manekshaw was seconded to a planning role during the 1947 Indo-Pakistani War and the Hyderabad crisis, and as a result, he never commanded an infantry battalion.
He instilled a sense of duty, efficiency, and professionalism in the Indian Army, and he taught officers to stand up to political masters and bureaucratic interference. His wit, sometimes bordering on sarcasm, did not go over well with many in power.
The true identity of Manekshaw as a stern disciplinarian and fearless soldier is his maneuver in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. Under his command, Indian forces conducted victorious campaigns against Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which led to the creation of Bangladesh in December 1971. Before this conflict that December, the prime minister asked him, “General, are you ready for the war?” He replied, “I’m always ready, sweetie.” Less than three weeks later, Pakistan was defeated.
General Manekshaw became a national hero and a household name after this triumph, and in 1973, two weeks before his retirement, he became India’s first field marshal. He had already received India’s highest civilian awards — Padma Bhushan in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 1972.
Indian army won the 1971 war against Pakistan. But Indira Gandhi signed the Shimla Agreement without consulting the army & released 90000 Pak prisoners. Field marshal Sam Manekshaw called her a Monkey. He stated, “Bhutto has made a Monkey!”. It is a well-known fact that, due to this comment, Indira Gandhi didn't pay his retirement dues from 1973. Kalam settled his dues in 2007.
The bravery of Manekshaw started to reflect from the early phase of his career. Manekshaw was selected as part of the first batch of cadets. Called "The Pioneers", his class also produced Smith Dun and Muhammad Musa, future commanders-in-chief of Burma and Pakistan, respectively.
Manekshaw proved to be witty during his stay at IMA and went on to achieve a number of firsts: the first graduate to join one of the Gorkha regiments; first to serve as the Chief of the Army Staff of India; first to attain the rank of field marshal.
Of the 40 cadets inducted, only 22 completed the course, and Sam Manekshaw is one of them.
After this education, Manekshaw lived his life as a mirror reflection of valor. he ‘s bravery and valor is reflected in his own assertion- “If anyone tells you he is never afraid, either he is a liar or he is a Gurkha”.
With this passionate career and patriotic service towards motherland, Manekshaw died of complications from pneumonia at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, at 12:30 a.m. on 27 June 2008 at the age of 94. He was buried in the Parsi cemetery in Ootacamund (Ooty), Tamil Nadu, with military honors, adjacent to his wife's grave.
To honor his unparalleled contribution and service to motherland, Annually, on 16 December, "Vijay Diwas" is celebrated in memory of the victory achieved under Manekshaw's leadership in 1971. On 16 December 2008, a postage stamp depicting Manekshaw in his field marshal's uniform was released by then President Pratibha Patil.
Today is the day of remembrance of the bravery and gallantry which will guide future generation. Sam Manekshaw died a legend and his quotes will forever be engraved in Indian history.