Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw is an iconic figure in the Indian Armed Forces. The first Indian to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, he is a much-revered figure within the hallowed halls of military history, as well as in popular imagination. I’m sure all of us have grown up reading about his life and achievements!
Did you know, Manekshaw initially wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter the medical profession?
Born into a Parsi family in Amritsar, he studied science at the Hindu Sabha College in Amristar. However, when an announcement about the entrance examination for the first batch at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) was put out, Manekshaw wanted to appear for the exam but his father was against it. He wrote it anyway, and ranked sixth in the merit list, and became part of the first batch to pass out of the IMA!
We’re glad he had a rebellious streak in him, for he played a major role in some of India’s notable victories!
Manekshaw’s military career is the stuff of legend. His competence and bravery were recognised by his peers and seniors from the start, and his fluency in various languages resulted in his being appointed an interpreter for the army during his early days.
Manekshaw was badly injured during World War II and was fighting for his life, when his general swiftly pinned his own Military Cross (MC) on Manekshaw for his extreme bravery, saying that a “dead person couldn’t be awarded one.”
Manekshaw was given the moniker ‘Sam Bahadur‘, or Sam the Brave, a name supposedly given by a soldier from the Gorkha regiment who was unable to recall his Parsi name, and by which he is fondly remembered even today. His military career saw him fight many important (and successful) wars. From World War II, the Indo-Pak war of 1947, the Sino-Indian war, India’s war against Pakistan in 1965 and the Bangladesh Liberation War.
His distinguished military career resulted in his becoming India’s first ever Field Marshal – the highest rank in the Indian Army. Not only was Manekshaw known for his bravery, he was also widely known for his acidic tongue and dry humour.
After he was hit by a burst of machine gun fire, he was rushed to an Australian surgeon for treatment. The doctor initially refused to operate on him because the injuries were too severe. When asked how he sustained the injury, Manekshaw, in his brand of acerbic humour, said that he was kicked by a mule.
He was always an outspoken officer. When asked by the then defence minister Krishna Menon what he thought of the then Chief of Army Staff, Manekshaw said “Mr Minister, I am not allowed to think about him. He is my Chief. Tomorrow, you will be asking my (subordinate) brigadiers and colonels what they think of me. It’s the surest way to ruin the discipline of the Army. Don’t do it in future.”
Manekshaw was extremely stern about the way his soldiers treated women and did not want them to indulge in the brutalities that followed a victory. To his soldiers during the 1971 war, he said, “When you see a begum, keep your hands in your pockets and think of Sam!”
Manekshaw passed away in 2008 at the ripe old age of 94, and has been honoured all over the country. True to his witty nature, Manekshaw’s last words when he was afflicted with pneumonia was “I’m okay!“. A flyover in Ahmedabad has been named after him, a statue of him was erected in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, and the Ooty-Coonoor road has a bridge named ‘Manekshaw Bridge.’
A biopic on the indomitable field marshal is in the works by director Meghna Gulzar, and is slated for release late next year. The biopic will see Vicky Kaushal donning the uniform once again, after his role as a Major in the Indian army in Uri: The Surgical Strike.
Note: This post was first published here.