I was in the 4th standard when I first acted in my school play. The play was about a father and two sons. I was playing one of the sons. However, my memories of that play are minimal. The only thing that I remember is that we did it in Manekshaw hall.
When I was in 5th grade I clearly remember doing a play where bunch of vegetables fight the supreme vegetable position. I was ‘Aaloo’ or potato. The most gorgeous girl had said that she loved ‘Aaloo’ and everyone had made fun of me. As all pre teens, I categorically denied it but secretly I was very happy. I kept claiming that she was talking about ‘Aaloo’ the vegetable and not about me. However, I still want to believe that she said that about me and not about the vegetable.
I remember Army School, MHOW always had its annual day in the Manekshaw Hall. It was around a kilometer from our school. We mostly used to walk to it for our practice sessions. It was a very pleasant walk not only because we left our campus and walked but because it was located at the bottom of a hill. On one side, there was a large open-air theater for the army officers and on the other, a canteen or refreshment center called Shangri-La. Shangri-La used to provide us with refreshment which usually were samosas.
We had a dress rehearsal session for students and then on the final day for the parents. I always participated so I never got to watch any of the performances.
Manekshaw hall was not a big theater; I think the capacity must be around 500. Hence, in the later years, we had moved out to the open-air theater rather than this closed one. The stage was big and had a small alcove underneath it. There was a nice big back stage with changing rooms.
Around a year ago I went and saw the annual day of Army School again where my cousin was performing and it was a very pleasant experience. They still do it in the open air theater.
Why am I remembering all this? It is because Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw passed away last week. When I look back even in those days I somewhat knew who he was, I used to wonder why did all the Army Officers were also in awe of this name. As I started to know more about him, he became more of a man of myth.
He is one of two Field Marshals that India has had as an independent country. It is the highest post given to an Indian soldier. It’s an honorary post and once conferred, the person never retires from the Army.
Field Marshall Manekshaw was a highly decorated soldier of World War II. However, his main claim to fame was 1971 War with Pakistan and of course, his tongue and cheek humour. Some of his stories are unbelievable.
In 1947 , he was posted in Lahore and he was given a choice to join Indian army or Pakistan army. He had one James motorcycle. His colonel in those days was Yahya Khan. He really liked the motorcycle and asked Sam to leave it with him for Rs. 1400. He told him that he didn’t have the money then but would send it as soon as possible. Manekshaw never received that money. Then in 1971, Chief of Army Staff Manekshaw carried Indian Army to victory and creation of Bangladesh from East Pakistan. Yahya Khan now was President of Pakistan and Manekshaw in his own way said “He never gave me Rs. 1400 for my motor cycle and now with accumulating interest I have taken East Pakistan away from him.”
Manekshaw and Indira Gandhi then Prime Minister of India had mutual admiration for each other but that never stopped them from making comments towards each other.
Manekshaw had supposedly told Mrs. Gandhi after first brief that he received on 1971 war was “ So ma’am should I claim insanity and resign.” On another instance he was having a cup of tea at home when he received a call from Mrs. Gandhi for an urgent meeting. He told her, he was having tea and cannot leave at that moment. Mrs. Gandhi told him not to worry and she would serve him tea. He supposedly told her “Ma’am frankly you serve muck in your office and that can’t be claimed as tea.”
Indira Gandhi once told him “Sam, if your weren’t, what you are, you would be out of the force, no one can dare to speak to Indian prime minister like this. We don’t live in Pakistan.” He turned around and said, “Ma’am, I would be a better PM, we have a thing in common and that is a big nose but at least I don’t have a habit of poking into other countries affairs.”
Someone once I asked him what would have happened if he would have joined Pakistan Army in 1947, he retorted back, "You would have seen India defeated.". Now this had annoyed a lot of Indians but yet you have to admire the man's confidence.
A few years ago at the age of 90, journalists wanted him to tell his opinion on Iraq war, he politely said, “I am a man of peace, I know nothing about wars.” Journalists had no answer all they could do was laugh.
Sam Manekshaw has passed away and with him an era of Indian soldiers who stood for integrity and courage.
I don’t like wars myself but I do understand the importance of a soldier in modern world. As the nature of wars we fight is changing so does the role of a soldier and I hope Sam would keep motivating them forever.
