Sam Manekshaw, the first Field Marshal of Indian defense forces and hero of the conclusive1971 war with Pakistan, which culminated in the creation of ‘Bangladesh’, died just past midnight on Friday at the age of 94. Born to Parsee parents on 3rd April 1914 at Amritsar, he was one of the 40 cadets of the first batch to join the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in 1932. His distinguished military carrier spanned four decades, from World War II, to the 1948 war in Kashmir and the 1965 war with Pakistan, 1962 war with China, and finally the 1971 war with Pakistan.
He was made General Officer Commanding (Army chief) of the Indian Army on 7th June 1969, and was conferred the ‘Field Marshal’ designation on 3rd January’1973, just before his retirement on 15th January’1973. Apart from winning many military laurels, he was awarded ‘Padma Bhusan’ in 1968 for tackling the Naga insurgency as GOC-in-C of Eastern Command and Padma Bibhushan in 1972 for his success in 1971 war.
Manekshaw became a folk hero after 1971 war, which resulted in the surrender of five divisions (90,000 soldiers) of the Pakistani Army at Dhaka on 16th December’1971. Field operations in the eastern sector were commanded by GOC-in-C of Eastern Command, Lt.General Jagjit Singh Arora, who in a swift maneuver outwitted the Pakistani Army by destroying its two F-16 Sabre Jet squadrons stationed in Dhaka, in a matter of three days. The war was over in just two weeks. Lt. General A.A.K. Niazi, commanding officer of Pakistani forces, signed the surrender papers in a brief ceremony.
Just an inkling of the magnanimity of the departed Field Marshal is here. The then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked him to go to Dhaka for accepting surrender of Pakistani Army. He politely declined, saying that the laurel should go to the Eastern Sector Commander Gen.Jagjit Singh Arora as he commanded the army there. He added that he would have attended had the whole of Pakistani Army surrendered.
Your writer was a young fresh engineer at that time and was living at his hometown very near to East Pakistan Boarder and followed the events meticulously. I even have a photograph of the surrender ceremony depicting Lt.Gen A.A.K. Niazi signing the surrender instruments before Lt.Gen. Jagjit Singh Arora.
I am getting tempted to reminisce about another ‘Hero’ of the war. Known as ‘Iron Lady’ at that time, She is non-other than the Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Her shrewd political maneuvering was instrumental in conducting the war and going through it swiftly. Anticipating a war in near future and possible intervention by the USA, she inked a treaty of ‘Friendship’ with USSR, which promised to protect each other in the event of an external aggression.
As a result, when USA moved its 7th nuclear fleet to Indian Ocean to deter India from escalating the war, the USSR also moved its 9th Nuclear Fleet in the Indian Ocean to guard India, an example of psychological warfare at the highest international levels. This was an act of real friendship by USSR, which will be remembered forever by every Indian.
However, the most successful Prime Minister India ever produced, fell to petty bullets of her own guards and died a hero’s death protecting the secular credentials of India. What better secular credential than appointing a Parsee as GOC of Indian Army?
The duo (Mrs Gandhi and Sam Manekshaw), between them, changed contemporary world history. The Nation salutes and remembers both of them.