SORRY SAM - we Indians dont deserve souls like you!

[irir123]

WE INDIANS NEED TO HANG OUR HEADS IN SHAME

The passing away of the only Indian to be appointed Field Marshal when in active service has been remarkable for the warmth of the ordinary men and women, who queued up to say meebeenametto the adorable dikra who put his life on the line for them.

It has also been remarkable for the complete lack of grace and gratitude, civility and courtesy, decency and decorum on the part of the bold-faced names rapaciously grazing the lawns of power in Delhi and elsewhere, for the brain behind India's only decisive military victory.

Sam, the Bahadur, had been unwell for a while now.

From about 1000 hours on June 26, reports of his being 'critically ill' had appeared in the media. Yet, when the 'expected tocsin' sounded at 0030 hours till the guns were fired in salute around 1500 hours on June 27, 'civil society' chose to show its incivility.

* Pratibha Patil, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces with all the time in the world: Absent

* Hamid Ansari: Vice-president releasing books and writing reviews of books by fellow-travellers: Absent

* Manmohan Singh, the prime minister who could do with a bit of the field marshal's charisma and heroism: Absent

* Sonia Gandhi: daughter-in-law of the woman the field marshal called 'sweetie': Absent

* L K Advani: prime minister in waiting of the party which would like to do to Pakistan what Manekshaw did: Absent

* M Karunanidhi and Surjit Singh Barnala: chief minister and governor of the state which Manekshaw had made his home for 35 years: Absent

Politicians may have their reasons. They always do. Maybe, there are issues like protocol. Maybe, this is one way in which 'civil India' shows the armed forces its place. Maybe, this is why we are not as militaristic as Pakistan. Maybe, the knees are just too old to climb the hills.

But what about the armed forces itself?

* A K Antony: the defence minister 'now behaving like the chairman of the confederation of the armed forces' trade unions: absent 'due to prior political engagements'.

* The chief of army staff: absent (away in Russia)

* The chief of navy staff: absent

* The chief of air staff (incidentally, a Parsi): absent

The fact that the defence minister was represented by his deputy Pallam Raju, the fact that the navy and air staff sent two-star general rank officers, shows that however high or mighty, however rich or powerful, civilian or military, if you should die as you must, you should do so somewhere in the vicinity of New Delhi -- or Bombay. Or else, they must have some use for you.

Or else, too bad.

As he rightly surmised once: 'I wonder whether those of our political masters who have been put in charge of the defence of the country can distinguish a mortar from a motor; a gun from a howitzer; a guerrilla from a gorilla -- although a great many of them in the past have resembled the latter.'

The contrast couldn't be starker:

* When Amitabh Bachchan was ill after being socked in the stomach during the shooting of Coolie, Indira Gandhi flew down to Bombay to show her concern.

* When Dhirubhai Ambani died, L K Advani cut short his Gujarat tour to pay his respects to an 'embodiment of initiative, enterprise and determination'.

* When Pramod Mahajan was shot dead by his brother, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekawat had the time to attend the funeral.

Our VIPs and VVIPs have time for dead and dying celebrities, charlatans, fixers. Not for a field marshal?

In his biography, K M Cariappa, the only other field marshal India has had (and who too died at age 94), writes of his father's cremation in May 1993:

'Honouring him in death as they did in life were Field Marshal Manekshaw, the three service chiefs all of whom belonged to the same course and at whose passing out parade from the joint services wing father had presided, the gracious chief minister M Veerappa Moily and C K Jaffer Sharief, Minister for Railways representing the President as the supreme commanded of the armed forces.'

Somebody should have told the geniuses in Delhi that Sam, the Bahadur, passed away in Wellington, Ooty, not Wellington, New Zealand. The nearest civil airport is Coimbatore, just 80 km away.

If this is how we say goodbye to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, any wonder why Rang de Basanti could successfully tap into the angst of an entire generation?

SORRY SAM.

[wrap07]

Dear Friend,

I had posted the sad demise of this great field marsahll and in the topic"PICKED FROM PAPERS TODAY" on 27th June 2008. Except one person, nobody seem to have taken that seriously. I am relieved that i have company here. i am copy-pasting the information from that.
It is a national shame that he was not given the respect which is more than due to him by the powers be.

[wrap07]

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Field-Marshal-Sam-Manekshaw-passes-away/328197/

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw passes away


New Delhi, June 27: Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, whose military victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war led to the creation of Bangladesh, died in Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu late Thursday night. He was 94.

The Padma Vibhushan and Military Cross awardee, who was admitted in the hospital for some time for "progressive lung disease", had slipped into a coma earlier in the day and the end came just after midnight at 00:30 am, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Manekshaw had developed "acute bronchopneumonia with associated complications" and was placed under intensive care four days ago after his condition became serious.

In a condolence message to the bereaved family, Defence Minister A K Antony said "his demise has left behind a void that will be really hard to fill... The nation has lost a great soldier, a true patriot and a nobel son".

He said: "I am deeeply grieved to learn of his demise. Manekshaw's nearly four-decade-long career with the army saw him hold several important positions and he was also one of the most decorated officers".

He also lauded the general's "rare knack of motivating the jawans" and being "a man of ideas and action by leading from the front in the 1971 war".

Manekshaw was one of the 40 cadets of the first batch that passed out from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun and earned the sobriquet "Sam Bahadur" from soldiers of the 8th Gorkha Rifles of which he was Colonel of the Regiment.

A soldiers' General and man behind Bangladesh's birth

A soldier's General, Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw crafted India's greatest military victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war that created just not history but also a new nation.

Affectionately called "Sam Bahadur", Manekshaw (94) was the architect of many a military triumph but his finest hour came when Pakistani forces were vanquished in 14 days flat. And Bangladesh was born.

Handsome, witty and sporting his trademark handlebar moustache, Manekshaw had the rare distinction of being honoured for his bravery - Military Cross - right on the battle front itself during the Second World War. He was also the first Indian officer to command the Gorkhas after India got Independence.

Manekshaw, who got a second life after the young Captain survived near fatal wounds during the Second World War in Burma, is the first of only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal of the Indian Army (The other being Field Marshal K M Cariappa).

His distinguished military career spanned four decades from the British era and through five wars, including the Second World War.

Flamboyant by nature, Manekshaw always had his way with people, including his seniors and even the country's Head of Government.

Just before the Bangladesh operations in December 1971, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi asked Manekshaw ,who was the Army Chief then, "General are you ready" (for the war). Pat came the reply from the dapper officer, "I am always ready sweetie." Gandhi was not unpleased, nor offended.

On another occasion, Gandhi asked him whether he was planning to take over the country. Pointing to his long nose, the General replied: "I don't use it to poke into other's affairs."

When Gandhi asked him to go to Dhaka and accept the surrender of Pakistani forces, Manekshaw declined, magnanimously saying that honour should go to his army commander in the East (Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora).

Manekshaw said he would only go if it were to accept the surrender of the entire Pakistani army.

A shrewd tactician, Manekshaw meticulously planned the Indian attack on Pakistan on both fronts -- East and West. While the Indian forces captured the then East Pakistan in the eastern sector, the army made heavy inroads in the western sector going up to Lahore.

Adopting a mature war strategy, he masterminded the rout of the Pakistan Army in one of the quickest victories in the recent military history to liberate Bangladesh.

Born on April 3, 1914 in Amritsar to Parsi parents who migrated to Punjab from the small town of Valsad on the Gujarat coast, Manekshaw rose to be the Eighth Chief of Staff of the Indian Army in 1969. The year of the General's birth was around the time when the First World War broke.

During World War II, Manekshaw saw action in the Burma campaign on Sittang River as a Captain with the 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment.

Manekshaw was leading a counter-offensive against the invading Japanese Army in Burma. During the course of the offensive he was hit by a burst of LMG bullets and was severely wounded in the stomach.

Major General D T Cowan spotted Manekshaw holding on to life and was aware of his valour in face of stiff resistance from the Japanese.

Fearing the worst, Major General Cowan quickly pinned his own Military Cross ribbon on to Manekshaw saying, "A dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross." But luck was on the young Captain's side and he survived to be one of India's most popular Army Chiefs.

Manekshaw became the 8th Chief of Army Staff when he succeeded General Kumaramangalam on June 7, 1969. His years of military experience were soon put to the test as thousands of refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan started crossing over to India as a result of oppression from West Pakistan. The volatile situation erupted into a full-scale war in December 1971 and the rest is history.

During the 1971 war, Manekshaw showed uncanny ability to motivate the forces, coupling it with a mature war strategy.

The war ended with Pakistan's unconditional surrender, and the formation of Bangladesh. More than 45,000 Pakistani soldiers and 45,000 civilian personnel were taken as POWs.

This led to the Shimla Agreement which opened the door to the creation of the nation of Bangladesh as separate from Pakistan.

The Field Marshal's wit was legendary. Once on a visit to his unit as Commanding Officer he asked what action was taken against a man who contracted veneral disease and when he was told the man's head was shaved off, he roared. "Shaved off? Dammit. he didn't do it with his head."

After completing his schooling in Amritsar and Sherwood College (Nainital), he joined the first batch of 40 cadets at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun on October 1, 1932. He passed out of the IMA in December 1934 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army. He held several regimental assignments and was first attached to the Royal Scots and later to the 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment.

Having recovered from those near-fatal wounds in Burma, Manekshaw went for a course at Staff College, Quetta and later also served there as an instructor before being sent to join 12 Frontier Force Rifles in Burma under General (later Field Marshal) Slim's 14th Army.

He was once again involved in a fierce battle with the Japanese, and was wounded for a second time.

In 1937, at a social gathering in Lahore Manekshaw met Silloo Bode. They fell in love and were married on April 22, 1939. Silloo, a graduate of Bombay's Elphinstone College made an admirable wife and a wonderful mother.

Towards the close of World War II, Manekshaw was sent as Staff Officer to General Daisy in Indo-China where, after the Japanese surrender, he helped rehabilitate over 10,000 POWs.

He then went on a six-month lecture tour to Australia in 1946, and after his return served as a First Grade Staff Officer in the Military Operations Directorate.

Manekshaw showed acumen for planning and administration while handling the issues related to Partition in 1947, and later put to use his battle skills during the 1947-48 Jammu and Kashmir Operations.

After command of an Infantry Brigade, he was posted as the Commandant of the Infantry School and also became the Colonel of 8 Gorkha Rifles (which became his new regimental home, since his original parent regiment The 12th Frontier Force Regiment went on to join the new Pakistan Army at partition) and 61 Cavalry.

He commanded a Division in Jammu and Kashmir and a Corps in the North East, with a tenure as Commandant of Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in between. As GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, he handled the tricky problem of insurgency in Nagaland and the grateful nation honoured him with a Padma Bhushan in 1968.

For his distinguished service to the country, the President of India awarded him a Padma Vibhushan in 1972.

The President conferred upon him the rank of Field Marshal, a prestigious honorary rank, on January 1, 1973. Manekshaw retired a fortnight later (although technically Field Marshals of the Indian Army never retire because the rank is conferred for life), on January 15, 1973, after completing nearly four decades of military service.

In 1961, his outspoken frankness got him into trouble with Defence Minister V K Krishna Menon and his protege of the time Lt Gen B M Kaul. He refused to toe Menon's line and was sidelined.

Manekshaw was vindicated soon after when the Indian army suffered a humiliating defeat in North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), now Arunachal Pradesh, the next year, at the hands of the Chinese that led to Menon's resignation. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru rushed Manekshaw to NEFA to command the retreating Indian forces. This had an electrifying effect on the demoralised officers.

In no time, Manekshaw convinced the troops that the Chinese soldier was not "10 feet tall". His first order of the day said, "There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued." The soldiers showed faith in their new commander and successfully checked further ingress by the Chinese.

After retirement, Manekshaw settled down in Coonoor in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.

Let us salute the General, a true patriot who fought for our nation & who made our country proud.

[wrap07]

few interesting information

In 1942 at the height of the World War II a fierce battle was raging in Myanmar, then Burma, at the Sittang Bridge. A company of the Indian Army was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the invading Japanese forces for the capture of a position, which was critical for the control of the bridge. The young company commander was exhorting his troops when his stomach was riddled by a machine gun burst. Afraid that his company would be left leaderless if he were evacuated, he continued fighting till he collapsed.

His company won the day and the general commanding the Indian forces arrived at the scene to congratulate the soldiers. On seeing the critically wounded commander, he announced the immediate award of the Military Cross -- the young officer was not expected to survive much longer and the Military Cross is not awarded posthumously. Thus began a historic military career that spanned the Indo-Pak wars and the Sino-Indian conflict, the wounded captain surviving to become India's first field marshal.

In 1947 when Pakistan invaded Kashmir, Sam Manekshaw was the colonel in charge of operations at the Army Headquarters. His incisive grasp of the situation and his acumen for planning instantly drew the attention of his superiors and Manekshaw's rise was spectacular, though not without controversy. He was outspoken and stood by his convictions. This, coupled with his sense of humour, often got him into trouble with politicians.

In 1961, for instance, he refused to toe the line of the then defence minister V.K. Krishna Menon and was sidelined. He was vindicated soon after when the Indian army suffered a humiliating defeat in nefa the next year, at the hands of the Chinese, resulting in Menon's resignation. Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru rushed Manekshaw to nefa to command the retreating Indian forces. This had an electrifying effect on the demoralised officers. In no time, Manekshaw convinced the troops that the Chinese soldier was not "10 ft tall". His first order of the day characteristically said, "There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued." The soldiers showed faith in their new commander and successfully checked further ingress by the Chinese.

The Indo-Pak war of 1965 saw Manekshaw as army commander, Eastern Command. When India was forced to launch operations in the west, Manekshaw was against attacking in the east since the main sufferers would be the people of East Pakistan. The wisdom of his advice dawned when the Indian forces fought the Pakistan army in East Pakistan in 1971.

This was Manekshaw's finest hour. As army chief and chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, he planned the operation meticulously refusing to be coerced by politicians to act prematurely. His strategic and operational finesse was evident when Indian pincers cut through Pakistani forces like knife through butter, quickly checkmating them.

When the prime minister asked him to go to Dhaka and accept the surrender of the Pakistani forces, he declined, magnanimously saying the honour should go to his army commander in the east. He would only go if it were to accept the surrender of the entire Pakistan Army.

Manekshaw's competence, professional standing and public stature was such that the politician and the bureaucrat alike crossed his path only at their peril. On one occasion, he found that the defence secretary had penned his own observations on a note he had written to the prime minister and defence minister. Infuriated, Manekshaw took the file and walked straight into Mrs Gandhi's office. He told her that if she found the defence secretary more competent than him to advise her on military matters she did not have a need for him. The defence secretary was found a new job.

As a commander, he was a hard taskmaster. He encouraged his officers in the face of adversity but did not tolerate incompetence. That is perhaps Manekshaw's greatest contribution, to instil a sense of duty, efficiency, professionalism in a modern Indian army and to stand up to political masters and bureaucratic interference.

In a way, he was following the path of other army chiefs, K.S. Thimayya K.M. Cariappa. A holy terror, there are many tales of the power of his whiplash. Following Pakistan's surrender in the east, Manekshaw flew into Calcutta to compliment his officers. The ceremonial reception over at Dum Dum airport, he was escorted to a car -- a Mercedes captured from the enemy. Manekshaw refused to sit in it, leaving the officers red-faced.

On another occasion, a general accused of misusing funds was marched up to him. "Sir, do you know what you are saying?" asked the general. "You are accusing a general of being dishonest." Replied Manekshaw: "Your chief is not only accusing you of being dishonest but also calling you a thief. If I were you I would go home and either shoot myself or resign. I am waiting to see what you will do." The general submitted his resignation that evening.

Lt-General A.K. Kalkat

[P_R]

...shows that however high or mighty, however rich or powerful, civilian or military, if you should die as you must, you should do so somewhere in the vicinity of New Delhi -- or Bombay. Or else, they must have some use for you.

A shame ! :evil:

[wrap07]

http://newindpress.com/newspages.asp?page=5&Title=Time+Out&
National anthem is not just a song
Wednesday July 9 2008 01:48 IST

SRINATH GIRISH

THE movie was coming to an end. The hero gazed deep into the heroine’s eyes and their faces moved closer. Suddenly their countenances were replaced by two swaying roses in black and white. The audience began stirring in their seats.

After “The End” flashed on the screen, there was no mad scramble for the exits. Everyone just stood up and waited. Soon enough, the waving national flag flashed on the screen and the strains of “Jana Gana Mana..” began to fill the hall.

The crowd snapped to attention, many singing the works out loud. Only after the song ended did anyone move… This is a scene from when I was still in school. Playing the national anthem was the norm in all theatres after the show. I don’t know whether it was compulsory or not . Nor do I know why it was discontinued. All I know is that it was done and that I never heard anyone complain about it. I wonder, if it hadn’t been discontinued, would it have worked the same way today. Doubtful.

At the very least, some moron’s mobile phone would ring while the anthem was playing and he would answer it right then and there, rather than switch it off. Have we, as a nation, lost our respect for the national anthem? Doesn't it mean anything to us any more? Why do I keep seeing people remain sitting when it is being played?

Why do they slouch, put their hands in their pockets and look around the hall as its noble words echo in the air? Has the anthem, like many traditions and icons in this hectic day and age, lost its significance for the common man?

Democracy has many blessings. Unfortunately, it has many curses, too. Among the many freedoms it grants, it also grants the freedom to ignore those aspects of national pride that do not immediately affect us in our everyday lives.

Respect for the national flag and the national anthem is a duty which many of us tend to ignore.

In this period of our history, when terrorism threatens from all corners, what better way to preserve the nation? It is not enough if your child can sing the anthem beautifully at the age of three. The child must understand what it is to be a part of this great country. It is a question of eternal vigil, much like the lonely soldier guarding the nation's icebound borders.

In later years, if your son or daughter is faced with a choice to work against the nation’s interests for great personal gain or to tread the straight and narrow path, this sense of values imbibed at home will be his or her greatest weapon.

A weapon much, much more powerful than all the AK-47s and plastic gelignite amassed by all the terrorists in the world. It is not going to be guns that win the war on terrorism, it is the battle for the minds of the people.

So respect the symbols. Teach your children to stand to attention and sing along at the top of their voices when the anthem is played. Tell them to salute the tricolor with pride.

(I have put the article here since it will be more relevant and also opening new topic may not have responses)

[irir123]

Tributes to the late Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1820147,00.html

http://outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20080714&fname=Manekshaw+%28F%29&sid=1

quote from Outlook article " Sam was after all India's First Soldier, the epitome of generalship, who gave India's its first unambiguous military victory in 1,000 years. The President, the supreme commander of the armed forces, was missing. So were the prime minister and defence minister. Worse, the chairman chiefs of staff committee was also absent. Nor was the air force chief present. Queen Elizabeth of England sends roses to all her field marshals on their birthdays and also attends their funerals. Here, flags were not even lowered and the affront of an explanation for this ignominy was that the field marshal is not in the warrant of precedence. This is a lie. The babus of this country had ranked Sam on a par with the cabinet secretary. "

If that is the respect and care a great soldier gets from our politicians, do ordinary citizens stand a chance at all ? we will continue to have bomb blasts, and 100s continue to die and still there will be no action taken! the Dawoods will continue to have a field day!

[Bipolar]

Well, I agree, it does appear really disrespectful that none of the country's important leaders made the effort to attend his funeral... but then again, really... what is the point of gestures after a person's passing? It's not like he's going to be upset now, is it?

Plus, it has long been evident that most of the individuals (if not all) you've named couldn't really give two hoots about their fellow-citizens, this is no big shock really, though yes, it does seem very wrong.

Nevertheless, the title of this thread ("Sorry Sam, we Indians don't deserve...") seems a bit too dramatic...

[podalangai]

The last issue of the Economist had a very well-written obituary, which also mentioned the controversy about our political masters' failure to mark his passing:

http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11661408

[wrap07]

http://newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEP20080715220805&Page=P&Title=Nation&Topic=0

Antony finds out what Sam Bahadur means
Wednesday July 16 2008 08:29 IST


NEW DELHI: When Defence Minister A K Antony pointed out on Tuesday that the government had sent defence secretary in a special aircraft to Wellington with a cheque containing arrears of Sam Mankeshaw, he was presumably on damage control; eager to fight criticism that the nation had forgotten its most illustrious soldier — an impression created after Antony and the three service chiefs did not attend the funeral of India’s first Field Marshal last month.

Manekshaw passed away on June 27. He was 94. Facing undertones of a divide between men in uniform and the civil bureaucracy during a memorial service organised by the army in honour of Sam Bahadur, Antony took care to mention that the government had cleared the dues of the Field Marshal.

Remembering his association with the legendary Field Marshal, former Jammu and Kashmir governor, lieutenant general (retd) S K Sinha, said, "I met Sam in Wellington when he was on life support system some years ago. He told me that ‘a babu had come with the cheque, I don’t know if it would be honoured’.”

Sinha, who was adjutant general when Mankeshaw was appointed the Field Marshal in 1973, gave an insight into how the civil bureaucracy was opposed to privileges for the new post. “He was given only Rs 400 over and above his pension as the army chief and allowed to keep only a baton. And, in terms of protocol, he was placed below cabinet secretary,” said Sinha.

Lt General (retd) Deependra Singh, who was Manekshaw’s military assistant when he was the army chief, demanded that the government award Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest award, to the iconic Field Marshal.

Singh said that true to his style, Manekshaw would have not taken absence of people from the funeral very seriously. He would have joked that if people did not come to his funeral, he would not go to theirs.

Asked about the demand for conferring Bharat Ratna on Manekshaw, Antony was non-committal. However, he said that the government was aware of the sentiments the country had for the Field Marshal.

Three service chiefs and top generals attended the memorial service. Manekshaw's grandson Jehan, a theatre artist, provided glimpses of the legend’s personal life. “Sam encouraged openness and had no secrets. He made us feel like we could confide in him about anything — even about our sweethearts.”

At home, he said, Manekshaw was the “farthest thing from being the highest ranking officer in one of the world’s largest standing armies”. Apart from the fun, Manekshaw was a serious grammar teacher and checked sentence construction and pronunciation of children at home.

[Nerd]

The speaker read the obit of Sam yesterday before starting proceedings. Its a great thing because, normally the death of people who did not belong to the house will not be condoled at the house. :clap:

[disk.box]

salute Sam .

[vramesh]

Sam Bahadur was only the 2nd Field Marshal of the country, next to Gen KM Cariappa. I recollect sitting on the front steps at home on Monday May 18 1993 and reading the tributes to the deceased giant in the The Hindu after his demise.

For a long time I have been searching for the biographies of these 2 men. It is titled something like 'A soldier speaks' perhaps co-authored by Depinder Singh or some Lieutenant.

Sad that we don't find men like that. Another unsung hero is Brigadier Mohammad Usman, who staunchly turned down Jinnah's request to switch sides and successfully spearheaded operations for the Indian Army to recover several parts of Kashmir from Pakistan in 1948. Usman died at 36.