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Sam Manekshaw : The Man Who Defied Death

We come across numerous personalities everyday. Someone from science, someone from acting, someone from politics and so on. But, let me tell you none of them will compare to the man I am about to tell you about - The mighty war hero Sam Manekshaw!

Sam Manekshaw, the hero of Indian Army


Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was born on 4 April 1914 in Amritsar, Punjab, to Hormizd Manekshaw, who was a doctor, and Mirabai, both Parsis who moved to Amritsar from the city of Valsad in the coastal Gujarat region. 

As a boy, Manekshaw was mischievous and high-spirited. His early ambition was to study medicine and become a doctor like his father. In 1931, he passed his Senior Cambridge with distinction. Manekshaw then asked his father to send him to London to study medicine as he had promised but his father refused on the grounds that he was not old enough. In the meantime, the Indian Military College Committee, which was set up in 1931 and chaired by Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode, recommended the establishment of a military academy in India to train Indians for officer commissions in the army. 

In an act of rebellion against his father's refusal (an act for which the nation would forever be thankful), Manekshaw applied for a place and sat the entrance exams in Delhi. On 1 October 1932, he was one of the fifteen cadets to be selected through open competition. Manekshaw was placed sixth in the order of merit. Manekshaw was selected as part of the first batch of cadets. Called "The Pioneers" and a pioneer he was indeed.



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; and first to attain the rank of field marshal. Of the 40 cadets inducted, only 22 completed the course, and they were commissioned as second lieutenants on 1 February 1935 with an anté-date seniority from 4 February 1934.

Perhaps no military general in the history of independent India has ever captured the national imagination in the way Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw did. One of the chief architects of India’s 1971 victory against Pakistan, Manekshaw is most famously remembered for bluntly telling Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that the Indian Army wasn’t ready for war in April 1971. Saying that his job was to fight to win, he asked for a few months’ time — a request which Gandhi, to her credit, accepted. True to his word, when the India-Pakistan war finally broke out in December 1971, Manekshaw delivered India one of its swiftest and most remarkable military victories.



Manekshaw was commissioned into 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment on 22 December 1934. Initially, he was sent to Lahore for one year to serve an attachment period with a British unit. Thereafter, in February 1936, he rejoined his parent unit. During his military career, he endured many tough moments. On one particular occasion, he escaped death by the skin of his teeth. Manekshaw, then just a young captain fighting in World War II, sustained multiple bullet injuries against the Japanese in a Burmese jungle on 22 February 1942. He was evacuated from the location by his orderly Sher Singh, and fortunately, survived. Extraordinary, isn't it? 

As is true for any legendary figure, anecdotes of Manekshaw’s ingenuity, valour and wit abound. Most are largely true even if few details may have been added over time through errors of communication or to enhance the mythology around him. Once, for instance, Manekshaw invited the members of the Pay Commission when he heard of a planned cut in the soldiers’ uniform allowance, it was reported. He then asked the members, “Now gentlemen, you tell me, who would obey my orders if I was dressed in a crumpled dhoti and kurta”. This settled the debate!

His anecdotes regarding Mrs Gandhi were also quite a talk of the town! He referred to her as 'sweetie' (possibly due to their Parsi family background) and once when she called him to his office, he told the driver quite in a stud manner - "Let's go. The girl wants me"! 



During the Indo-Pak wars in 1947, Manekshaw presented the “military situation” in a meeting and suggested the Indian forces be moved there. As usual Nehru talked about the United Nations, Russia, Africa, God almighty, everybody, until Sardar Patel lost his temper. He said, ‘Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away’ He (Nehru) said, 'Of course, I want Kashmir.' Then he (Patel) said ‘Please give your orders’. And before he could say anything Sardar Patel turned to me and said, ‘You have got your orders’ and the rest is history. 



Manekshaw's first radio message to the Pakistani troops on 9 December 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani war:

"Indian forces have surrounded you. Your Air Force is destroyed. You have no hope of any help from them. Chittagong, Chalna and Mangla ports are blocked. Nobody can reach you from the sea. Your fate is sealed. The Mukti Bahini and the people are all prepared to take revenge for the atrocities and cruelties you have committed...Why waste lives? Don't you want to go home and be with your children? Do not lose time; there is no disgrace in laying down your arms to a soldier. We will give you the treatment befitting a soldier". 

The last two broadcasts were delivered as replies to messages from the Pakistani commanders Maj. Gen. Rao Farman Ali and Lt. Gen. Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi to their troops, which were to have a devastating effect; they convinced the troops of the pointlessness of further resistance, and led to their defeat. 

For his service to the Indian nation, He was awarded the Military Cross in 1942, the Padma Bhushan in 1968 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1972. Manekshaw retired from active service on 15 January 1973 after a career of nearly four decades; he settled with his wife, Silloo, in Coonoor.

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. Reportedly, his last words were "I'm okay!".

Annually, on 16 December, Vijay Diwas is celebrated in memory of the victory achieved under Manekshaw's leadership in 1971. The nation will never forget this true braveheart. Sam Bahadur's name is forever ethched in the history of India.

PS- On his life, Meghna Gulzar is directing a movie, Sam, starring Vicky Kaushal, which is expected to release in early 2021. Also don't forget to watch this documentary by his own grandson - 


Hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks for visiting. 

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