It is something perhaps strange for a naval officer to write an ode for a Field Marshal. But then FM Sam Manekshaw was such a humane person to anyone who wore a uniform and of course the perfect gentleman that it becomes incumbent to do so.
It was the summer of 1971. A young naval Lieutenant was driving down KG Avenue New Delhi on his Vespa. He was feeling very proud as he had just collected his Parchment Commission and was carrying it back to his cabin. Suddenly a Staff car displaying four stars overtook him and stopped ahead of him. Out came the ADC to the naval officer to say that the General wanted to speak to him. Wondering what he had done the young naval officer approached the car, it was not every day that the Army Chief stopped his vehicle on the road to summon a naval officer. General SH Manekshaw brusquely bottled me for not paying the due respect to my Commission. Saying that he handed my Parchment back with the words look after it son and drove away.
I wondered how many Chiefs would observe something falling of a scooter, stop the vehicle, pick it up, seeing that it was a Parchment summon the young officer and return it. But then every Chief was not Sam Bahudar.
Good bye and adieu
Barin Ghose (Indian Navy)
