Defence Minister to inaugurate Manekshaw memorial today

When Field Marshal SHFJ ‘Sam’ Manekshaw – who scripted the India’s decisive victory against Pakistan in 1971 - bid adieu to this world in 2008 neither the Defence Minister nor any of the three armed forces chiefs turned up during the state funeral accorded to one of the finest officer in military history.

The rank of Field Marshal or its equivalent Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet is not included in the protocol list. And the politicians, not always a stickler for rules, decided not to be present during Manekshaw’s last rites. Nor that the Field Marshal could have cared less.

But nearly four years after his death and on his 98th birthday, Defence Minister AK Antony accompanied by General VK Singh  will be inaugurating a memorial at Ooty to honour the five star general of the country. (However the media will be focusing on the chemistry between Antony and the Army Chief) Manekshaw, fondly known as Sam Bahadur had passed away at the age of 94 in 2008. He was laid to rest in the nearby Parsee Zoroastrian Cemetery in Ooty.

The country’s only surviving five star officer, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh had also rued to me during an exclusive interview in 2008. “It was a surprise for me (senior ministers not attending the funeral). You do not need a rank to be in the protocol list to attend his (Manekshaw's) funeral. He had served the country very well. They should have gone," Singh had said.

Singh also tried to bring home the point by citing the precedent of former Indian Army chief and Field Marshal K.M. Kariappa's funeral, which was attended by the defence minister and the three armed forces chiefs.

The defence ministry is still remains non-committal of including the rank Field Marshal and its equivalent Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet in the protocol list.

Here is the link of befitting tribute to Sam Bahadur by a colleague of mine working in Indo-Asian News Service - "Sam Manekshaw is no more"