Author: Onkar Singh in New Delhi
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: July 2, 2008
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/02sam.htm
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw's funeral did
not receive the respect that a man of his stature deserved feels Lieutenant
General S K Sinha (retired), the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
"When Britain's first field marshal died,
all the dignitaries attended his funeral and he was buried at Westminister
Abbey. But here, it was different. I can understand that the army chief was
not able to attend Sam Manekshaw's last rites (General Deepak Kapoor was in
Russia) and he sent in his deputy. But the chiefs of the navy and air force,
who were in the country at the time, sent two star officers to attend the
funeral," General Sinha told rediff.com
He demanded to know why no wreaths were placed
on Field Marshal Manekshaw's bier, on President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh's behalf.
When S K Sinha entered the Indian Army in
1946, Sam Manekshaw was already a lieutenant colonel.
"I remember there was stiff resistance
among the babus who wanted to deny him the ceremonial baton which had to be
given to India's first field marshal. I had to fight hard to get things done
for the field marshal," General Sinha, who resigned from the army after
being superseded for the post of army chief in 1983, said.
General Sinha last met the field marshal in
2007 when the latter was on life support. "When I congratulated him for
getting Rs 1 crore as arrears, Sam quipped, 'I want to send the cheque to
the bank, but since my salary has stopped for nearly 30 years, I am not sure
if that would be honoured'," General Sinha recalled.
When asked if the government should honour
Field Marshal Manekshaw with the Bharat Ratna, General Sinha said, "It
would be nice if they do so. But the rank of field marshal is as prestigious
as the Bharat Ratna. In 63 years, India has had only two field marshals. I
don't know when a third armyman will receive the honour."
Speaking about the volatile situation in Jammu
and Kashmir -- the general has just given up the governor's office in the
state -- he said, "It is sad that things are moving backwards -- to the
situation in 1989. All sorts of canard and malicious campaigns are being spread
by the fundamentalists."
