Click to play videoNew Delhi: Born on April 3, 1914 in Amritsar to Parsi parents, Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw popularly known as Sam Bahadur completed his schooling in Amritsar and then Sherwood College Nainital. He later joined the Indian Military Academy in 1932.
After passing out, he was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scouts and later to the 12th Frontier Force Rifles.
His first moment of glory came during World War II and he saw action in the Burma campaign and was injured while leading a counter offensive against the Japanese Army.
For this Sam was awarded a Military Cross while lying injured in the battlefield.
Manekshaw's acumen, planning and administration were evident during the Partition in 1947 and operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
He was also the first Indian officer to command the Gorkhas after India won Independence.
As Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Command, he handled the tricky problem of insurgency in Nagaland and the grateful nation honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1968. Finally on June 7, 1969, he assumed the charge of the Indian Army as the eighth Chief of Army Staff.
His years of military experience were soon put to test.
In 1971 the refugee influx from East Pakistan into India started. The situation gradually turned into a full-scale war.
During this military campaign, Manekshaw showed uncommon 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 90,000 Pakistani soldiers were taken as Prisoners of War with Pakistani forces being defeated in merely 14 days.
For his selfless service to the nation, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1972 and was conferred with the honorary rank of Field Marshal on January 1, 1973.
He retired a fortnight later on January 15, 1973 after completing nearly four decades of military service.
Following his retirement from the Indian army, Manekshaw settled in Conoor district in Tamil Nadu.
He successfully served as a director of numerous companies and remained a lifetime patron of Unesco's Paarzor project for conserving the Parsi and Zoroastrian culture.
With his death an era has come to an end.
The only other Field Marshal of the Indian Army was Kodandera Madappa Cariappa who was conferred the honorary rank in 1983.
Defence Minister AK Anthony in his condolence message said, "The nation has lost a great soldier, a true patriot and a noble son. Field Marshal Manekshaw had a rare knack of motivating the jawans and was a man of ideas and action. He led from the front in the 1971 war and on several other occasions. His demise has left behind a void that will be really hard to fill. Field Marshal Manekshaw will be fondly remembered by our armed forces and the nation. I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the members of the bereaved family."
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