I was a young captain when I first met the legendary Field Marshal S.H.F.J Manekshaw (then a Lt Gen), who was then in charge of Eastern Command. He remained my inspiration from the first time I met him and this relationship continued till the end. Even during the Kargil operations, I was inspired by lessons learnt from him.

I recall the qualities of a great officer when he visited troops on the frontiers. He made it a point to shake hands with them and ask the welfare of their families. He had a jovial nature and greeted everyone with a smile.

One day he suddenly turned to me and asked to me follow him to the operations room. He stared into my eyes and asked me to relax. I remember, his eyes were sparkling. He then gave me a shock by asking for my ‘assessment’ of the eastern sector. I was taken aback by the fact that the army commander was asking the opinion of a young and inexperienced captain, but I gathered my nerves and gave him my honest opinion. I can never forget that he patted my back after the presentation and my chest swelled.

He maintained one-to-one relationships irrespective of rank, caste and creed. I particularly recall an incident after he had taken over as chief of army staff. I was waiting for his arrival at army headquarters. An old peon was at hand to usher him in. The general came and went straight over to the peon and inquired about the well-being of his family. He then took out a pack of cigarettes and placed it in the peon’s pocket.

... contd.