Indian Military Review
3 Apr happens to be the 96th Birth Aniversary of one of India’s most iconic and well known soldiers, the charismatic Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. , who was the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee during the historic War for the Liberation of Bangladesh.The Vivekananda International Foundation, in collaboration with Indian Military Review, have organised the Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw Memorial Lecture to celebrate his 96th Birth Anniversary. The Memorial Lecture will be held on Friday 2 April 2010 at 11 AM at the Vivekananda International Foundation, a non-partisan India centric Think Tank comprising the countries noted Security and Strategic Experts.
The lecture will be delivered by Lt Gen (Retd) AS Kalkat, SYSM, PVSM, AVSM, VSM on "Challenges to India's Internal Security".
General (Retd) VN Sharma, former Chief of the Army Staff, will be the Chief Guest.
The Field Marshal was born in 1914 at Amritsar,
Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw, MC, who was from the Gorkha Rifles, was popularly called Sam Bahadur amongst his troops. He was the eighth chief of the Indian Army. Sam Manekshaw was the first of only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal in the Indian Army (the other being Field Marshal K M Cariappa). His distinguished military career spanned four decades and through five wars, including World War II.
According to Lt Gen Deepinder Singh, who was the Overall Force Commander of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in 1987, and who served as Manekshaw’s military assistant from 1969 to 1973, the 1971 victory against Pakistan under General Manekshaw, as the army chief, was the most decisive one in recent times.
Manekshaw joined the first intake of 40 cadets at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, on 1 October 1932. Manekshaw's military career spanned four decades, from the British era and World War II, to the three wars against China and Pakistan after India's independence in 1947.
During World War II, Manekshaw saw action in Burma in the 1942 campaign on the Sittang River as a captain with the 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment, and had the rare distinction of being honoured for his bravery on the battle front itself. He was wounded by a burst of LMG bullets in the stomach. He was awarded the Military Cross on the spot for "the excellent leadership and bearing of Captain Manekshaw".
During this Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Manekshaw showed uncommon ability to motivate the forces, and electrify the world with the spectacular results of that campaign. The war ended with Pakistan's Eastern Army’s unconditional surrender, and the formation of Bangladesh. The rout of the Pakistan Army was one of the quickest victories in recent military history. It was a classic Tri-Service Blitzkrieg that for the first time after World War II led to the formation of a new state with the force of arms.
The Vivekananda International Foundation is a new and vibrant Think Tank in New Delhi. It was inaugurated on 1 December 2009. It is unique in that it is not government funded, nor funded by any industrial house or political party, or for that matter any foreign institution. Its primary aim is to promote India’s national interests by generating innovative ideas, thoughts and actions. It aims to evolve into a nodal centre of excellence that will propel India into her rightful place. It analyses India’s external security environment to offer inputs to shape policies and response strategies. It also studies International Relations and Diplomacy, undertakes Neighbourhood studies, as also researches into the fields of Governance , Economics and most important Historical and Civilisational studies.
Indian Military Review is a new monthly magazine devoted to defence and security issues, edited by Maj Gen RK Arora.
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