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The iconic conversation between Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Sam Manekshaw, when Sam was admitted in Hospital.
Dr Kalam met Sam Manekshaw
Coonoor: When Dr Abdul Kalam was the President, he visited Coonoor in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. When he reached there he came to know that Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was in the Military Hospital. Dr Kalam wanted to visit Sam. It was not in his schedule still arrangements were made then he went to hospital, reports Dyanmite News correspondent.
Kalam spent about 15 minutes talking to Sam & enquiring about his health. Just before leaving Kalam asked Sam " Are you comfortable? Is there anything I could do? Do you have any grievance? or any requirement that would make you more comfortable?
Sam said "Yes your excellency, I have one grievance". Shocked with concern & anguish, Kalam asked him what it was.
Sam replied, "Sir, my grievance is that I am not able to get up & Salute my most respected President of my beloved country". Kalam held Sam's hand as both were in tears.
But the remaining part of the tale with regarding this meeting is that Sam did tell the president Dr APJ Kalam that he was not paid the pension of the Field Marshall’s rank till then, for nearly twenty years.
President went to Delhi and passed the pension with arrears within a week and sent the cheque of nearly Rs 1.25 crores through the Defence Secretary by a special plane to Wellington, Ooty, where Sam manek Shaw was ailing. That is the greatness of APJ. But then Sam received the cheque and promptly donated it to the Army Relief fund.
Sam Manekshaw chose the scenic Coonoor in Nilgiris, he built a beautiful cottage and lived his retired life with his family, he used to come to the Coonoor market and shop with his wife, he could speak fluently in English, French, Spanish, Nepali, Hindi. Apart from them he knew some Tamil and Malyalam too.
Sam Manekshaw known as Sam Bahadur (Source: Internet)
Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw MC, also known as Sam Bahadur, was an Indian Army general officer who was the Chief of the army staff during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, and the first Indian army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal.
