EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
JULY 6
REFERRING to the poor attendance at the funeral of Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, who passed away on June 27 at the age of 94, Arun Bhatia, former municipal commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said the manner in which the government behaved was ‘disgraceful’ and a shame for the entire nation.
“Is this how those in power show respect to a Field Marshal, a devoted soldier who served the country faithfully all his life… by not bothering to turn up at his funeral? He has done so much for the nation and we, the people, demand an apology from the government for this shameful conduct,” he told a gathering organised jointly organised by him, retired Armed Forces personnel and citizens, as a mark of respect to the late Field Marshal Manekshaw.
Punekars turned up in large numbers to pay homage to Sam ‘Bahadur’ Manekshaw, one of India’s greatest military heroes. It may be recalled that President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A K Antony and the three Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, among others, were conspicuous by their absence at Field Marshal Manekshaw’s funeral at Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
Reiterating the view that the Field Marshal did not get the honour he deserved, Brig (Retd), A K Sahukar, said, “It was unfortunate that those in the government did not feel it necessary to attend the Field Marshal’s funeral and pay their last respects to an unparalleled military leader.”
However, Lt Gen Nanavatty (Retd), former Colonel, 8th Gorkha Rifles, and former Army Commander, Northern Command, pointed out that the military ceremony at the funeral was carried out in a ‘befitting manner.’ “The Army can proudly say that Field Marshal Manekshaw was given the respect he totally deserved, irrespective of who attended and who did not,” Nanavatty said.
Discussing the Field Marshal’s illustrious military career, Air Chief Marshal (Retd) and former Chief of Air Staff, H Moolgavkar, said Sam Manekshaw was an outstanding, spirited soldier who led from the front to give India one of its greatest military victories in the war against Pakistan in 1971, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
Lt Gen (Retd) Ashok Joshi summed up by saying, “Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was a man of great credibility who accomplished several things each one of us aspire to, but never achieved.”
JULY 6
REFERRING to the poor attendance at the funeral of Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, who passed away on June 27 at the age of 94, Arun Bhatia, former municipal commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said the manner in which the government behaved was ‘disgraceful’ and a shame for the entire nation.
“Is this how those in power show respect to a Field Marshal, a devoted soldier who served the country faithfully all his life… by not bothering to turn up at his funeral? He has done so much for the nation and we, the people, demand an apology from the government for this shameful conduct,” he told a gathering organised jointly organised by him, retired Armed Forces personnel and citizens, as a mark of respect to the late Field Marshal Manekshaw.
Punekars turned up in large numbers to pay homage to Sam ‘Bahadur’ Manekshaw, one of India’s greatest military heroes. It may be recalled that President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A K Antony and the three Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, among others, were conspicuous by their absence at Field Marshal Manekshaw’s funeral at Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
Reiterating the view that the Field Marshal did not get the honour he deserved, Brig (Retd), A K Sahukar, said, “It was unfortunate that those in the government did not feel it necessary to attend the Field Marshal’s funeral and pay their last respects to an unparalleled military leader.”
However, Lt Gen Nanavatty (Retd), former Colonel, 8th Gorkha Rifles, and former Army Commander, Northern Command, pointed out that the military ceremony at the funeral was carried out in a ‘befitting manner.’ “The Army can proudly say that Field Marshal Manekshaw was given the respect he totally deserved, irrespective of who attended and who did not,” Nanavatty said.
Discussing the Field Marshal’s illustrious military career, Air Chief Marshal (Retd) and former Chief of Air Staff, H Moolgavkar, said Sam Manekshaw was an outstanding, spirited soldier who led from the front to give India one of its greatest military victories in the war against Pakistan in 1971, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
Lt Gen (Retd) Ashok Joshi summed up by saying, “Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was a man of great credibility who accomplished several things each one of us aspire to, but never achieved.”
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