Close Encounters of a Special Kind

Brigadier Suryanarayanan remembers some close encounters with Generals and Field Marshals in his inimitable style as part of his treasury of army stories. Read on?

Before, during and after my service, I have been lucky to have personally ?encountered? some Generals before, during or after they had been Chiefs! Here is a memoir of those meetings.

On 26 Aug 1959, during final year degree, General (later Fd Mshl) KM Cariappa, (Retd), had presided over our College Day

Shaking hands with the first Indian C-in-C, Gen KM Cariappa, before receiving prizes on 26 Aug 1959

celebrations. After a Guard of Honour for him, as the Under Officer, I went in uniform to collect a few prizes and he said a few words of appreciation. That snap is treasured by me!

I have had many encounters with Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw, but not had them ?snapped?; will recount just three. In 1963, still a ?one-pipper,? I was lost in the corridors of the Corps HQ at Tezpur, looking at name boards to invite two officers personally for a Regimental function. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulders asking, ?What brings you here?? Turning, I saw a Lt Gen in a mazri shirt, with a sharp nose and peculiar moustache. ?Don?t be scared young man. Tell me what you want and I will help you?. I stuttered and shivered before giving the names. He escorted me to their office and told them to give me some coffee and he was off!

In 1973, as a student at Staff College on a Sunday at the Lower Coonoor vegetable market, I saw all vendors suddenly standing up with folded hands and saying: ?Vanakkam, Ayya.? (Salutations, Sir). My wife and I turned around and saw the Field Marshal. We moved aside wishing him; but he stopped and asked my wife her name and where we were staying. On our saying ?Holmwood,? he remembered it from his days as Commandant 11 years earlier and asked if we still had dry commodes there! After speaking for some more time, he wished us luck and was off! Same year he addressed us at the Valedictory function, when for the first time ever, he gave out a humourous and uncensored version of the Higher Direction of 1971 War: he had contempt for politicians and named a senior minister. At one stage, he moved his head to a profile and asked us to notice the similarity of his sharp nose with Indira Gandhi and said, that was the reason he was close to her! Foreign students were equally delighted as us!

In Nov 1989, while waiting at IA counter at Madras for Coimbatore, in a long queue, I noticed ?Sam? joining 20 places behind me. I rushed and requested him for his ticket and not to stand in queue; but he wouldn?t, saying ?No I will take my turn?. I compelled him, took it, rushed back and asked the counter-man if he even knew who it was in the queue. He left the window, came out and apologized. Immediately there was a rush near ?Sam? with everyone producing a currency-note or boarding pass or even plain piece of paper for an autograph! He smiled at me with a mischievous wink and obliged everyone! I asked for and got two seats together in the very first row and he spoke nicely throughout the flight.

The author receiving his MBA Degree from Sardar Manmohan Singh, VC, Punjab University in 1991. The other Dr Manmohan Singh (to-be-PM in 2004) can also be seen in the image.

Sunday, 21 Apr 1991, at Punjab University, Patiala, I received my MBA Certificate from the VC and waited for my name to be called for the gold medal from the Chancellor, HE Governor of Punjab, Gen OP Malhotra (Retd). As I neared, he noticed that my tie was same as his (Instructor, Staff College) and said so. Cheekily, I told him, ?Sir, I am a Gunner too!? He laughed out loud! The photographer helped in capturing both the moments. Dr. Manmohan Singh was waiting to receive yet another doctorate and can be seen to the right and rear of the VC in the photograph!

Ten years earlier, on 16 Jan 1981, at Gunners Day cocktail, ?Gen OP? as the chief guest had gone around the regimental bars to meet officers and ladies informally and ?feel the pulse.? When he came to us, I was smoking a cigar and so was he! I

Mutual Smiles and a brief conversation with Gen OP Malhotra (Retd). Governor, Punjab

tried to hide my cigar. Signalling me not to, he asked, what brand, where from and if one was available. I produced the humidor of La Corona from my home-town Trichy. He placed one that he was smoking against this over the bar-counter, measured the length, circumference etc and remarked something, which if heard by the ladies close-by, would have embarrassed him. So, I gave a subdued smile. Realising his slip, he said with a twinkle of smile through his big mush: ?I was measuring the cigars, Colonel? and moved to the next bar!

In Dec 1971, during operations, communications were excellent in my (Brigade Major?s) Command Post, and so, GOC spent many hours there. When it was planned to vacate Chhamb, a call came from Gen Manekshaw late at night, asking him to hold on till first light for IAF?s help. Though this was not my ?meet? with a Chief but was as good as one, considering the historic moment!

Ten years later, as CO of a regiment recently arrived at Gurgaon after two consecutive hard areas, I learnt we might be moved yet again shortly. So, I used the Quarterly Security Intelligence Report to reflect the views of my men (?adverse morale? points are put up to the Chief). The then Chief, who wasn?t fond of the Gunners, wrote on it: ?This CO needs lessons on morale?! Luckily nothing adverse happened to me. Just two months earlier, as GOC-in-C Western Command, he had sent for me the morning after the Gunners Cocktail ibid and complimented my Regiment for an excellent guard, adding a below-the-belt-comment that he ?hadn?t expected such standards from Gunners!?

Within two years, I was embroiled in a trumped-up case, which took five years to get out. After that, I was posted as Instructor, Staff College! I met Gen Sundarji (just retired) at Wellington Gymkhana, where we were the only two at the bar. Introducing

The author with General S Padmanabhan at the latter?s office in Army House, Delhi.

myself, I thanked him for clearing my case leading to that prestigious posting. On his query, I mentioned that the Complaint Advisory Board he had introduced in his Secretariat, which independently and impartially examined complaints from all ranks had helped him clear me. He said in Tamil, it was nothing by him; I must have been cleared being innocent.

Now to the ?Chief? who considers me a friend. Half-a-century back, he (two-plus years senior) had been my student. Subsequently, we did Staff College together as students. During the ?case? ibid, he was my superior who had nothing to do with the case but being my boss, had to place me under arrest; he assured me that being innocent, I would come out blemishless; and I did. Five years ago, when I authored my first book, he was the one who wrote the Foreword, where he called me his ?guru? and a ?valued friend?! That is General S Padmanabhan and sums up this tale of close encounters with chiefs and generals across my life