Page 6 - Seniorstoday November 2021 Issue
P. 6
Cover Story
SAM BAHADUR
The Legend Lives On
In life as in death, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was surrounded
by those who were his true admirers, write Zenobia and Brig Behram
Panthaki (Retd)
1932-34: Sam was a cadet at the Indian political map of South Asia forever! After
Military Academy. With him, in this first the war my husband, a Captain at the time,
batch of Indians, was a young Tikka Khan. accompanied him to Lahore for delineation
Both were boxers in the same weight talks. To lower the palpable tension, during
category and during an annual match they the ride to Corps HQ, Sam broke the ice,
were pitted against each other. The match ‘Tikka, you have no vices, you don’t smoke
was heading to a draw when Tikka lowered or drink, why do you hide behind dark
his guard to wipe his gloves. Sam delivered glasses? I should be wearing those!’
a stinging right hook that knocked Tikka Sam’s brand of discipline and honesty
down. By a strange quirk of fate, Sam was tempered with common sense while a
delivered a second knockout punch to unique sense of humour was his forte.
Tikka during the 1971 war that severed When he was Eastern Army Commander,
Pakistan in half and changed the geo- a young officer, madly in love with a tribal
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