Remembering Sam Manekshaw

The death of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw brings to an end a life that was as noted for its longevity as for its achievements. Manekshaw was ninety four when he passed away on Friday. To that extent, he lived a full life in a country that he honoured and which in turn remained ever grateful to him. All Indians will remember for long the singular contributions he made toward upholding the prestige of their country through shaping a military victory against Pakistan in 1971.
For the people of Bangladesh, Manekshaw remains, and will remain, a shining symbol of friendship in a time of their greatest need. As the chief of the Indian army, he was one individual who acknowledged early on in 1971 the odds the people of Bangladesh were up against in their war of liberation against a genocidal Pakistan army. It was through his unparalleled commitment to the cause of justice for Bengalis that he was able to strategise the course of a war which would culminate in the liberation of Bangladesh.
Yet it is also remembered by the people of this country that Manekshaw brought no jingoism to bear on the battle plans he shaped in 1971. Asked by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the cabinet in April of the year if he was ready to move into battle mode against the Pakistan army in occupied Bangladesh, he was honest in his answer. He cited geography, the weather and, most importantly, the need for military preparations. By November 1971, with the Pakistanis in deepening trouble in Bangladesh and the Mukti Bahini making advances, Manekshaw was ready to strike. Pakistan gave him a convenient reason to hit back when its air force struck Indian cities on the western front in early December. Less than a fortnight later, half of Pakistan was gone and Bangladesh emerged, bloodied but unbowed, as a free nation.
We pay tribute to Sam Manekshaw. A gentleman soldier, one given to wit that matched his seriousness, he was committed to our cause. Had he not been around in 1971, things could well have been different for us. He was our true friend and ally and will always be our pride, just as he is India's, and a source of inspiration for all of us in Bangladesh.