Sapper who came close to being Chief

Brig Harwant Singh (Retd)

General Manoj Pande, who took over reins of the Indian Army recently, is the first Sapper (Army Engineer) officer to get this exalted post. It has been almost half a century since a Sapper got close to becoming the Army Chief. This officer was the legendary Lt Gen PS Bhagat, winner of Victoria Cross, the highest gallantry award in the British Empire. I am reminded of an incident when I saw him from close quarters and was thoroughly impressed.

Our regiment was located at Ferozepur, with Gen Bhagat as our Corps Commander. One day, in the summer of 1966, we got a message that he would inspect our single officers’ accommodation. Those days we had nothing by way of furniture, as is seen in the rooms of today’s bachelors. String cots were our beds, inverted empty rum boxes our bedside tables and folding camp stools our comfort chairs. Independent India was still struggling with its economy, which had got worse after the recent war with Pakistan. We, however, never cribbed about our living standards.

Our Commanding Officer (later Vice Chief) was smart, and had to show his regimental officers in good light. He got our rooms ‘done up’ with centrally procured furniture from one Lall Ji Furnitures, on rent, for which we all paid. During the British times, each cantonment had such furniture-wallahs who rented out goods to officers on monthly payment and took it back once the officer got posted out. The system was still intact even after 20 years of Independence in many cantonments.

The General arrived on the due date with a big contingent of staff officers, all in civil dress. They must have been the officers from the administrative branches and Military Engineering Service (MES). Two regimental messes shared a bungalow. He seemed to be reasonably satisfied with our regiment but his visit to the next regiment was a complete disaster. They had done nothing of the sort we had and had relied on MES to do up their rooms.

He asked a young officer about the accommodation and the latter replied that the servants at his home lived better than him. “I fully agree,” said the General, remaining calm without showing any annoyance. He then turned to someone, who would have been the Station Commander, and said that he wanted the bachelor quarters to have the authorised scale of furniture and bathrooms renovated within a month.

“Don’t let the officers hire any item that the MES should provide,” he said, knowing well that the furniture in our rooms was rented. Ferozepur can be very hot in summer. He said we could use open collar white shirts and pants as our mess dress in the evening instead of the usual lounge suit or uniform. He was very considerate.

All hell broke loose for the MES personnel the following day. Each one of them worked at feverish speed for the next few weeks. All this while they had done bare little and now they were begging our Quarter Master, a veteran of World War II, who proudly flaunted his ‘Eighth Army ribbon’, to ensure that our rooms were not locked and kept open at all times for them to complete the work in time. Sure enough, the General re-inspected the accommodation as planned.

We were disappointed when he could not become the Army Chief as his predecessor had been granted extension. It was indeed a great loss to the Army. Hope the first Sapper Chief emulates the qualities of head and heart exhibited by the great Sapper and keeps the motivation level of this fine Army high.