My husband, Dr. M. Chandrashekhar, served in the Indian Armed Forces Medical Corps for two decades before transitioning to a career in India’s corporate hospitals. This morning, he shared a ‘Sunday Story’ with me that brought tears to my eyes. I felt compelled to share it here with all of you:
Sunday Story
The Field Marshal’s Driver
As we all know, these drivers are soldiers picked from the Army Service Corps of the Army Headquarters’ Transport Company, located at Dhaula Kuan, Delhi.
Well, I suppose the Army Chief must have had more than one dedicated driver for his official duties. Military drivers, like all other serving personnel, are authorised periods of leave of absence every year. This man was from Haryana and his name was Havildar Shyam Singh.
One day, General Maneckshaw came out laughing from a conference in the North Block. The driver, who was standing at rigid attention, opened the car door for him. It was the month of April and it was a fine mellow day with a balmy sun.
“Tumhe pata hai Shyam Singh, (you know Shyam Singh), the Defence Minister today changed my name. He called me Shyam. He said “Shyam, Maan bhi jao.” (Shyam, please relent.)
General Sam Maneckshaw was referring to the plea by Babu Jagjivan Ram to invade East Pakistan in April on Prime Minister, Mrs Gandhi’s insistence, and Sam had prophesied 100% defeat if we went into East Pakistan in April.
“Waise there is not much difference in Shyam and Sam. Just the letter H and Y,” chuckled the future Field Marshal.
After the war was over and just when General Maneckshaw was about to retire, he noticed that Shyam Singh had become unusually tense. His uneasiness was smeared on his face, something the General easily read.
“What’s the matter Shyam Singh, your face these days looks like your family’s buffalo has stopped giving milk?”
“नहीं साहब वो बात नहीं है (No sir that’s not the matter) and the dour man would clamp shut.”
The days passed and Sam Maneckshaw’s date of retirement came closer and closer. One day the driver approached him and said,
“Sahab, I have one favour to ask of you and only you can help me.”
“Yes, shoot Shyam Singh.”
“Sahab I want to go on premature retirement. Please help me obtain release from army service.”
“But what’s the matter, do you have some Zameen kaa muqaddama (legal issue related to land ownership) or some family problems? You should try to serve your full length of service. I will ensure you make the rank of Naib Subedar, but you must continue to serve,” said the Chief.
“Nahi sahab (No Sir) that’s not the matter. It’s something else that I cannot disclose before I get my release from service.”
Maneckshaw appreciated the man’s candour and izzat (personal dignity) and did what needed to be done. When the driver’s release date and papers came, the Chief asked his driver again:-
“अब तो खुश हो? (Are you happy now?) Tell me now why you have left service early?”
The driver stood at attention and said,
“साहब आप की गाड़ी चलाने के बाद मै किसी और की गाड़ी नहीं चला सकता. (Sir after being your driver I cannot drive anyone else in my lifetime. This has been the high point of my life and I want to go home,) इसी इज्जत से.”
The Field Marshal laughed and said,
“तुम बहुत बड़ा बेवकूफ़ है, you Haryanvi chaps, You are big fools.”
But now that his driver’s papers had come through nothing could be done. The driver was an obstinate Haryanvi. A breed of men who never retracted once they made up their mind. The issue kept roaming in the mind of the chief. One day he asked his driver,
“What will you do after retirement?”
“Sir I will do something or the other. I will find a job.” replied the driver.
“How much agricultural land do you have?”
“None sir, I am from a poor family.”
The future Field Marshal was quite taken aback. This penniless poor man had just lost his job because he couldn’t drive another man after he had been driven to him. The day his driver was leaving Sam gave him an envelope.
“Shyam Singh open it only once you reach your home.”
“Ji sahab.” The driver saluted and left.
When he reached his home he forgot all about the envelope and got busy with life and finding a job. He got a job driving a freight truck. Then one day his wife said to him.
“I was putting away your army uniform in the sandook and this envelope was in your shirt pocket.”
“Oh this, I had forgotten all about it. I did not open it because I can’t read or write much. Sahib must have written a DO letter of appreciation for me as is the practice with senior officers.”
“फिर भी, please open it and have it read by the school masterji and tell me what it says.” said the wife.
So the soldier and his wife went to the village school and requested the headmaster to translate the contents of the letter.
The headmaster put on his glasses and tore open the envelope and his eyes stayed transfixed on the sheet of paper.
“Why are you staring at the page like this masterji?” asked Shyam Singh.
“Do you have any idea what this letter is?”
“No sir I haven’t.”
“This is a transfer deed. The Haryana Government had given a war jagir of 25 acres of land to General Sam Maneckshaw in Haryana after the 1971 war victory. He has gifted his war jagir to you. You are the owner of 25 acres of agricultural land now.”
Then the wife whacked her husband angrily.
“तू तो नीरा बेवकूफ मानस है!”
“You damned fool I was about to burn this envelope to light the चुल्हा.
Thank God I asked you what was in it first. You are the biggest idiot I have seen.”
Anyhow, that’s the story about the great General Sam Maneckshaw. He gifted his war jagir near Sonepat to his driver and his Field Marshal’s pay arrears to the Army Widows Welfare Fund.
How can anyone even come close to such a great man??
(Ashok Ahlawat@My Stories of Olive Green.Dec 2023).