Today is Field Marshall K. M. Cariappa's death anniversary. He was the first Commander in Chief of the Indian Army and is only one of the 2 army officers to have held the five star rank of Field Marshall (the other being Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw). 
Stories abound about his atrocious Hindi and the speeches he delivered in it.
In 1947 he has believed to have said -
"50 Para Brigade ke officeran, Sardaran, Jawanan. Is waqt mulk muft, ap muft, hum muft hain. Apka Brigade Commander Saheb bola kih ap age jana mangta. ++
In 1947 he has believed to have said -
"50 Para Brigade ke officeran, Sardaran, Jawanan. Is waqt mulk muft, ap muft, hum muft hain. Apka Brigade Commander Saheb bola kih ap age jana mangta. ++
++ Aap is waqt aage jaana sakta nahin, kyonki hamara bandobast ka dum bahut peeche hai. Aap is waqt dushman ko aankh maro.”
At least a couple of soldiers thought they couldn't follow because he was speaking in English.
At least a couple of soldiers thought they couldn't follow because he was speaking in English.
His son K.C. Cariappa was taken prisoner of war by Pakistan in 1965. When it was discovered that former C in C's son was in custody, Pakistan Army Chief General Muhammad Musa visited him bearing gifts - a copy of Wodehouse and a pack of cigarettes. ++
++ Musa's father, President General Ayub Khan had served under Cariappa and offered to release his son. Cariappa responded -
"He's my son no longer. He's the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot ++
"He's my son no longer. He's the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot ++
++ My many thanks for your kind gesture, but I request you to release all or release none. Give him no special treatment".
But Cariappa's legacy is chequered. ++
But Cariappa's legacy is chequered. ++
++ Musa's father, President General Ayub Khan had served under Cariappa and offered to release his son. Cariappa responded -
"He's my son no longer. He's the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot ++
"He's my son no longer. He's the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot ++
++ My many thanks for your kind gesture, but I request you to release all or release none. Give him no special treatment".
But Cariappa's legacy is chequered. ++
But Cariappa's legacy is chequered. ++
In a signed note from 1971, after Indira Gandhi came to power, Cariappa advocated scraping the Constitution, all political parties, linguistic states, and instituting military rule. ++
++ He wanted only three political parties, on the lines of Labour, Liberal and Conservative in the UK, and a new Constitution to be framed after a general election is held when military rule had restored law and order and “things are going on well in the country”. ++
Cariappa seemed to believe the armed forces should have a role in running the country.
Lord Mountbatten's Chief of Staff, Sir Hastings Ismay, wrote to the latter -
Lord Mountbatten's Chief of Staff, Sir Hastings Ismay, wrote to the latter -
“Cariappa came to see me y'day and volunteered the amazing suggestion tht Indian Army w/ either Nehru or Jinnah take over power when we left in June '48. It's hard to know whether he in putting forward this idea was ingenious and ignorant or disingenuous and dangerous or both.”
Even as C-in-C, he would offer views on everything, including the economic model that would best suit India.
On October 13, 1952, Nehru wrote to Cariappa, advising him to hold fewer press conferences and, at any rate, to stick to safe subjects. ++
On October 13, 1952, Nehru wrote to Cariappa, advising him to hold fewer press conferences and, at any rate, to stick to safe subjects. ++
PM enclosed a letter from a cabinet colleague complaining Cariappa was “giving so many speeches and holding so many press conferences”, that it appeared he was “playing the role of a political or semi-political leader”
Post retirement Cariappa contested elections but lost.
Post retirement Cariappa contested elections but lost.
Musa's *predecessor
