Thread by @Maverickmusafir

Rumours had it that due to his remarkable contribution in the 1971 war, General S.H.F.J. Manekshaw was in line for a promotion to the rank of Field Marshal. However, it was also in common knowledge that the Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram was against this proposal and had previously stated to the Press that the Indian Army would never have a Field Marshal or a Five-Star General.

The wait stretched for months. It seemed like Manekshaw was paying the price for bypassing the Minister when the latter asked the reason for not implementing “Caste-based Reservations” in the Armed Forces.+

The book, A Soldier Recalls, by Lt Gen S.K. Sinha (he was the Deputy Adjutant General at the time) gives interesting insight, he writes:

“Relations between Jagjivan Ram and Manekshaw had not been too good. They had a confrontation on the issue of reservations in the Army for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. The Army was and still is, the only department of Government, where there is no reservation for any caste, though members of Scheduled Castes are recruited as soldiers in fairly large numbers. Class composition of regiments do amount to reservation for certain communities. However, this is more in the nature of preserving old traditions by continuing with the recruitment of certain traditional classes with a long military background.”+

“The bulk of the Army, however, is not affected by class composition and recruitment quotas are allotted to States on the basis of their population, for eligible candidates, without any caste or other consideration.

Jagjivan Ram wanted reservation for Scheduled Castes in the officer cadre. Manekshaw felt that by doing so we would be compromising on efficiency and with India facing constant threats to her national security, it would be inadvisable to take such a step. He mentioned that recruitment to the officer cadre should be solely on the basis of merit. Candidates from Scheduled Castes should be given special coaching and other facilities to enable them to compete”.+

“A number of acrimonious notes was exchanged between the Minister and the Chief. I used to draft the notes for Manekshaw. Despite my closeness to Jagjivan Ram, my loyalty was of course to Manekshaw, who was my Chief. Once Jagjivan Ram sent a critical note wanting to know why action should not be taken against those responsible for not properly implementing Government policy on recruitment, as had been formulated at the time of Independence. Manekshaw asked me to draft a really strong reply, demanding that action should be taken against him as he was in agreement with what his predecessors had done and he took full responsibility for it”.+

“Ensuring national security was more important than any ill-conceived notions of social justice, I made a really strong draft and Manekshaw approved it in toto. Thereafter, with his inimitable sense of humour and a twinkle in his eye, knowing full well that I am a Bihari he said: ‘If the Minister is to have his way, the Indian Army would be full of Biharis and Bhangis!’. I laughed at this joke. However, as a nation we sometimes show a lack of sense of humour.”+

In December 1972, the defense secretary reached out to Sam for his approval regarding the order of precedence for his ‘potential’ promotion to Field Marshal. Sam, frustrated by months of delays, lost his patience that evening and curtly declined, stating that he hadn't sought it and didn't wish to haggle with the government. He abruptly ended the conversation, refusing further discussion, and hung up the phone.+

At approximately 7:00 PM on December 31, the Defense Secretary placed another call to Army House. The Government had reached a decision to elevate Sam to the esteemed rank of Field Marshal. While the specifics of his entitlements remained pending, the official announcement was scheduled for the 9:00 PM prime-time bulletin on All India Radio. Sam, his family, the Gorkhas and civilian staff, all excited trooped in to his bedroom to hear the announcement. It was the lead announcement and to hear the rank ‘Field Marshal’ prefixed to Sam's name was a surreal experience and within minutes the Army House was taken by storm of greetings. The honour was not just his but belonged to the entire Army.+

A special investiture ceremony was scheduled on 3rd January, that is two days later. AG’s branch and the Chief’s secretariat scrambled to get the accoutrements together. Sam needed badges of rank of a Field Marshal and he needed a Field Marshal’s baton. Major General SK Sinha, officiating Adjutant General was in charge of the arrangements.+

Manekshaw summoned his Military Assistant, Lt Col Depinder Singh and instructed to show the badges of rank which had been prepared for him (these cloth badges were prepared by Bastani Brothers, military outfitters at South Block in advance). Upon inspecting the cloth badges of rank, Sinha remarked that they would not suffice. For the investiture he would have to have metal badges of rank.+

In his autobiography, Lt Gen Sinha recounted: “Moreover, the design of the Field Marshal’s badge of rank with Ashoka lions on top and crossed baton with wreaths below was not quite correct. The two had to be part of one badge rather than separate badges.

A British Field Marshal wore a miniature crown on the top of the wreath enclosing crossed batons and we similarly should have miniature Ashoka lions without any noticeable gap between them and the wreath. Manekshaw agreed about the need for metal badges of rank but had his doubts about the design that I was suggesting. I said that I was relying on my memory.”+

“Before Independence, when he was a Lt Col and I a Captain in Military Operations Directorate, Field Marshal Auchinleck used to come to the Operations Room and I had definite recollection of his badges of rank.

Manekshaw told me that he had many more occasions to see Auchinleck in uniform than I had, but he could not recollect the exact pattern of his badges of rank. He asked me to show written authority in support of what I was saying. To my surprise our dress regulations going back to 1904, did not give the badges of rank for a Field Marshal”.+

“I then thought of Encyclopaedia Britannica. I was delighted to find that it contained picture of all badges of rank in vogue in the British Army including that of a Field Marshal. It confirmed what I had stated to Manekshaw. When I showed, him the Encyclopaedia, he got convinced and asked me to ensure that the badges of rank for him were in black metal. Gorkha officers wear black badges of rank. Being a Gorkha officer myself, I felt touched at his insistence. I had the required badges of rank fabricated and produced in the Army workshop in Delhi Cantonment within 24 hours”.+

British and Indian Field Marshal’s badges of rank.+

“My next problem was to have a Field Marshal's baton prepared. It so happened that I had not seen Auchinleck in his ceremonial uniform when a baton is required to be carried.

I had no idea as to what a Field Marshal’s baton looked like. I tried to get the required information on the telephone from our Military Adviser in London but the offices there were closed for a week for the New Year and he could not get me the required information.”+

“On my own, I got a baton prepared using the cane of stick orderly as a model with Ashoka Lions in sliver mounted on top and an elaborate sliver chain round a stick of much smaller size. This also was got ready within a day.”+

“Getting the badges of the rank of Field Marshal or a baton prepared was not as difficult as getting bureaucrats whether in the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of Home Affairs to agree on various details. They were not too happy at a soldier getting so much limelight. Since it was a special investiture at Rashtrapati Bhavan and not a Defence investiture, we had to carry the Ministry of Home Affairs with us. I went to a high level meeting in that Ministry where they raised a whole lot of objections. They questioned the need for a baton being presented to Manekshaw.”+

“I stated that since the Government had decided to make him a Field Marshal and not a Five-Star General. It was imperative that a baton be given to him. This was the practice in all countries where this appointment existed. I found my knowledge of military history helped me in getting my views accepted. I told them that the rank of Field Marshal had been introduced by Frederick the Great in the 18th century as part of reforms in the Prussian Army.

He had ruled that war booty coming in the hands of a victorious Army should be deposited in the State exchequer. No General would be allowed to retain any portion of it as had been the practice earlier. However, to compensate a conquering General and to recognise his distinguished services, the rank of Field Marshal was introduced. Officers promoted to this rank would be deemed to be in service for the rest of their lives and would be entitled to full pay. They would be presented with a baton which would be a version of the sovereigns’s sceptre to indicate his exalted rank.”+

“The Field Marshal was to be given a high protocol status, next only to the Sovereign. France introduced this rank in its Army calling it Marshal of France.

During the Napoleonic wars in Spain, the Duke of Wellington captured a French Marshal’s baton and sent it as a present for the British Sovereign.”+

“The British Government then decided to introduce the Field Marshal’s rank in its Army and the Duke of Wellington became the first British Field Marshal.”

(The Prince Regent was delighted with the gift and on 5 July 1813 wrote to Wellington ‘You have sent me among the Trophies of your unrivalled Fame, the Baton of a French Marshal and I send you in return that of England. The British Army will hail it with enthusiasm while the whole Universe will acknowledge those valorous Exploits, which have so imperiously called for it...’)+

“Before Independence, Generals of the Indian Army like Birdwood and Auchinleck had become Field Marshals and had been given batons. The bureaucrats reluctantly agreed to a baton being given to Manekshaw but there was some quibbling about the design”.+

“There was also discussion about the protocol status for an Indian Field Marshal. I had argued that this should be immediately below holders of Bharat Ratna, but the entire bureaucracy was opposed to this idea with the result that a Field Marshal to this day has not been given any special protocol status in our Army. He is supposed to rank with the Service Chiefs and he remains junior to the Cabinet Secretary!! On the question of emoluments for a Field Marshal, I could not get them to accept full pay. The Government agreed to give only a sum of Rs 400 per month in addition to the then pension of Rs. 1,200 of the Service Chief. Thus the pay of a Field Marshal was fixed at only Rs.1,600 per month. No other facilities were to be made available to Field Marshal Manekshaw.”+

“Notwithstanding our not being able to obtain what we had bid for, the special investiture held at Rashtrapati Bhavan was a great success. This was a fitting recognition for what Manekshaw had been able to achieve.”+

“He was to retire 12 days later on 15 January 1973 after the Army Parade on that day. I was responsible for organising this parade. I found that our Defence Service Regulations based on the British Army Manual of Ceremonial Drill, provide for regimental colours to be lowered in salute to a Sovereign, a Head of a State and a Field Marshal. Even the Prime Minister is not entitled to this honour.”+

“Perhaps this was a legacy of Frederick the Great. He had decreed that a Field Marshal would rank next only to the Sovereign. Using my authority and without consulting or informing anyone, I ordered regimental colours to be brought for the Army Day Parade. I kept this as a surprise for Manekshaw. I briefed him about it only a little before the parade. For the first time, colours had been brought on parade for the Army Day, and they duly dipped in salute to Manekshaw. It was a proud moment not only for him but for all of us.”+

“After the parade, a visibly moved Manekshaw thanked me. Before I could say anything, he had departed in the limousine with five stars escorted by a pilot jeep and outriders. Seeing Manekshaw depart that morning, my thoughts went back to the pre-Independence days, when I used to see him go about on a small AJS motorbike.

In the quarter of a century that had followed, a lot of things had happened. From a young Lieutenant Colonel, Manekshaw had become a legend, destined to carve a place for himself in our county’s history.”+

(I am posting my collection for reference. Will tweet them separately later)

British and Indian Field Marshal’s baton.
(I)

British and Indian Field Marshal’s baton (II) The silver chain is missing from the old baton. Maybe removed later.+

Later Manekshaw chose the design of the baton of a Polish Field Marshal with red velvet cover studded with golden buttons(or presumably Ashoka Chakra) and golden Ashoka lions. This cost 7000/- and became the pattern for the baton.+