Field Marshall KM Cariappa: a great soldier with a touch of humanity

Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Comments

Today is the 120^th birthday of the first-ever Commander-in-Chief of the defence forces of independent India, the son of Karnataka and the hero from Kodagu district – Field Marshall General Kodandera Madappa Cariappa.

Cariappa was born on 28 January 1899 at Shanivarasanthe in Kodagu district. He joined the Army and served in many posts with distinction and earned a name as a great military warrior.

During World War II, Cariappa led a batch of troops at “Bannu”, fighting a band of heavily armed tribal warriors. The tribal forces offered a tough fight. During his camping at Bannu, Cariappa got to know that the tribal area faced severe water shortage. He saw an opportunity here and instructed his solders to dig a well, thereby solving the water crisis. The tribal forces were delighted and its chief sought a truce with Cariappa. This episode brought out the humane side of a tough military officer.

India became independent on 15 August 1947. The first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, called a meeting of senior military officials and other dignitaries.

Speaking at the meeting, Nehru said, “Since we do not have military officers with much experience, I feel it is best to appoint a British military officer as the commander-in-chief.” The military officers and dignitaries, who had only learnt to be mere followers and not leaders during the British rule, nodded in agreement with Nehru.

Then, Nathu Singh Rathore, a military officer, stood up and requested Nehru for an opportunity to speak. Nehru was taken aback at this officer’s straightforward request. After a few moments, Nehru prompted him to speak freely. Rathore said, “Sir, since we do not have people with the necessary experience to lead this country, why not appoint a British person as the first prime minister of India?” Rathore’s suggestion was followed by a pin-drop silence. Nehru then broke the silence, asked Rathore, “Are you ready to become the first-ever commander-in-chief?” Rathore rejected this offer, saying, “My superior, Gen. KM Cariappa is a military officer; he is the most capable among all of us. He has all the qualities required of a commander-in-chief.” Thus, Gen. KM Cariappa, a great military officer, became the commander-in-chief of all the three defence forces – army, navy and air force.

In 1949, Gen. Cariappa suggested to the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to make military service compulsory for the youth of India. However, Nehru did not agree.

“If our country has to develop, all of us should have three important values: truth, honesty and discipline”

In 1965, war broke out between India and Pakistan. Kodandera Nanda Cariappa, the son of Gen. KM Cariappa, was a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force. He had just attacked some bases on the Pakistan side. The Pakistani troops brought down Nanda’s plane and he, along with other Indian troops, were taken as prisoners-of-war (POWs). When Ayub Khan, former colleague of Gen.  Cariappa and now a senior military officer in Pakistan, learnt about Nanda’s identity, he called up Gen. Cariappa and offered to release his son. Gen. Cariappa responded, saying, “All the POWs with you are my sons. Please take care of them well. He is the son of the country. He was fighting for his motherland. Thank you very much for your offer. However, I request you to either release all of them, or release none. Please do not give him special treatment.” Gen. Cariappa’s integrity shone through in this episode.

Two towering personalities: Gen. Cariappa with Kannada matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar Pic. Courtesy: CineLoka

In 1964, Gen. Cariappa, along with Gen. Thimmaiah, established an association for retired Indian defence personnel. “To preserve and boost the morale of our defence forces, never forget the welfare of the retired soldiers. When they lay down their lives for the country, this country will look after his family very well. When he retires, he will be assured that the government will not ignore him. These two aspects will immensely motivate the soldier.”

During the wars, Gen. Cariappa visited the frontier posts, spoke with the soldiers and boosted their morale.

Gen. Cariappa passed away on 15 May 1993 in Bengaluru. All the three chiefs of the Indian defence forces were witness to his son Nanda Cariappa expedite the funeral rites in Madikeri.

Courtesy: Chidananda Gowda, Kasturi Kannada Monthly, Hubballi, October 2018.

Video: YouTube