Introduction
General CK Karumbayah, SM, in his
article wrote about Cariappa, -“ As the senior most officer, history thrust
upon him greater responsibilities as soon as India gained independence. It was
largely because of him Indian Army retained its cohesion, discipline,
professional competence and an apolitical nature. If not for him probably the
Indian Armed Forces could have got embroiled in politics as what happened in
Pakistan.” Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck rightly concludes the above
statement by stating, “ He set a fine example to those of his countrymen who
followed his foot steps.”
Family
Background and Up-bringing.
Cariappa’s father Madappa was a revenue official in a small town
Snivarasante in North Kodagu. Madappa married Kaveramma – a charming, graceful
and pious young lass, who belonged to Codanada clan. They had six children -
four boys and two girls. Cariappa was second and was born on 28 Jun 1900.He was
very loveable and due to his winsome, jovial and witty disposition he was known
as ‘Chimma’ to his near and dear ones.
Cariappa was a student of Central High School, Madikeri and was an
intelligent student with keen interest in sports and games. As a student in
school he was slim, fair and somewhat tall for his age. He was very active,
popular and even mischievous. There were occasions when he organized revolts
against nagging professors and their outmoded practices.
In the year 1917, Cariappa went to Presidency College, Madras as a
boarder. Apart from being a brilliant student he excelled in cricket and tennis
in particular- the games, which usually fashioned a polished gentlemen of
times. Cariappa even as a student longed to be a ‘soldier’ - his ancestral
traditional profession. He used to tell his mother in his young days that one
day he would become ‘a big officer’.
While he was still a student in Intermediate class in Madras
Presidency College, he was selected for pre-commission training in year 1918.
In year 1919, he was one amongst 39 Cadets who were given the King’s Commission
after his training at Dally College, Indore.
Professional
Career
1920 - posted to 2/88 (Coorg) Carnatic Rifles.
1920-22 - Adjutant in 2/125 Napier Rifles in
Mesopotamia.
1922-25 - Posted to 1/17 Dogras and 1/7 Rajputs
in Wazirstan-North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
1933 - Attended
Staff College, Quetta- NWFP.
1936 - Posted as Deputy Assistant Qurter Master
General at Deccan.
1938 - Posted
Brigade Major of 20 Infantry Brigade, Quetta.
1941
- Posted Deputy Assistant
Quarter Master General of 10 Infantry Division and served in Iraq, Syria, and.
Iran under General Slim.
1942 - Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and
raised and commanded the 7th MG
(Machine Gun) Battalion Rajput Regiment.
1943 - Posted
Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General of 26 Infantry Division at
Arakkan Front in Burma.
1944 - Promoted
to Brigadier and took over command of Bannu Frontier Brigade in NWFP.
1946 - Attended
Imperial Defence College, UK.
1947 - Promoted
to Major General and appointed Deputy Chief of General Staff, Army hQ.
1947 - Promoted
to Lieutenant General and took over Command of Eastern Command.
1948 - Promoted
to General and appointed as Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army in place of Sir General F Roy Bucher on 15 Jan 1949.
1953 - Retired
on 14 Jan 1953.
1986 - Bestowed
the rank of Field Marshal on 25 Apr1986.
Courage of Conviction and Forth-rightness
Cariappa is known for his forthrightness. In expression and in
numerous occasions others misunderstood him. Cariappa sometimes even disagreed
with mahatma Gandhi – the Apostle of Non-violent war, by stating, “non-violence
was of no use under the existing circumstances in India. Only a strong Army can
make India one of the greatest nations in the world”.
General Cariappa during a discourse with mahatma on 'ahimsa'
and in justification of his views
stated, “we soldiers are a very much maligned community. Even, you think that
we are a very violent tribe. But we are not. Of all the people in the world,
the one community, which dislikes wars, is the soldier community. It is not
because of the dangers and the horrors in the battlefield; but because of the
knowledge we have of utter futility of wars to settle international disputes.
We feel one war merely leads to another. History has taught us this “.
When accused of army spreading violence, General replied “in the
democratic country soldiers do not initiate wars, Governments when they have
failed to get satisfactory solution to international problems declare wars…..
We merely carry out orders of the Government- and therefore of the people”.
Vision and
Awareness of Existing Circumstances. (Anecdotes
and Utterances)
* General Cariappa always strived to impress people and powers that
be, that without some discipline masses of people are but the crowd and the
rabble, that democracy is but a
‘mobocracy’ without discipline and direction, that the rulers and the administrators without
character are but a gang of ruthless power seekers and exploiters and that loss
of morale leads to the collapse of will to improve and to succeed. He made bold
to suggest to political leaders that some kind of military training for all the
citizens would improve their way of life and chase lethargy and indiscipline
out of their lives. But he has met with rebuff that he wanted to make India a
military nation.
*Gen Cariappa had a large jungle area surrounding his post
retirement abode ‘ROSHNARA’ at Madikeri. The pension he received was meager and
not adequate to maintain a large establishment and live a life of comfort.His
friends advised him to cut trees from the jungle, which was his own, and sell
the timber so that he could live life like a lord. He scoffed at the
suggestion. He loved the environment the flora and fauna too much to accept the
idea. Instead he adopted a life of simplicity and dignity, which was the
hallmark of the man. He was a man of limited desires and considerable self-control.
*When General Cariappa was asked ‘What prompted you to settle in
Mercara, a small town without many modern amenities, instead of settling in
Bombay, Delhi or Bangalore as many dignitaries do?” he answered “This question
has been asked many times and some of my friends question my wisdom of
selecting a small-town like Mercara to spend the evening of my life. I have
always told them that there is no place like Mercara (coorg) for me in the
whole world and this land of ‘Cauvery Mata’ far excels all other land and I
hold it dear as the cradle of my childhood, the Brindavana of my
youth and the Varanasi of my old age”. This is where his root lay.
* General Cariappa believed in the 'pitru devo bhava
(worshipful remembrance of parents) and is highly proud of being the son of his
dear father.In his article in the Bhawans Journal in the 1965, General Cariappa
wrote that “To me the greatest personality I have ever known in my father. I
well remembered he telling me ‘my son live your life on your own merits. Do not
ask for favours, nor be under any ones obligations’ ”.
* When General Cariappa was
asked why he did not accept any assignments in some big business firms, when he
was offered so many, he replied. “Think of a retired General of a big country
like India approaching a civilian officer or waiting for a minister seeking
some concessions or help for a company over which he presides, with that sole
object of earning some coins!” When the General was reminded that many Generals
after he had done that he quipped “, But you must know that I was the first
Commander-in-Chief of independent India and I have the responsibility of
maintaining the dignity of the high office I held”.
*
General KM Cariappa when he was the chairman of the All India Sports
Council he came in contact with Mr. Vijay Merchant. While on a discussion
between both at Vallabhai Patel Stadium in Bombay, a young man hurriedly tried
to pass between the two on his way to the enclosures. General stopped him
gently and very mildly asked him whether it would have been better for him to
merely say “Excuse me, may I pass, please”. And added, “Either of us would have
then said “sorry’ given you ample space to go by moving on one side. This is
where we lack discipline, my young man and unless young people like you are
disciplined, we shall have nothing but indiscipline in the rank and file in
this country. I hope you understand ?”. The young man felt so ashamed of
himself at this mild admonition. Later General introduced himself extending
right hand and shook him warmly saying “ I am pleased to meet you and I trust
you will remember in the future what I have said and pass it on to others”.
Conclusion
Field
marshal KM Cariappa’s vision envisaged a disciplined youth working towards the
unity and prosperity of the country. His advice to them was to develop virtues of Physical fitness,Moral
correctness, Mental alertness, Discipline, Selflessness, Honesty, Loyalty,
Sense of duty and above all character.
-Col R Ravi Nair-
[Inspiration Brig MM Ashok Cariappa (retd)]
