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Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw (April 3, 1914 –June 27, 2008), popularly known as 'Sam Bahadur', was one of India's greatest military commanders.
Born to Parsi parents in Amritsar, Manekshaw was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the five-star rank of Field Marshal.
Manekshaw served the Army for 40 years and participated in five wars -World War II, India-Pakistan war of 1947, Sino-Indian war of 1962, India- Pakistan war of 1965 and the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
During the 1971 war, when the Indian soldiers were proceeding to the eastern command. He gave strict instructions not hurt or violate any women, to exert self-control and ''think of Sam Manekshaw''.
He treated the captured enemy and widows of the enemy with utmost courtesy.
This attitude is a stark contrast to the atrocities unleashed by the enemy on the hapless citizenry of what became Bangladesh.
A few months after the 1971 War Indira Gandhi signed the Shimla Agreement where India released over 93,000 Pakistani POWs and got almost nothing in return except a verbal assurance from Pakistani PM, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Replying to Indira Gandhi about his view on the Shimla Agreement, he said:
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His sense of humour and humanity speaks for itself:
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