Leadership in Indian Army

An extract from Leadership in the Indian Army describes the greatness of Field Marshal KM Cariappa.

An extract from the chapter 'Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa' in the book, Leadership in Indian Army by Major VK Singh (Sage, 2005)

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There can be no better illustration of Cariappa's sterling character than the incident concerning his son, Nanda Cariappa, a fighterpilot who was shot down in Pakistan during the 1965 war. Field Marshal Ayub Khan sent Cariappa a message that his son was safe and would be looked after. He also offered to release him if Cariappa so desired. Cariappa replied, "I will ask no favour for my son which I cannot secure for every other soldier of Indian Army. Look after all of them. They are all my sons."

Cariappa's love and affection for Indian jawans was well-known. He often said, 'Our jawans are absolute gems.' After his retirement, when he moved to Roshanara, his home in Mercara, he kept a statue of a jawan on his mantelpiece, placed next to photo of his father. Cariappa started his day by paying obeisance to both.

He could not tolerate any criticism of the Indian Army or the jawan, and he was quick to rise to their defense. He once filled defamation charges against a newspaper which carried derogatory remarks about the Army. When the editor apologised and published a retraction, Cariappa withdrew the suit.