E-Paper
THE UNFORGETTABLE GENERAL
IT?S BEEN five days since Lt-Gen Sami Khan passed away. But his widow Lala Rukh and their son Akbar are still receiving condolences on phone from all over the world. ?We do not know most of the callers, but they all are part of these moments of sorrow in our family,? says his wife in a voice choked with emotion. Such was Lt-Gen Khan?s personality that his colleagues in the Army copied him for his style and immaculate dress sense.
IT’S BEEN five days since Lt-Gen Sami Khan passed away. But his widow Lala Rukh and their son Akbar are still receiving condolences on phone from all over the world. “We do not know most of the callers, but they all are part of these moments of sorrow in our family,” says his wife in a voice choked with emotion.
Such was Lt-Gen Khan’s personality that his colleagues in the Army copied him for his style and immaculate dress sense. The 13th Army Commander of the Central Command had created an aura that left a long-lasting impression on the minds of his colleagues and friends… rather, everyone he met. And, Lt-Gen Khan had an impressive personality as well. Despite being a scion of the royal family of Rampur, Lt-Gen Khan disliked being branded as royalty. ‘No, not me, it’s she who’s royal,’ he would say pointing at his wife, recalls his son Akbar, employed with a Multi-National Company in Delhi.
During his tenure as the Corps Commander in Uri Sector in Jammu & Kashmir, Lt-Gen Khan walked miles and miles despite having the best of conveyance available. “This was simply to develop a special rapport across the rank and file in his corps,” says Akbar. He was well versed in Tamil as he spent the maximum time of his 38 years in service with the 4 Madras Regiment.
It was during his time that the Naib Subedar Bana Singh was given the Param Veer Chakra for an exemplary display of courage during a conflict. And again, it was only during Lt-Gen Khan’s tenure that the insurmountable Saltaro Edge in the Siachen glaciers was held.
“Though he was Corps Commander in J&K, he was provided full facilities as befitting an Army Commander,” says Brigadier AM Khan (Retired), Lt-Gen Sami Khan’s first cousin. Lt-Gen Sami Khan’s fascination for mountains kept him going even at high altitudes.
Though he was a voracious reader of history books, he never liked writing letters. But he had the rare quality of penning down his thoughts in an organised manner whenever he sat down to write. His love for history remained unfulfilled following a break in the Army within just three months of his joining St Stephen’s College for Honours in History in 1951. “But he never gave up, despite a busy schedule. He continued to collect and read history books,” says Akbar.
Lt-Gen Sami Khan’s special liking for good cuisine inspired him to lead life on his terms. ‘Tar gosht’ a special dish from his native place Rampur was his favourite.
Since he was diabetic for the last 35 years, Lt-Gen Sami Khan had to abstain from sweets, though the dish was one of his weaknesses. A firm believer in socialising, he did not have much problem acclimatising with the civil life after his retirement from the Army. His close friends included former minister Natwar Singh, who was his colleague at the Scindia School in Gwalior, and former Army Chief General Sunderji.
The stylish Lt-General was an ardent fan of thespian Dilip Kumar. He had a chance to meet the actor once which, according to Akbar, the Lt-General termed as the “most important moment in my life!”
He also encouraged his better half to develop the art of sketching and painting. The sketches of Army commanders made by Lala Rukh Khan add to the grace of the Commander’s Conference room of the Central Command.
