" SWEETIE " , You Look So " PRETTY " Tonight :: The Infamous " AMAR PREM '' The Love-Story Of Mrs Indira Gandhi and Mr SAM Maneckshaw

Pic :: You  Look Are Very " PRETTY " Tonight

This one takes me back to about  38 years when I was working beside studying to complete my graduation.

 It was the final paper that I was writing and it was on the subject of Economics. The final paper of the final year examination was over and I was given a  ride back to Sitabuldi area of Nagpur by the Colonel of Territorial Army , Mr Virendra Singh . From there after that drop I had to board another bus to return to my place to land at my home at Nagpur.

One fine day after the exams were over I met the Colonel about his plans for the syudy for the future and I wanted to discuss something about the Indian Army as he was employed with the Territorial Army

That afternoon when I met him at his Office the Colonel told  me something that  I COULD NOT BELIEVE. I FELT THAT HE WAS SIMPLY SAYING SOMETHING UNUSUAL  . However today it proved to be true.

What was it one might ask me. Well the answer is-:

 THE COLONEL HAD TOLD ME THAT Mr SAM MANECKSHAW HAD SAID Mrs INDIRA GANDHI- SWEETIE YOU LOOK SO VERY PRETTY.

When he had said me those words on that day I simply did not believe him and not at all. However today I’m forced to say that THE CLONEL ON THAT DAY WAS VERY RIGHT AND IT WAS ME WHO WAS NOT BELIEVEING HIM.

The Story How It Began-::

There was a time when the Union Government was thinking about extending the usual daily hour ofwork by 90 minutes, ie, by one-and-a-half hour everyday and make the last two days, ie, the week end , the Saturday and Sunday for the people to be away from their work so that they again start from Monday with full zeal and zest .

This did not take place as Mrs Indira Gandhi did not accept the idea at all. For her it was obvious and true. She said that in a year the entire country observes 52 days of holiday on Sunday beside the 15 public holidays which makes it a total of 67 plus the 10 days of Medical leave per year and the 15 days of earned leave per year and not to forget the 7 days of Casual leave. Making it a total of 99 leaves per year. Hence she did not see any good things coming out of this.

This did not fructify as a scheme but this had raised a kind of a furuore that gave the BIRTH to the ETERNAL-LOVE-STORY of Mrs Gandhi and Mr Maneckshaw. What was it is what I’m going to narrate it over here.

There was a talk in the Army about this-:

When this news about to days off in a week reached the area of the defense force and especially the Indian army the Army Officer in a matter of the BUTT-OF-THE-JOKE started saying that we also should be given the benefit of this week ends as we are almost dead after patrolling the most deadful and dreadful area at the borders. If the Public Sector and the Government sector can enjoy the same why not we.

This news backturned it’s way to the Indian public at large and from there to the news room of the Defense Minister.Mr Jagjivan Ram was the defense Minister of India at that time. Again there was some kind of whisper and at places the loud talks-:

 IF THE ARMY OFFICIALS GO IN FOR A WEEKEND LEAVES, IT MAY BE BUT WITH THE PAY CUT AND A LOSS OF THOSE DAYS WHEN THEY ARE NOT PRESENT IN THEIR DUTIES

Counters and cross counters and talks and fallen loose talks at last reached the ears of Mr SAM Maneckshaw. He listened to it and said to his junior who was heading the personnel and the administration department, saying him that make a note of it and make an official letter regarding it addressed to Mrs Gandhi and immediately hand the letter to me.

Mr Maneckshaw after receiving this letter went to Babu Jagjivan Ram saying that he wanted to meet him. NO- said Mr ram. Come through the propr channel. An infuriated Mr maneckshaw went to Mrs Gandhi the ame day. He forwarded a note saying the COUNTRY IS IN DANGER AND OUR MEETING IS NECCESARY.Mrs Gandhi allowed him to meet him.

Mr Maneckshaw started from that point where the army or the defense personnel had and would loose their pay for the days if they were on a five-a-day-of-a-week job in a week and for about 22 or 23 days of work in a month.

He explained the entire happenings to Mrs Gandhi and said- AGREED,  WE ARE READY TO LOOSE OUR SALARY/WAGE FOR THE TWO DAYS A WEEK AND ENJOY OUR WEEK END.

Every Friday we would surrender our ammunition and the arms to our store in charge at the respective places of our posting and retake them on Monday. There will be no body on Saturday and Sunday from the forces to defend the nation and the country on every Saturday and Sunday.

If there is an attack by the enemy on Saturday and Sunday then as we would be on the leave and would not be paid for those two days per week, to avail those holidays, we will not come out of our house to guard the sentinels of the nation. It would be Mr Jagjivan Ram and your Members of the Parliament as well as the politicians who are objecting to our payments and it’s cuts that would take care of the sentinels of the nation.

IOf Pakistan or China attacks us, it has to be Mr Jagjivan Ram , the entire Ministry under you, and the  politicians of the country who would have to take the responsibility for the two days. We will take on from the Monday to the Friday basis. You will have to change the batons for the remainders of the two days.

 I’M READY TO ENJOY THE FIVE DAYS A WEEK WORKING FOR THE FORCES

Hearing this Mrs Gandhi was as good as “ PALE ” . She was speechless and cut off from her life. Somehow she gathered her strength and peeping deep into the eye of Mr maneckshaw she just asked- ARE YOU SERIOUS ?.

Mr Maneckshaw just observed her and to make the tings very COOL and COMPOSED for her said- YES “ SWEETIE ” , I’M .

Mrs Gandhi sets the record straight and right

Mrs Gandhi had some very good and peculiar ways to set the  things and the matter correct, straight and right.

She shot back- SAM, why do not you attend a party tonight. There is a party which is thrown by the President of India today. There would be many a dignitaries attending. Why don’t you attend the same. . You are invited and you would be my guest tonight at the party. So meeting you sharp at 8.00PM tonight at the Presidential Palace for the party.

OK- said the CEO of the Indian Army. See you tonight at the party. However madam- I DRINK MEDIUM AND PARTY SOFT, NOT HARD he replied and I hope I will not be made to enjoy very HARD in the party by you, PLEASE he said. OK , replied the CEO of the country of India ten.

Actual versus Factuals :: Variances Equalised By Mrs Gandhi  and Mr V V Giri

Immediately after Mr Maneckshaw left the scene , Mrs Gandhi immediately SHOT back to  the President, Mr V . V . Giri , then the President of India.  She narrated the entire episode to Mr Giri and asked him to invite atleast 100 top dignatories from all the embassies staying at New Delhi, of the various countries and a few hand picked Ministers for the party and arrange a party  on that day for the same. The Presdient after hearing it acted promptly and the pary started at about 8.00PM as desired. Mr Maneckshaw came a bit late but he  came. He pleaded SORRY for attending late as he said that he was busy in his some official work which took a lot of time to expedite, and that was the reason he was late.

Mrs Gandhi sees Mr Maneckshaw entering the party :: She moves forward to greet him

Mrs Gandhi was busy amidst the dignitaries at the party. After some time when she saw Mr Maneckshaw she approached him and greeted him to the party. As usual amidst many of her Cabinet colleague and the President as well standing beside Mrs Gandhi, Mr maneckshaw extended his hand t Mrs Gandhi and when she shook her hand he said in a SOFT VOICE- SWEETIE YOU LOOK SO VERY PRETTY TONIGHT . YOU ARE JUST WONDERFUL

Surrounded amidst her party colleague, the various Ambassadors of different countries, and the President she was BLUSHED .

She somehow controlled herself and maintaining her composure , she replied – THANKS SAM, YOU LOOK SO HANDSOME IN YOUR OFFICIAL ATTIRE. That ended the matter

Initially during that day of 1982 when the Colonel of the Territorial Army on that day said me all about this- I DID NOT BELIEVE HIM !!  I felt like he was THROWING some SPENT-FORCE-GRENADE that the Army people/personnel throw when they are at the job during the training, and use it  to vanquish the enemy, when they are at their duty to .......... ofcourse Galwan was a  PROOF to it , NO SAYING IT MORE ?? .

However after about 38 years  of my search and finding the proof, I write it here to put it to the world to read it

Why Did Mr Maneckshaw Used Those Words For Mrs Gandhi

 Actually at that time and period, the Indian Political administration were pressurizing Mrs Gandhi to attack Pakistan during the period of Februray and March to which Mr Maneckshaw was not ready to do that. He had many a plausible reason and one of the reason was that during that time the harvesting was on and it would be on, as per the custom,  that after it the rails would not be available to carry on the goods from one end to the another as that would have been used by the Government to trans shift the food items after harvest from one state to the another..That would have been worst for the fighting forces.

Over it came the annoyance of the Minister’s saying all about the pay cut off which actually were just an AIR at that time as the Army and the defense personnels were not interested to take any leaves etc and the OFFS from anything.It was just some kind of an air thrown and that is it. It was infact a JOCULAR talks between the defense force and it's personnel about the kind of a grind that they have to go in when they are in business , nothing more and that was it.

To plain the roughs  that existed,Mr Maneckshaw went to the office of the “ PM ”, then, and neutralized the matter. However when doing so he found Mrs Gandhi completely UPROOTED and out of her gear and the sense.

Hence to make the matter EASE and iron out the CREASE , he sincerely  made his  HUMOUR  to play, and play at the crease, and that bowled the entire uncertainity and the air that was making the matter worse at the Ministry about the Defense personnel.

Surrounded amidst the Ministers and the dignitaries at the party, Mr Maneckshaw to make Mrs Gandhi very light and comfortable addressed her by the same manner that he used at the Office of the               “ PM ” when he said and addressed her as SWEETIE.

It was only a message to send it to her by him stating that – BE COMFORTABLE MADAM. I’M IN MY COMFORT ZONE . Do not panic like you had in your office , then.

Pic :: I'm Always ready 

 Later when at the appropriate time in 1971, on December 2^nd 1971, when again she called Mr Maneckshaw and said- ARE YOU NOW READY FOR THE WAR , to which again Mr Maneckshaw replied- SWEETIE, I’m ALWAYS READY, ALWAYS .

After the war after when India had divided Pakistan into two, Mrs Gandhi again called he at her office to congrajulate him to say- WELL DONE .  He listened to her and replied- AT YOUR SERVICE MADAM, ANYTIME

This time it was a FAR-MORE-SERIOUS, Mrs Gandhi much more serious than what she was when Mr Maneckshaw had addressed her SWEETIE for the FIRST time. She looked at her and said-  I’m hearing that you are seeking to dethrone me as a prime minister by occupying the seat of the  Prime Minister

Pic :: Mrs Indira Gandhi and Mr Maneckshaw discussing all about the 1971 war 

Listening to that , Mr Maneckshaw replied-  WITH THE KIND OF THE POLITICIANS THAT YOU ARE ENCIRCLED WITH, I FEEL VERY HAPPY TO BE SURROUNDED BY THE JAWANS AND THE FIGHTERS OF THE DEFENSE FORCE. They UNDERSTAND quickly, while the politicians are made and FORCED to understand which they do not at all understand QUICKLY . I'm NOT interested in POLITICS at all, he replied. 

Listening to it Mrs Gandhi sighed a HUGE relief and added- SAM, you are actually are very NAUGHTY, to the ENEMIES as well as the me. You always seem to take away my BREATH whenever I hear about you or talk to you.

That is the INDIAN ARMY and the manner by the way the INDIAN DEFENSE FORCE acts and reacts, Madam he reacted.

 WE ARE A  “ HARD-BOILED-CHOCOLATES ” and we give it in the most “ SWEETEST ” way.

The Chinese and the Pakistanis’-::

No other CEO of the respective country would have ever spoken to their President or the Prime Minister addressing them as SWEETIE to give it in that sweet manner. Better PLEASE DO NOT TALK ABOUT TAKING INDIA YOU ALL  FOR A WAR IN ANY MANNER,               “ SWEET ” OR “ SOUR ”

 ‘” HARD-BOILED-CHOCLATES ARE DELICIOUS TO BE PUT IN THE MOUTH BUT WHILE SUCKING IT IN THE MOUTH ONE FEELS THAT IT HAS SCRATCHED THE TONGUES AND THE UPPER PORTION OF THE MOUTH ” .

The Indian Army TREATS it’s adversaries , be it in the and of the POLITICS or at the FRONT- it treats them like a BUSINESS, treating them MAJESTICALLY when NEGOTIATING like Mr Maneckshaw treated Mrs Indira Gandhi at the office and at the party, and ROYALLY like they treat and have always treated their enemies at the front .

This is the ONLY Army and the DEFENSE FORCE which knows it’s business and expedites it PROFESSIONALLY

Finally- The “ NO-LOVE-AT-ALL ” which would appear like a “ LOVE-ALL ” , a game to start with in Badminton, or Tennis , was the “ DEUCE ”   a position, thrown by Mr Maneckshaw to Mrs Gandhi to     “ DOUSE ”  the matter that was erupting as a breach of CONFIDENCE between her political entities and the defense force at that time and ::

 IT WAS THE GREATEST LOVE STORY WITHOUT ANYTHING INVOLVED IN IT BETWEEN THE TWO SUPREME  “ CEO ”  OF THE NATION, OF INDIA  , AND THE INDIAN ARMY

That was a CLASS example of “ LOVE ” which  DID NOT from either side,  involve any LOVE at all.

 

Shyamal Bhattacharjee

Pic 

Mr Shyamal Bhattacharjee, the author was born at West Chirimiri Colliery at District Surguja, Chattisgarh on July 6th 1959 He received his early education at Carmel Convent School Bishrampur and later at Christ Church Boys' Higher Secondary School at Jabalpur. He later joined Hislop College at Nagpur and completed his graduation in Science and he also added a degree in    B A thereafter. He joined the HITAVADA, a leading dailies of Central India at Nagpur as a      Sub-Editor ( Sports ) but gave up to complete his MBA in 1984 He thereafter added a Diploma In Export Management. He has authored THREE books namely Notable Quotes and Noble Thought published by Pustak Mahal in 2001 Indian Cricket : Faces That Changed It  published by Manas Publications in 2009 and Essential Of Office Management published by NBCA, Kolkatta  in 2012. He has a experience of about 35 years in Marketing .

Signature Of Shyamal Bhattacharjee