Page 105 - Leadership in the Indian Army

him to brief them. Thimayya did so, using maps and diagrams, and his
presentation proved invaluable in helping the council to understand the
problems faced by troops in extremely harsh terrain, with little or no

communications. However, he soon realised that the government was not
serious about implementing the suggestions of the council, which soon
became defunct.
Soon after his retirement, Thimayya was invited to be the Deputy
President of the United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) in
Coonoor. In June 1964, the UN Secretary General, U. Thant, invited him to
become Commander of the UN forces in Cyprus. Cyprus is a small island,

about 60 km from the Turkish coast, with a mixed population of Greeks and
Turks. It was under Turkish control until 1878, when British rule began. It
became independent in 1960, and soon afterwards, fighting broke out
between the two factions. Archbishop Makarios, the President of Cyprus,
appealed to the United Nations, which sent a peacekeeping force to the
island. Major General P.S. Gyani from India was commanding the force, but

he did not want to continue and asked to be relieved. Thimayya had already
served in Korea, and was one of the most experienced commanders
available. He was familiar with the United Nations, and was well known
and widely respected. He decided to accept the appointment and left for
New York, en route to Cyprus, on 30 June 1964.
The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus comprised about 6,000 soldiers
drawn from Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Britain and Australia. The

political atmosphere was vitiated, and every action was seen as either pro-
West or pro-Muslim. The composition of the UN force made Thimayya’s
task difficult and he had to tread very carefully. In spite of his reputation for
impartiality, there were allegations from Pakistan that he was acting against
the interests of the Turks, who were Muslims. Many thought that being an
Indian, he would follow the policies of the Indian government. However,

Thimayya was not perturbed by the criticism, having experienced it earlier
in Korea, and continued to act boldly but impartially. Each time his term of
office, which was for three months, was about to expire, it was extended.
He was held in high esteem by Archbishop Makarios and gradually, even
the Turks, who initially doubted his bona fides, grudgingly admitted that he
was fair.
On 18 December 1965, Thimayya died of a heart attack in Nicosia.

Ironically, the UN mandate in Cyprus, which was to expire on 26 December