Page 42 - Leadership in the Indian Army

Before he retired, Cariappa paid a farewell visit to the Rajput Regimental
Centre, accompanied by his son and daughter. The children were driven in a
private car to the Commandant’s house where they remained for the

duration of the day-long visit. According to the rules, children were not
permitted in the officers’ mess, and being a stickler for rules, Cariappa
would not violate any of them even though he was the Chief. On his way to
the railway station, he was surprised and moved to find that the town’s
entire police force and a large number of civilians had lined up along the
road to cheer him. On reaching the station, he got out of his car and went
inside his saloon. Then, remembering that he had forgotten to say goodbye,

he came out and found the District Magistrate, Mr Virendra Kumar, as well
as the Superintendent of Police, Mr Ali Qadeer, on the platform. He thanked
them and, after shaking hands with everyone present, went back into the
saloon.
Though he was a staunch ‘Rajput’, Cariappa never did anything to favour
his own regiment. In fact, just before he retired, Major (later Lieutenant

Colonel) Mustasad Ahmed, the Centre Adjutant, went to Delhi to get
approval for the new regimental headgear. Cariappa called him to lunch,
and while they were talking, Mustasad blurted out: ‘Sir, now that you are
laying down the office, we feel that you have not done anything special for
the regiment.’
Cariappa smiled and said: ‘So that is what you all think.’ Fifteen years
later, in 1968, they met again in Delhi. Mustasad mentioned that since the

Chief was a gunner, the Artillery was now getting the best foreign
assignments. Cariappa immediately retorted: ‘You remember, you once told
me that I did not do anything special for the regiment. If I had, people
would be saying the same about me.’
Cariappa was known for his indomitable character. He was always direct
and straight-forward in his dealings, with both his superiors and

subordinates. Above all, he was fair and refused to bend the rules, either for
himself or anyone else. He did not have any favourites, nor did he ever
nurture a grudge against anyone. When his appointment as C-in-C was
announced, he wanted to take Major (later Lieutenant General) S.K. Sinha,
who was his staff officer in HQ Western Command, with him to Delhi as
his Military Assistant. The Military Secretary pointed out that the
appointment was tenable only by a lieutenant colonel, a rank that was

conferred only after a minimum service of six-and-a-half years; Sinha had