Page 75 - Leadership in the Indian Army

In strength of character, personal morality and sense of duty, Nathu Singh
equalled Cariappa, though they were poles apart in other spheres. In 1947, when
he was Brigadier, he visited the office of the Military Secretary at Army HQ. The
Military Secretary was responsible for the postings and promotions of officers.
His son-in-law, Major Guman Singh, was due for promotion and was to be posted
to a battalion of the 7th Rajput regiment as CO. 1/7 Rajput, which was in Razmak,
was likely to be sent to Jammu and Kashmir shortly, while the other battalion
falling vacant, 4/7 Rajput, was at Ramgarh in Bihar. The Military Secretary asked
Nathu Singh where he wanted his son-in-law to be posted. Nathu Singh replied
that determining suitable officers for postings was the job of the Military
Secretary. But when asked to indicate his views as a senior officer of the regiment,
he said that he would prefer his son-in-law to be posted to 1/7 Rajput, so that he
could see some active service and serve his country by fighting the enemy.
Nathu Singh was a man of simple tastes, and always drank and ate in
moderation. But he was a workaholic and could rarely sit still. He would rise at
dawn and go for a long walk, a habit he continued even after retirement. He
always kept a small note-pad and pencil next to him, which he used to jot down
thoughts as and when they occurred to him. He kept the note-pad under his pillow
even when he slept, and would sometimes get up in the middle of the night or
early morning to make notes. His dedication to his job or the task at hand was
total, and he did not allow anything to distract him, even for a short while. His
boldness and outspoken nature often antagonised his superiors, but this did not
deter him from speaking out. He possessed a sharp intellect, which even his
severest critics acknowledged. He was also a man of wit and his repartees are
legendary.
Once, when Singh was a young officer, his British CO spat out: ‘Damn the
country and the people.’ Nathu Singh promptly replied: ‘I was in England and did
not like it, so I returned. Why don’t you?’ Another time, a British officer asked
him if he was from Rajputana. When he nodded, the officer continued: ‘I believe
your ancestors were bandits?’ Nathu Singh retorted: ‘They may have been. But at
that time, yours must have been living in trees.’
Just a few days before his death, he attended a prize-giving ceremony at Mayo
College. He was 94 years old, but had made the effort to attend the function,
primarily to meet T.N. Seshan, who was the chief guest. He spent three days at his
old school and attended every function. He spent these days continuously ticking
off people and advising the boys to fight for the interests of the country. A few
days later, he went to the military hospital at Nasirabad for a medical check-up.
The day after he was found fit, he had a cardiac arrest and died on 5 November
1994 in the hospital itself. The following day, his body was taken to his village,
near Udaipur, where he was cremated. Though he had spent his entire life in the