Page 134 - Leadership in the Indian Army

Thorat drove his wife to the mission hospital at Miraj. She had meningitis,
and it was two weeks before she was declared to be out of danger. None of
the guests who had attended the wedding had any inkling of how serious

her condition had been while the party was going on.
A similar incident occurred when Thorat tragically lost his younger
daughter, Kumud. Thorat was in Bombay when Kumud took ill and had to
be taken to the Hinduja Hospital. After struggling for two days, she expired.
At that time, Leela was alone in Kolhapur and her recent sickness had
sapped her both physically and mentally. Realising that she would not be
able to bear the shock alone, Thorat did not tell her the sad news on the

telephone. Immediately after cremating his daughter, he left for Kolhapur
with his son. When their car reached the porch of the house, Leela rushed
out, surprised by their unexpected arrival. She asked her husband why he
had come back and whether there was any problem. Thorat took her inside,
and seating her on a chair, gently told her that Kumud was no more. Leela
began to cry; it was only after she had calmed down that he told her about

Kumud’s hospitalisation and death.
In 1987, Yashwant was seconded to the Bank of England. Before he left,
he told Thorat that he would like to visit Sandhurst, about which his father
often spoke with nostalgia. Thorat laughed and said: ‘Bhaiyya, I left
Sandhurst 61 years ago. I wonder if they will even remember me. Anyway,
I will write to them.’ He wrote and received a prompt reply from the
Commandant, saying that they would be pleased to show his son around the

college. Yashwant left for England with the letter, and a copy of his father’s
autobiography, From Reveille to Retreat.
In London, Yashwant became engrossed in his work and almost forgot
about Sandhurst, until the end of his visit. He telephoned the Royal Military
College to inform them of his arrival. When he reached Camberley, he was
received by a British colonel, who conducted him to a staff car bearing the

Indian flag along with that of the Royal Military College. They were piloted
by a motorcycle escort. Yashwant was overwhelmed by this reception,
which clearly reflected the high esteem in which his father was held by his
alma mater. After being shown around the college, he was taken to the India
Museum, where he found his father’s name inscribed among the heroes of
World War II, along with a description of his gallantry in action in Burma,
for which he was awarded the DSO. Later, the officers hosted a lunch in his

honour, during which the Commandant made a speech, giving a vivid