Page 374 - Leadership in the Indian Army

complete with the opposing defending forces. This was the first time that an
exercise of such magnitude had been held, and it was also likely to be the
last time. For not only is the cost of holding such exercises prohibitive, it is

also rare to come by a Chief who, like Sundarji, has the vision and
perception to conceive of such an exercise.
Hanut remained in command of 2 Corps for over two years. The fact that
he had been selected for this appointment by Sundarji, with whom he had
crossed swords a few years earlier, had surprised many of his
contemporaries. In fact, Hanut’s career disproves the theories often put
forward of the Indian Army being a ‘one mistake’ army, with a ‘zero error

syndrome’. Hanut fell out with his immediate superior officer in almost
every rank and appointment. Yet he was never denied a promotion. In spite
of personal differences, not one of his superiors could fault his professional
competence, dedication and loyalty to the organisation.
While in service, Hanut led a Spartan life. He shunned parties, and if
forced to attend one, left after a short while. He was deeply religious, and

never missed his daily meditation. Because of his reserved temperament, he
gave the appearance of being distant and aloof, and was a strict
disciplinarian. Yet, his concern for the welfare of men was legendary. He
had forbidden the prevalent custom of employing working parties of men to
do cleaning or gardening on Sundays and holidays, and in the evenings. He
was always sympathetic towards the men and their problems, and spared no
effort to better their living conditions. He expected high standards, but

forgave errors of judgement. Whenever he saw a mistake being made, he
corrected it without losing his temper. In fact, he would personally teach not
only officers but even JCOs and jawans. But he would get angry if he found
someone sleeping during a professional lecture or discussion.
There were many facets to Hanut’s personality, some of which were seen
only by his closest associates. He was a very humane and level-headed

person, who went out of his way to help people in distress. With the ladies,
he was extremely charming, but his behaviour was always respectful and
correct. Contrary to popular belief, he had many admirers among the fairer
sex. His sense of humour, both in conversation and in writing, was
unmatched. However, in many other respects, his behaviour and style were
not in consonance with the generally accepted norms of the Indian Army.
He found the widely prevalent practice of prefixing every sentence with

‘Sir’ when talking to a superior, disconcerting. He gave up the habit and