LIEUT GENERAL S.P.P. THORAT, KC,
DSO
Shankarrao Pandurang Patil
Thorat was a name well known in military circles, during and after World War
II. One of the senior most King's
Commissioned Indian officers, he was known and respected for his professional
acumen, impeccable conduct and forthright views. After a brilliant career, during which he
held some of the most coveted appointments, in India and abroad, he retired as
an Army Commander in 1961. Along with
Cariappa and Thimayya, he was one of chief architects of the Army of Independent
India. Like Thimayya, he too fell out
with the irascible Krishna Menon and his counsel was ignored, leading to the
debacle and ignominy of 1962. In 1947,
when India gained Independence, Thorat
had a ring side seat and witnessed momentous events at close quarters. He had the
unique opportunity to rub shoulders with great men, like Nehru and
Patel, the founding fathers of modern India. It is a tribute to his reputation
that in spite of his close association with political leaders, there was never
a whiff or whisper tainting his conduct as a officer and a gentleman.
Thorat was born on 12
August 1906, in Vadgaon village in the erstwhile princely state of Kolhapur.
His father, Rao Bahadur Dr. Pandurang Chimnaji Patil Thorat, who was the
village headman, later became the principal of the Agricultural College in
Poona, and after retirement, the Minister for Agriculture and Education, in
Kolhapur State. Thorat was the eldest of
four children which included one sister. He had his early education in the
village school, and at various other places, where his father was posted. In
1914, the family moved to Poona, when his father was transferred there, and the
young boy was admitted to the Poona High School. He was later shifted to the
Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya, from where he passed the Matriculation examination in 1923. Thorat
then joined the New Poona College, which later came to be known as the Sir
Parshuram Bhau College.
The Thorat family
had not thought of a military career, for the young lad. However, just three
years earlier, the first batch of Indian cadets had gone to Sandhurst, and this
had opened a new avenue for aspiring young men. Thorat decided to try his luck,
and applied, after having deposited the requisite fee, of twenty thousand rupees,
which would cover the cost of his education, and leave expenses. The selection
procedure was very stringent, and after initial screening by the provincial
governors, only ten candidates, form the whole of India and Burma were allowed
to appear in the written examination, held at Simla. This was followed by a
series of interviews, beginning with a selection board. After clearing the
selection board, Thorat was interviewed by the C-in-C, Field Marshal Sir
William Birdwood. His final interview was with Lord Reading, the Viceroy of
India, and Thorat was so overawed that he addressed him as "Your
Majesty". Lord Reading rarely smiled, but this time he did. At the end of
the interview, he shook Thorat's hand, with the words that he hoped that would
make a good officer.
Thorat was one of five boys selected for admission to the Royal
Military College, Sandhurst, the others being Digamber Singh Brar, Gurbachan
Singh Bhagowal, Agha Mahmood Raza and H.A. Francis. All five sailed from Bombay
in December 1924, aboard the P & O liner Caledonia, and reached
England after a voyage lasting fourteen days. They joined
Sandhurst in January 1925, for
the commencement of the first of their three terms of training. Thimayya and
Thapar was already there, having joined six months earlier. Rajendra Sinhji and
Thakur Nathu Singh had passed out earlier, in 1921 and 1923 respectively,
while Cariappa had been commissioned
after passing out from the Cadet College at Indore in December 1919. Thorat
found himself in the same company as Thimayya, and this was the beginning
of a lifelong friendship and close
association between the two.
Unlike Thimayya, who had been educated in a
public school, Thorat had never mixed with Europeans before, and initially
suffered from an inferiority complex. But he soon overcame his diffidence,
thanks to his prowess with the rifle, and in the saddle. He did well in musketry,
and was one of the twelve cadets graded as 'Marksmen', which entitled him to
wear the coveted 'Marksman' badge on the sleeve of his uniform. He also
excelled in equitation, and was awarded 'Spurs' in his first term, a rare feat
those days. These awards earned him the respect of his British colleagues, who
began to treat him as an equal. He also did well in studies, and played several
other games. Soon, he had a large circle
of friends, and gradually, overcame his diffidence.
By the end of his
first term, Thorat had gained enough confidence to go on a long holiday. He
toured Scotland, Ireland, and England
extensively, rounding off his tour with a couple of weeks in London. This was
in the summer of 1925, and the London 'season' was in full swing. As a
Sandhurst cadet, Thorat had no difficulty in being a part of the many social
events which took place, almost very day. Though Britain was then at the height
of her power, and prejudice against coloured people quite common, Thorat found that his being Indian actually helped
in opening doors. During those days, only wealthy Indians, mostly of the
princely class, could afford to visit
England, and they were treated with courtesy, not only in hotels and
shops, but also by Englishmen of the upper classes. Of course, to pass as a
gentleman, one always had to be suitably attired, in a suit, along with a
bowler or a top hat, spats, and a walking stick.
At the end of his
second term, there was an incident which left a deep impression on Thorat. After a regatta, some boisterous cadets
drowned all the canoes in the college lake. During the guest night in the mess,
the same evening, the Commandant, Major General Cochran asked the cadets who
had played the prank to own up. Without hesitation, every hand, including
Thorat's went up. "Good", said the Commandant. "Now will you
please run along and fish them out." It was very cold, and the lake had a thin crust of
ice. The guilty cadets spent the better part of the night fishing out the
canoes, their teeth chattering. Next morning, the Commandant told them that he
knew the name of every cadet who was responsible for the incident, and if
anyone had not owned up, he would have rusticated him, not for drowning the
boats, but for not having the courage to admit that he had done so.
"Remember that when you are commissioned", he said, "you will be
known not only as officers, but as officers and gentlemen, and never you forget
the gentleman part of it. Remember also that a person who is afraid of telling
the truth is a moral coward, and no coward can become a successful
officer." Thorat never forgot these words. As a young officer, whenever he
was tempted to hide the truth, in order get himself out of a spot, it was
Cochran's advice which prevented him from doing so.
During his third and
final term, a sub committtee of the Skeen Committtee, appointed by the
Government of India, visited the
College, to study the possibility of starting a similar college in India. It
consisted of Mohd. Ali Jinnah, Sir Pheroze Sethna, and Major Zorawar Singh, MC.
Based on the recommendations of the Committee, the Indian Military Academy was
later established, at Dehradun. On 30 August 1926, Thorat passed out from
Sandhurst, with an 'Above Average' grading, and 'Exemplary' character. Of the 32
cadets who were commissioned, there were only three Indians, with Thorat being
placed 15th, Brar 17th, and Gurbachan Singh 32nd, in the order of merit. Thorat
and his two Indian colleagues sailed for
India in September 1926, on the P & O liner ' Kaiser-i-Hind'. They
had as their co passengers two
well known Indians - Lala Lajpat Rai and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. As Thorat recalls
in his memoirs, both of them took a paternal interest in the newly commissioned
Indian officers. Lajpat Rai asked Thorat
to correct the proofs of his latest book ' Unhappy India'. One day Thorat asked him, " Sir, do you
think that we have done wrong in joining the Indian Army on the strength of
which the British are ruling us?"
Lalaji thought for a while and then replied, " No, I don't think so
at all. How long will the British
continue to rule us? One day, India
shall become a free country, and them we will need trained men like you. So
work hard and qualify yourself for that moment".
As was customary, Thorat
had to be attached to a British battalion for a year, before being posted to
one of the eight Indianised units. He did his attachment with the 2nd
Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment, then stationed at Ahmednagar. He was the
first Indian officer to serve in the unit, but since he held the King's
Commission, like any British officer, he found that he was readily accepted by
the officers, as well as the men. Thorat was given command of a platoon, and he
soon got to know his men well. He and his company commander, Lieut Phil Wray,
shared a common passion for 'shikar', and spent many a Sunday afternoon
shooting partridge, quail and sand grouse. Once in a while, they also bagged a
black buck, or a chinkara. Wray taught Thorat the rules and etiquette of
shooting, such as not shooting a sitting bird, or a female with young. Thorat
also learned about the closed seasons, for various types of game, and the art
of stalking, which helped him in later years, when he took to hunting big game.
In October 1927, his
attachment with the Middlesex finished, and he was posted to the 1st Battalion
of the 14th Punjab Regiment, also known as' Sher-e-Dil Ki Paltan', then
stationed at Manzai, in the North West Frontier Province. He was given command of a Pathan company and
had his first taste of life on the frontier.
The Pathans were a recalcitrant race, with the several tribes continually fighting each other, or the
British. Blood feuds were common, and were rarely settled, being handed down
from one generation to the next. However, Thorat found that the Pathan could
also be a staunch friend. Once, the Political Officer arrested the headman of a
small tribe, called Malik Abdul Rehman, and handed him over to Thorat's
battalion for safe custody. One day, the tribesman requested Thorat for
permission to visit his wife, who was expecting their first child. Thorat
obtained the necessary parole, and Rehman went away, swearing to return the day
his wife delivered. After three days, he was back, with the news that his wife
had given birth to a son. He told Thorat that his wife had asked him to convey
to the Sahib, that henceforth, she was like his sister. Almost eight years
layer, when Thorat was again posted to the Frontier, Rehman came to meet him,
accompanied by his son, whom he introduced as 'your nephew'. He also carried a
large basket, which he said was from 'your sister'. It contained dozens of hard
boiled eggs, about fifty quail, and a whole 'barra' (the meat of an unborn
lamb), which was considered a great delicacy. Thorat was touched by another
gift - a 'tawiz' (charm to ward off evil), which his 'sister' had obtained from
a holy man, to protect him from harm.
After a year, in
December 1928 the battalion was ordered to move to Aurangabad, having completed
its two year tour of duty on the Frontier. On reaching Aurangabad, some more
Indian officers joined the battalion. among them was Second Lieut Mohd. Ayub
Khan, who rose to be C-in-C of Pakistan and also its President. Thorat
remembers him as a strikingly handsome officer, with average professional
abilities. He was able to indulge in his
passion for 'shikar', and shot his first panther, followed by a tigress. He
also bought his first car, a second hand Ford, which cost him all of four
hundred and fifty rupees.
Thorat spent about
three years, on regimental duties, before being posted to Delhi in October
1931, as Adjutant of the Territorial Army Battalion of the 14th Punjab
Regiment. Thorat decided to perform the
journey by road, in his now third hand Ford.
The roads were metalled but not tarred, and full of potholes. There were
no facilities for getting punctures repaired, and petrol was sold in four
gallon drums, and that too only during certain hours. Often, fords were deep, and cars had to be
pulled across by bullock carts. No
wonder, it took him eleven days to cover
the eleven hundred kilometers between Delhi and Aurangabad, in December 1931,
accompanied only by his bearer.
Thorat spent about three
years with the Territorial Battalion, before being reverted to his battalion in
1934, then located at Jhelum. In 1935,
it was ordered to move to Peshawar, to take part in the Ghalanai operation, on
the Khyber front. By now several more KCIOs, such as Khan Ata Mohd Khan,
Rajinder Singh Kalha, Mahabir Singh Dhillon and Rajendra Nath Nehra, had joined
the battalion. In addition, some Indian officers had joined after passing out
from the recently opened Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. Among them were
Mohan Singh and Shah Nawaz, who later joined the Indian National Army, formed
by Subhas Chandra Bose, with the help of the Japanese.
It was in the
Ghalanai Operations on the Frontier that Thorat first saw real action, and was
'blooded'. The operations lasted two months and involved a force of two
brigades, under the command of Brigadier (later Field Marshal) Sir Claude
Auchinleck. Thorat was once given the
task of laying a large ambush, with the
aim of destroying a party of Pathan tribesmen who had been harassing the Force
HQ. With a force of about a hundred men, Thorat set a night ambush on a route
which was frequently used by the tribesmen. After a long wait, the tribesmen
walked into the ambush, and there was a bitter hand to hand fight. The Pathans
lost seventeen men, while Thorat's company suffered eight casualties. Thorat
himself used his 'kukri', on several of the tribesmen. The ambush was a
success, and Auchinleck himself summoned Thorat and his CO, to give them a pat
on the back.
During his stay in Delhi,
Thorat had met Leela, who
was studying medicine in Lady Hardinge Medical College. She was a brilliant student, good at sports
and dramatics and an ardent admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. Her father, Bakshi Bhagatram Anand, was a
leading advocate, in Amritsar. The young
couple had fallen in love, and decided to get married. By now, Leela had passed
her final examinations, and was doing her internship at the Lady Hardinge
Hospital. Thorat had also been promoted
to the rank of Captain, in August 1935. But there was a small hitch. Thorat
came from a traditional Maharashtrian family, while Leela was a Punjabi.
Finally, he and Leela were able to wear down the opposition from their parents,
and were married on 29 January 1936. Thorat's father, Dr. P.C. Patil, attended
the wedding, which was held at Amritsar with great fanfare. Leela had obtained
a scholarship to go abroad, but she gave it up, and preferred to get married
instead.
Soon after his marriage, Thorat was posted to
the Training Battalion at Ferozepur, in 1936 where be remained for two years,
before returning to his battalion, as Adjutant, in 1938. 1/14 Punjab was then in Bannu, in Waziristan. Though it was a frontier post, families were
permitted in Bannu, and Leela not only joined him there, but soon began doing
medical work, in the villages around the camp, which was surrounded by barbed
wire and heavily protected. One day when
Thorat came home for lunch, he was told that his wife had still not returned
from a delivery case she had gone to attend in the morning. By the time she returned, late in the
evening, Thorat was anxious for her safety and scolded the two Pathans who accompanied her, saying
" I thought that you people had murdered her." One of them laughed and replied, "why
should we kill her who saves the lives of our women and children? We would
gladly cut off your head, but why hers?"
In 1939, World War
II commenced. In September 1940, 1/14 Punjab
was moved to Secunderabad to join the newly raised 11 Indian Brigade,
which was to proceed to Malaya. However, Thorat was not destined to go with the
battalion. He was selected to do the Staff Course, and left for Quetta. On
completion of the course, in
1941, he was posted to the Staff Duties Directorate, in Army HQ, then located in Simla. His section,
SD 2b, was responsible for weapons and equipment. The Indian Army was then on
low priority, and there was an acute shortage of weapons and ammunition. Most
units had less than half their quota of rifles, and even less of mortars and
other service weapons. The work load was heavy, but routine and boring. Thorat
began to agitate for a transfer to regimental duty, but since staff trained
officers were few, he was refused. Then his luck changed, with the decision to
convert some Indian State Forces into regular units. One of these was the
Rajaram Rifles of Kolhapur State, and Thorat found himself posted to this unit,
since he happened to be a native of Kolhapur.
He served for about
a year with the Rajaram Rifles, but he was not very happy. He wanted to serve
in an active unit, and not in one that seemed to have no chance of ever going
to war. Since his own battalion, 1/14 Punjab, had been captured by the
Japanese, he asked for a transfer to any
battalion of the 14th Punjab Regiment. Finally, after a great deal of
badgering, he was able to get a posting to an active battalion, 4/14 Punjab,
which was part of 114 Brigade, of the 7th Indian Division, then involved in
pushing back the Japanese, from the Naga hills.
Thorat was in the reinforcement camp at Dimapur, when the famous battle
of Kohima took place, but was able to take part in the subsequent operation, of
clearing the Japanese from Kohima. Shortly afterwards he was posted to 9/14
Punjab, at Imphal, as second-in-command. The battalion was part of 20 Indian
Division.
Thorat got a lift in
a cargo plane, carrying live goats, also called 'meat on hoof', for troops. At
this time, 20 Indian Division, along with two other divisions, was trapped in
Imphal, having been surrounded by Japanese from all sides. The divisions had to
rely on the Air Force for their supplies, as well as evacuation of casualties.
Thorat requested his CO to give him command of a company, for a few days, so
that he could get the feel of the ground, and the troops. This was agreed to,
and he took over a company. However, after a few days, the CO was evacuated,
and Thorat had to assume command of the battalion.
Thorat recalls an interesting anecdote
concerning his orderly Nandu, who was utterly fearless. During an attack,
Thorat and the Artillery Forward Observation Officer (FOO), started moving
towards a vantage point, followed by Nandu, who had a bedding on his head.
Suddenly they came under fire, from the Japanese artillery, and a salvo of five
a six shells landed close by. Thorat and the FOO dived for cover, but Nandu
kept walking. Thorat shouted "
Nandu, you idiot, why don't you throw away that bedding and take cover."
"Throw the
bedding down," shouted back Nandu. "And what will happen to the
thermos which is inside? How will you
get your tea, at the other end?"
In November 1944, 20
Indian Division was ordered to
concentrate West of the Chindwin river, for the final push into Burma. Thorat
marched with his men, through terrain that had been heavily mined by Indian troops, during the
retreat from Burma. In spite of extensive mine clearance, there were many
casualties, by the time they reached the Chindwin. Just then Thorat received a
signal, posting him, on promotion, as CO of 2/2 Punjab, also called the 69th
Punjabis, in the Arakan.
2/2 Punjab was then
located in Maungdaw, and was recuperating after being badly mauled in the
famous Battle of Buthidaung. The CO,
Lieut Colonel Middleton-Stewart, had been killed in an unfortunate accident,
while debriefing a patrol, along with several other men. This, coupled with the
casualties suffered during the Buthidaung battle, had considerably lowered the
morale of the unit. Thorat was the first Indian officer to command the
battalion, which was almost two hundred years old, and he knew that he would
have to gain the confidence of the men, as well as the officers, before they
would accept him. The best way to do this was by leading them in a successful
action, and the opportunity came soon afterwards.
The battalion was part of 51 Indian Infantry Brigade, under the command
of Brigadier R.A. Hutton. It soon came to be as the 'All Indian Brigade', since
all the battalions were Indian, unlike other brigades which had at least one
British or Gurkha battalion. What is more, all three battalion commanders were
Indians. Apart from 2/2 Punjab commanded
by Thorat, the 8/19 Hyderabad was commanded by Lieut Colonel K.S. Thimayya and
the 16/10 Baluch by Lieut Colonel L.P. Sen. In January 1945, the brigade took
part in the famous Battle of Kangaw, which lasted three weeks, and cost two
thousand lives. Mountbatten called it
the 'bloodiest battle of the Arakan', and the Japanese got a bloody nose. At
the end of it the brigade commander, and the three Indian COs were all awarded DSOs.
In the Battle of
Kangaw, 51 Indian Brigade suffered about eight hundred casualties, while the
Japanese lost about two thousand men, killed and wounded. It was decided to
send the brigade back to India, to rest and refit. Thorat moved with his
battalion to Pollachi, in South India, in February 1945. Soon afterwards, the
Allied plan for the invasion of Malaya was finalised. The invasion force was to
comprise two corps, 15 and 34, and seven divisions were to land at Port
Swettenham, in September 1945. The operations commenced, but before the
landings could take place, the Japanese surrendered, and the war ended, on 5
August 1945. 51 Indian Brigade, under 25 Indian Division, was part of the
invasion force, which became an occupation force, after landing in Malaya.
After spending a few months in Kuala Lumpur, Thorat's battalion was moved to
Quantan, on the East coast of Malaya. He visited the battlefield where his
parent battalion, 1/14 Punjab, had been over run by the Japanese, and captured,
in 1941. A large number of them had joined the Indian National Army, and fought
against Indian troops, as part of the Japanese forces.
Shortly afterwards,
Thorat was called to the Divisional HQ, as the AA & QMG. A large number of
Japanese were held in prisoner of war camps, and Thorat's job involved looking
after these camps. A Japanese battalion had been detailed to clear and repair
an airfield, which had been damaged. When Thorat went to visit the camp one
day, an elderly Japanese officer wearing the rank badges of a brigadier, came
running and saluted him smartly. Thorat asked him why he was running. He was
informed that the Supreme Commander had issued orders that the prisoners were
to do all work on the double. Thorat
spoke to the GOC and got the orders rescinded.
Next time when he visited the camp, the same brigadier marched up to
him, and said, "Colonel, allow me to thank you, for what you have done.
Neither I nor my country will ever forget it." And he was true to his
word. Ten years later, when Thorat went to Korea, as Commander of the Custodian
Force, he and his wife visited Tokyo, and stayed at the Imperial Hotel. When he left the hotel in his car, the entire
traffic outside was held up to let his car pass. Thorat was surprised. On enquiry, he found
that the same brigadier had persuaded the Tokyo police to show this courtesy to
him.
While Thorat was
busy fighting in Burma, Leela had not been idle. Though she had a young child
to look after, she joined the Indian Medical Service, as a commissioned
officer, and did excellent work in the Military Hospital at Lahore. After the
war, when Thorat came to Delhi, Leela
set up a free clinic in the stable of their house in Dupleix Lane, in
conjunction with Lady Monica Smith, the wife of Lieut General Sir Arthur Smith,
the Chief of General staff. The clinic became very popular, and when the number
of patients grew very large several other ladies pitched in to help. Auchinleck
gave them a large stock of captured Japanese medicines and medical equipment.
Leela also began to educate her patients about family planning, for which she
came into conflict with Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the Minister for Health, who felt
that it was the prerogative of her department, and asked Leela to stop her
activities. Leela told the Rajkumari to mind her own business, and carried on.
The only person who encouraged her was General Cariappa, who understood the
importance of family planning, and stressed the need for it in all his talks.
The Thorats had three children, two daughters
and a son. The eldest daughter, Kusum, was born on 16 June 1937 at Amritsar.
She later married a Punjabi, Mr C.N. Kapur, who was in the Indian Railways. The
second daughter, Kumud, was born on 30 September 1942, in Delhi. She married a
Bengali, Mr R.K. Bose, who was in Dunlops. Their son, Yashwant, was born in
Ranchi on 11 November 1947 at Ranchi. He married a South Indian girl, Usha,
whose father, Mr M. Ramachandran, was a civil servant. Yashwant, who is
affectionately known as 'Bhaiyya' (brother), joined the Reserve Bank of India,
and is based at Bombay. Incidentally, he and the author were in school
together, at St. Francis Convent, in Jhansi, where Yashwant was three years
junior. The author vividly remembers the birthday party, at the Flag Staff
House, in November 1954, when Yashwant had turned seven, and the author was a
little over ten years old. Yashwant's father had just returned from Korea, and
brought back a lot of toys, and a huge balloon, the like of which had not been
seen before.
Thorat was promoted to
the rank of Brigadier in 1946, and appointed Secretary of the National War
Memorial Committee, which had been set up
with the intention of setting up a military academy on the lines of the
United States Military Academy, at West Point. At this time, various proposals were
being discussed regarding construction of a suitable war memorial, to
commemorate the services of Indian soldiers, during the War. Funds were readily
available, as the Government of Sudan had donated a sum of a hundred thousand
pounds to the Viceroy of India in 1941, as a contribution to the war effort.
The credit for suggesting that the memorial take the form of a training
institution, rather than a building or archway, like the War Memorial built
after World War I (now called India Gate), is claimed by Brigadier A.A. Rudra,
who was then Director for Morale at GHQ, in Delhi. His suggestion was accepted
by Field Marshal Auchinleck, who was the C-in-C. He wrote to Lord Wavell, the
Viceroy, recommending the establishment of a military academy, on the lines of
the United States Military Academy at West Point, where basic training could be
imparted not only to the Army, but also the Navy and Air Force. He felt that
this would be the most suitable form for a National Memorial, and his advice
was accepted.
The C-in-C was the
Chairman of the National War Memorial Committee, which was set up on 2 May
1945. Dr. Amar Nath Jha, the Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University, was the
Vice Chairman. The other members were the Chief of General Staff; Flag Officer
Commanding Indian Navy; Secretary of the Government of Indian War Department;
Educational Adviser to the Government; Sir Mirza Ismail, Prime Minister of
Jaipur State; Rao Raja Narpat Singh of Jodhpur; Mian Afzal Husain of Punjab; Mr
William Xavier Mascrenhas of the College of Engineering, Poona; and Mr A.E.
Foot, Principal of the Doon School. The Secretary was initially Lieut Colonel
P.C. Gupta, till he was replaced by Brigadier S.P.P. Thorat.
The Committee held
formal meetings every two months, though informal discussions were held from
time to time. The Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, took keen interest
in the project, and usually attended the meetings. One of the most important
decisions taken by the Committee was that cadets of all three services should
be trained together, which was not done anywhere else. Even at West Point, only
Army and Air Force cadets were trained, with the Naval cadets going to
Annapolis. Another important decision concerned the location of the proposed
academy. Almost every important leader wanted it to come up in his own region
or state. Malik Khizr Hayat Khan, the Chief Minister of Punjab, recommended
Punjab; Dr. Rajendra Prasad suggested Patna; Sardar Baldev Singh felt that
Ranchi was the most suitable place. Auchinleck personally visited Bangalore,
Bhopal, Belgaum, Deolali, Dehradun, Jabalpur, Vishakapatnam, Secunderabad,
Karachi and Khadakvasla, before deciding on the last place. Khadakvasla
was located close to Poona, had adequate
land, and also a lake, which could be used for training of Naval cadets.
The Committee
finalised its recommendations in 1946. The name of the proposed academy was
changed from National War Academy to National Defence Academy. The period of
training would be four years, and the age of entry between 16 and 19. The minimum
educational qualification would be matriculation, and admission would be
granted after an entrance examination, followed by a test conducted by the
selection board, and a medical examination. Admission would be purely on merit,
and there would be no reservation of any kind, including for sons of ex
servicemen. The entire expense, including tuition, accommodation, messing and
clothing, would be borne by the Government. At the end of their training, the
cadets would join the respective Service training institutions, for specialised
training. They would pass out with a diploma, which the universities would be
persuaded to recognise as equivalent to a degree. (This did not happen, and to
enable cadets to get a degree, the educational qualification was later revised
to Class 12, and the age of entry also correspondingly raised by two years).
Though this would be the main route of entry into commissioned ranks in the
three services, it was decided that other channels should not be closed. Entry
through the Universities, under the UOTC scheme, and through the ranks, would
continue, on a much smaller scale.
There was a hitch
when the question of transfer of 12,000 acres of land which had been identified
at Khadakvasla came up. The Chief Minister of Bombay State (now Maharashtra)
Balasaheb Kher, wanted the Academy to purchase the land, while Thorat felt that
the Government of Bombay should gift it. Thorat met Sardar Patel, who was a
member of the Viceroy's Executive Council, and explained the case, including the
benefits which would accrue to Bombay State. Patel listened patiently, but gave
no assurance. Within a few days, Thorat got a phone call from Bombay to say
that the 'Government of Bombay would be happy to make a free gift of the
required land to the Academy.'
Thorat recalls several
other incidents, involving Sardar Patel. In early 1947, Thorat was given
command of 161 Brigade, located at Ranchi. Communal riots erupted in Calcutta
soon afterwards, and his brigade was rushed there to quell them. During the unrest, a patrol led by a lance
naik (a naik is equivalent to a corporal, and lance appointments rank below the
ranks which they prefix) encountered a gang of armed hooligans. The police sub inspector accompanying the
patrol asked the patrol commander to open fire, which he did, and one gang
member died. Later the lance naik
was charged with murder. Thorat tried to get the charge dropped, but
the West Bengal Government insisted that he must stand trial, though an
assurance was given that he would be exonerated. Thorat was not satisfied. He felt that the indignity of being tried for
murder, while performing his duty, would affect the morale of troops. During a
visit to Delhi he called on Sardar Patel, who was the States Minister. When
Thorat explained the case to him, the Sardar had the charges dropped.
India became independent
of British rule on 15 August 1947, and soon after this Thorat was posted to
Delhi, as Director Staff Duties and Weapons and Equipment (SD & WE), at
Army HQ. One of his jobs was to divide the assets of the Army between India and
Pakistan, in the ratio of 3:1. He was also responsible for sending Pakistan's
share of weapons and equipment to that country. He soon realised that most of
it was being used against Indian troops, in Kashmir. Thorat tried to stop or at least slow down
the flow but the C-in-C, General Bucher, insisted that it should continue.
Thorat sought an appointment with Sardar Patel who was also the Deputy Prime
Minister. After hearing him the Sardar
smiled and said," Why have you come to me? You should have gone to the Prime Minister?"
Then, without waiting for a reply, he
added," All right. Don't be too prompt in doing
your duty." Thorat was puzzled and said, "Sir, these are the
orders of the Commander-in-Chief. What will I tell him when he finds
out?" Patel smiled, and said, "Surely you can tell a plausible lie for
the delay? I am with you." After
this there were a sharp decline in the quantity of arms and ammunition but a
corresponding increase in innocuous items to make up the tonnage.
On 31 January 1948, a
day after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, Thorat was promoted to the rank of
Major General and appointed GOC Delhi Area. Conditions in Delhi were disturbed,
and refugees from Pakistan were still pouring in. Thorat also had to provide
protection to Muslims in Delhi, as well as in the surrounding areas of Punjab,
and several princely states in Rajasthan. He had to assist in the installation
of civil administration in Alwar, where the Maharaja had to be taken in
'protective custody'. This was also done in Bharatpur, where the ruler accepted
his arrival with grace, and also invited Thorat for the annual duck shoot, for
which Bharatpur was famous. During winter, millions of migratory birds from
Siberia arrive in the lake at Bharatpur. Being a royal preserve, no shooting
was permitted till the annual duck shoot, when the Viceroy and hundreds of
other guests were invited. Thorat had heard about these shoots, but never seen
one. After a few months, he accompanied Lieut General Rajendra Sinhji, and
several other guests, including a few Maharajas, to Bharatpur. Thorat shot
almost a hundred ducks, with the total bag running into several thousand.
Fortunately for the birds, this was one of the last of the 'royal shoots', and
conservationists soon prevailed upon the Parliament to make laws banning them
altogether. The lake has now been converted into a sanctuary, and visitors can
shoot birds only with a camera.
There is an
interesting anecdote, related by Colonel A.B. Jadhav, regarding Thorat. During
this period, a large number of refugees were housed in refugee camps around
Delhi. To cater for their needs, a large number of DTLs (deep trench latrines),
such as those used by troops in the field,
had been made in the camps. During one of his morning walks, Thorat
found that the refugees were not using the DTLs, but defecating in the open.
Diseases such as cholera and hepatitis were already on the rise, and Thorat was
alarmed. He tried to persuade the refugees, through his staff, to use the DTLs,
but they continued to go to the fields. As a result, conditions soon became
unhygienic, and Thorat knew that he had to do something. One day, he collected
all the children in the camp, and told them that if they found anyone answering
the call of nature in the field, instead of the DTL, they should surround him,
and raising their hands above their heads, chant "Oye, Oye Oye." He
promised them each a four anna (a rupee had sixteen annas) coin everyday, for
this chore. The children agreed, and set to work next morning. Within a few a
days, the DTLs began to be used.
After just six months in Delhi Area, Thorat
was asked to take over East Punjab Area,
from Thimayya, who was being sent to
Kashmir. He moved to his new HQ, in Jullunder, in the Punjab. The problems of
refugees, evacuee property and border defences kept him quite busy, and he had
to visit Lahore several times. The C-in-C of the Pakistani Army, General Gracy,
had been Thorat's guardian at Sandhurst, and the Chief of General Staff, Major
General Hutton, his brigade commander in Burma. As a result, Thorat was always
treated as a VIP in Pakistan, and received at the Wagah check post with a
ceremonial guard of honour. On every visit, he made it a point to visit the men of his parent battalion, 1/14
Punjab, which was fighting in Kashmir, but had its rear party in Lahore.
In March 1950, Thorat was asked to take over
as CGS, at Army HQ, in Delhi. Thorat was surprised by the appointment, which
was normally held by a senior lieut general, while he was only a major general,
and that too one of the junior ones. However, the C-in-C, General Cariappa had
selected him, and he had to go. During this time the strength of the Army was
about 5 lakhs (a lakh is a hundred thousand), which the bureaucrats in the
Ministry of Defence wanted to be reduced to 3 lakhs. In spite of vehement opposition from Army HQ,
the Defence Secretary and Financial Adviser succeeded in persuading the Cabinet
to accept this measure. As soon as the process started, Pakistan started
virulent propaganda against India. Army HQ wanted the Armoured Division to be
moved to Amritsar as a precautionary measure, but the Prime Minister did not
agree. Finally, General Cariappa, went to meet the President, Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, accompanied by Thorat. He listened to them and asked the Prime Minister
to re-examine the proposal. A meeting
was called and Nehru was not in a good mood.
At the end, he said "I refuse to believe that Pakistan will go to
war. How can I take a warlike stance,
when I am myself trying to maintain peace in the world?"
Thorat requested the
Prime Minister for a hearing. He opened a map of Punjab and explained the
strategic importance of the river Beas.
If Pakistan decided to capture Amritsar, it would not be possible to
reinforce it since there was only one
bridge on the Beas, with limited capacity.
Nehru grasped the situation and rescinded his earlier decision. The concentration of troops in Amritsar was
completed and the Pak propaganda died down.
In February 1952,
Thorat had a providential escape. A tactical exercise was held in Lucknow, and
Thorat, accompanied by several other senior officers, including Shrinagesh and
Thimayya, left Delhi in a twin engined Devon aircraft, belonging to the Indian
Air Force. On the return flight, one of the engines caught fire, and very soon,
the fire began to spread towards the fuselage. There was every likelihood that
the petrol tanks would explode, or the cabin would soon be engulfed in flames.
The pilot put the plane into a nose dive, hoping to land before this happened,
but this appeared a remote possibility. Just then, the burning engine fell out,
the frame having been melted by the intense heat. The fire subsided, but the
plane now seemed to be out of control. Finally, after many anxious moments,
they landed with a crash. Miraculously nobody seemed to be hurt, and after
picking up their hats and canes, they got out of the aircraft, in strict order
of seniority ! They had landed in a field, close to Lucknow, and were soon
rescued by the villagers. By early next morning, they were back in Lucknow, to
the relief of everyone, including their families, who had only heard that the
plane was missing, and had been waiting for news throughout the night. When the
President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, was told of their miraculous escape, he sent
his own airplane, to fly them back to Delhi.
During this time,
Thorat and his family were staying at 16 Akbar Road, in New Delhi. His wife Leela
was fond of gardening, and the house was full of flowers in front, and a large
vegetable patch in the rear. Once, there was an abundant crop of pumpkins and
lady fingers, and one of the two vegetables would be served at lunch, with the
other at dinner. One evening, Thorat told his wife, "Leela, there is a new
restaurant called Kwality, that has been opened in Connaught Place. Why don't
we take the children out, and have dinner there". Their two daughters,
Kusum and Kumud, and son Yashwant, were thrilled. When the family arrived at
the restaurant, Leela and the children lost no time in ordering delicacies such
as 'Chana Bhatura', 'Pizza', and so on. Thorat was still looking at the menu,
and after a lot of deliberation, he asked for pumpkin and lady fingers.
Everyone looked at him in surprise, till he explained that he did not want to
spoil a good habit. Leela got the hint, and the family soon got a respite from
the ubiquitous pumpkins and lady fingers.
In 1953 Thorat was sent to
Korea as Commander of the Custodian Force of India (CFI). Thimayya had been appointed the Chairman of
the five nation `Neutral Nation Repatriation Commission' (NNRC). The CFI
comprised 190 Infantry Brigade, under the command of Brigadier R.S. Paintal. It
had three infantry battalions, and an engineer company. Later, two more
battalions, and a company of Mahar machine gunners were provided. Thorat
selected Brigadier Gurbaksh Singh, DSO, as his Deputy Commander. In July, 1953,
when the Armistice was signed, about 30,000 North Korean and Chinese prisoners
were captured by the United Nations Command. The Korean Peoples Army (KPVA) and
the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) Command held several hundred British,
American and South Koreans, as
prisoners. All these were transferred to the custody of the CFI, under
Thorat, having refused to be repatriated, after the cease fire. It was hoped that after
sometime in custody of the neutral CFI, the effects of propaganda and
brainwashing would wear off, and the prisoners
would agree to be repatriated.
The first contingent
of the CFI left Madras by sea, on 18 August 1953, and reached Inchon on 14
September. The fifth contingent, which was also the last, left on 5 September,
reaching on 28 September. They were housed in canvas tents, in three groups, at
a place known earlier as Tong-Jong-Ni. Thorat gave it the name Hindnagar, which
soon became well known. The prisoners were housed in compounds, with each
accommodating about five hundred. Each compound had tents for living, kitchen,
dining hall, and latrines. There was a double wire fence around each compound,
with the space between them used for patrolling. A number of compounds were
grouped together into an enclosure, which also had a double wire fence around
it. Initially, prisoners of both sides
were quite friendly with the Indian troops guarding them. However, this
changed, as soon as some of the prisoners began to ask for repatriation. The
other prisoners resented this, and beat up the
prisoners, who wanted to surrender to the guards, for repatriation.
Sometimes, they even killed such prisoners. The Indian troops tried to prevent
such incidents, and this brought them in conflict with the prisoners.
On 25 September 1953
there was an anti India demonstration in one of the camps. Thorat entered the compound, accompanied by a
few officers and after talking to the prisoners, left. The prisoners caught hold of the interpreter,
Major H.S. Grewal and bodily carried him back into the compound. Thorat turned
back and rushed in followed by about a dozen Indian soldiers. The prisoners closed the gates and attacked
the Indians held captive inside, with wooden poles and stones, causing injuries
to some of them. Thorat gave strict
orders to his men not to retaliate since
he realised that they were heavily outnumbered.
He also ordered the brigade commander, who was out side, not to fire,
since this would lead to a massacre, and India's position would become
untenable.
Thorat found a POW who
spoke English. He started talking to
him. He asked them to release Major
Grewal, but they refused. Thorat then took out his cigarette case, but it was
empty. He said "What sort of
Chinese are you? I and my men have been
your guests for about an hour but you have not offered us a cup of tea or even a cigarette. Where is your traditional hospitality and the
good manners for which your race is renowned?" The prisoner was bewildered at this remark,
but soon turned around and barked some orders.
Soon afterwards mugs of tea and packets of cigarettes appeared.
The situation changed as
if by magic. The Chinese apologised and brought Grewal to Thorat.
He accepted their representation and promised to forward it to the NNRC.
They formed a guard of honour, and
cheered lustily as Thorat left the compound followed by the Indian troops.
This incident received wide publicity in the world press. After his return to India Thorat was awarded
the Ashoka Chakra Class II (now called the Kirti Chakra), and the Padma Shri
for his courage, composure, and presence of mind in preventing an ugly
situation which could have caused several deaths.
On 15 October 1953,
'explanations' started. A large number of North Korean and Chinese prisoners,
captured by the UN Command, had refused to be repatriated. The KVA-CPV Command
contended that this was because false information had been given to the
prisoners regarding the conditions prevailing in their homelands. They argued
that if they were given a chance to explain things to them, they would change
their minds. This was to be done by teams from the parent nations, who would be
allowed to talk to each prisoner, in camera. Each prisoner had to undergo the
process of 'explanation', but was free to make his choice, regarding
repatriation.
When
the explanations started, the prisoners refused to come out of their compounds.
Thorat and his troops had a difficult time, trying to persuade them to come
out. Sometimes, they had to use force, to bring the prisoners to the
explanation tent. The prisoners often spat on the members of the explanation
team, or beat them up. Sometimes, they even tried to rough up the guards. If
force was used by the troops, they were denounced by the Swiss and Swedish
members of the NNRC, who considered it a violation of human rights. On the
other hand, if the CFI did not do this, the Czech and Polish members accused
them of not giving adequate protection to the explanation teams. Ultimately, on
the insistence of the Swiss and Polish members, who threatened to with draw if
force was not used, the matter was referred to the Government of India. It was
decided that no force should be used, and prisoners were to be given
explanations only if they wished to. After the ninety day period for
explanations had expired, prisoners were handed over by the CFI, to the side
which had captured them. The UN Command released its prisoners, in January
1954. KPV-CPV Command initially refused to take back the prisoners captured by
them, but eventually did so. There fate was never known.
The CFI returned to
India in early 1954. They were seen off by General Maxwell Taylor, and were
given a guard of honour by the 8th US Army. On their arrival in Madras, they
received a tumultuous welcome. The Chief Minister, C. Rajagopalachari, and his
entire cabinet was at the quay, to receive Thorat and his men, when their ship
berthed. They left for Delhi by special troops trains, which were greeted at
every station en route, and showered with sweets and garlands. At Nagpur, the
Chief Minister of the State was present, with his ministers. At Delhi, there
was a huge crowd at the railway station, when their train steamed in. The Prime
Minister was also present, to greet them.
In May 1954, the
Custodian Force of India was disbanded, and Thorat was given command of 5 Infantry Division, at Jhansi. In 1955, the
division was ordered to move to Ferozepore. The move upto Rohtak was on foot,
and Thorat marched with the division. They entrained at Rohtak, and proceeded
to Ferozepore, to join the newly raised 11 Corps. Soon afterwards, he was
promoted Lieut General and given command of 11 Corps, which had its HQ at
Jullunder. At that time, 11 Corps was the only strike force in the Indian Army,
and he had under his command two infantry divisions, an armoured brigade,
and an independent infantry brigade.
During his tenure at
Jullunder, Thorat was involved in two accidents. General Maxwell Taylor came to
Delhi, and expressed a desire to meet him. Thorat left for Delhi in his staff
car, and after lunch en route, had dozed off, when the accident occurred. He
had a temporary loss of memory, and it was later found that he had injured his
spine. He was in hospital for a month, and had to wear a plaster for even
longer. He was lucky to have survived the accident - one side of the car had
been completely smashed. The second accident occurred when Thorat, accompanied
by Major General Bahadur Singh, GOC 4 Infantry Division, and Brigadier M.S.
Pathania, his senior staff officer, was crossing the Jumna river in an assault boat, during an exercise. All of them had
fishing tackle, and were casting for fish. The boat dashed against a rope, that
had been slung across the river, and capsized. Everyone threw away his rod, and
began to swim towards the bank. Thorat was strong swimmer, and held on to his
fishing rod with one hand, using the other to swim. He reached the river bank
still clutching his precious rod, to every one's surprise, and amusement.
Thorat was an upright
and meticulous soldier, who was always
correct in his dealings with his seniors and subordinates. There were few occasions when he fell foul of
his seniors. One such incident occurred
in 1956, while he was commanding 11 Corps.
Torrential rains caused floods in Jullunder and Amritsar districts and
there was 6 feet of water over the Grand Trunk
road. An artillery unit at
Kasu Begu, near Ferozepore was also threatened, by a breach in a
canal. Thorat rang up Air HQ, in Delhi,
and asked for an aerial reconnaissance, to find out if there were any more breaches. The Army Commander, Lieut General Kalwant
Singh, was very annoyed, and threatened to take disciplinary action against
Thorat for not following the proper channel. Thorat stood firm and when asked
to explain, replied that since the safety of his men and installations was in
danger and he could not contact the
Command HQ in Simla, he had no other option.
He also told Kalwant that in case he decided to take action, he himself
was more likely to land in trouble than Thorat.
No more was heard from him after this.
In May 1957, General
S.M. Shrinagesh retired, and Thimayya was nominated to succeed him as Chief of
Army Staff, superseding Lieut General Sant Singh, who was commanding the
Eastern Army, and Lieut General Kalwant Singh, in Western Command. Kulwant
decided to continue, but Sant preferred to proceed on retirement. Thorat was
appointed GOC-in-C Eastern Command, which at that time had its HQ at Lucknow
and comprised the area of the present Central and Eastern Commands. Thorat soon
fell in love with Lucknow, which was called the city of 'nawabs', and its
people, who still the spoke the flawless Urdu of their forbears. Lucknow was
well known for its 'tehzib' (good
manners), courtesy, and leisurely life style. It was also a centre for classical
dance and music, and Thorat soon became a connoisseur, who enjoyed the
'thumri', 'dadra' and 'kathak' (the thumri and dadra are forms of vocal music,
and the kathak a style of classical dance) of Lucknow.
Thorat did not get
much time to savour the delights of
Lucknow, as he was kept fairly busy with operational and administrative
matters. Eastern Command was very large - it covered almost the whole of
Eastern and Central India. The Naga tribes were in rebellion, and the border
problems with the Chinese in the North East had begun. Thimayya and Thorat were
both perturbed at the state of defences in the North East Frontier Agency
(NEFA), and tried their best to improve them. However, this was not to be. At about the time when Thimayya took over as
Chief of Army Staff, V.K. Krishna Menon had become the Defence Minister. Differences soon developed between Menon
and Thimayya leading to the latter's
resignation which was later withdrawn.
Thorat too fell out with Menon due to a sharp difference of opinion,
over the question of the manner in which the defence of the Sino-Indian border
was to be organised. At this time, the defence NEFA was the responsibility of
the Assam Rifles, a para military force which functioned under the Central
Government. Technically, the Army had no responsibility, or authority, in the
matter. Thorat realised that if there was trouble, the Army would have to step
in, since it was responsible for the defence of the Nation. He pleaded that the
defence of NEFA should be included in the operational tasks of Eastern Command.
When Thorat found
that the Prime Minister and Defence Minister were not taking serious note of
the problem, he decided to put it in writing. On 8 October 1959, Thorat produced
a paper on the defence of NEFA, and sent it to the COAS. This was forwarded to the Ministry of Defence
but Krishna Menon did not show it to the Prime Minister, accusing Thorat of being an alarmist and a warmonger.
Subsequently an exercise, code named LAL QUILA, was held in Lucknow, in March
1960. This was attended by the Chief and all Principal Staff Officers in Army
HQ. It was clearly brought out that with the troops, weapons and equipment
available at that time, a Chinese attack could not be contained or defeated,
and the 'forward policy', being advocated by Menon and Kaul, was not
practicable. Thorat also gave out a time table, showing how the defences would fall day by day in
case the Chinese attacked. Kaul, who
attended the exercise as Quarter Master General, had different views. By that time Thimayya's position had been
undermined and he had lost all authority. In May 1961 both Thimayya and Thorat
retired and Kaul was appointed CGS. With Thapar as the Army Chief, Kaul had a free hand to implement his ideas.
When Thimayya retired in May
1961, it was expected that Thorat would succeed him as the Army Chief. He was
highly decorated, had combat experience, and was held in high regard in the
Service. Most important, he was GOC-in-C Eastern Command, and was familiar with
the situation on the borders with China. But this did not come about, and the
Government nominated Thapar, who was senior, but had little else to commend
him, as the next Chief. Many factors were cited as responsible for Thorat
having been overlooked. One was a laudatory speech he made during the farewell
dinner for General Thimayya at the Kumaon Regimental Centre. Another was the
fact that he was not recommended by B.N. Mullick, the all powerful Director of
the IB. Mullick had even suggested to the Government that Thimayya was planning
a coup, and Thorat was an active participant in the plot. Whatever the reason,
both Thimayya and Thorat could not see eye to eye with Krishna Menon, who quite naturally preferred
the more pliant Thapar, as Chief.
When Thorat was
retired in May 1961, he was still three months short of his 55th birthday.
Similarly, Cariappa had retired at the age of 53, Nathu Singh at 51, and
Thimayya at 55. This was due to a rule which had been promulgated soon after
Independence, limiting the tenure of the Chief and Army Commanders to four
years. The decision was unfortunate, as it removed the top leadership of the
Indian Army at an age when they had several years of useful life still left,
and the Nation could have benefitted from their experience. The rule did not
apply to the civil bureaucracy, or to the Navy or the Air Force. Even in the
Army, it was made applicable only to the Chief and Army Commanders, and not the
heads of technical Arms and Services. If Thimayya and Thorat had not retired in
May 1961, the events which took place after a year may well have taken a
different turn.
On 8 May 1961,
Thorat was given a ceremonial farewell at Lucknow. Donning his uniform for the
last time, he inspected the guard of honour, and then mounted the open jeep,
which was pulled by officers of Eastern Command, to the tunes of 'Auld Lang
Syne'. When he entered his railway saloon, after bidding good bye to the large
number of military and civil officials who had come to see him off, his eyes
were moist. Out of the window, he saw the Eastern Command flag coming down, and
heard the buglers sounding the 'Retreat'. He sprang to attention, from a habit
of 35 years, and saluted the flag. He then took unbuckled his sword from his
Sam Browne belt, and handed it over to his son Yashwant.
Leela, who was
reclining on a couch in the saloon, looked at him askance, and asked him why he
had given the sword to Bhaiyya, as Yashwant was called in the family. "I
thought a soldier never retires. This is what you always said," she asked.
Thorat laughed and replied, " Don't worry. If I am recalled for duty, I
will again wear the sword."
After his
retirement, the Thorats settled down at Kolhapur. Before his retirement, Thorat
had been offered the appointment of Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University,
which had declined, since he felt that he did not have the credentials for a
job which should be held by an outstanding academician. A little later, the
Chairman of Hindustan Steel requested him to join the Company as a Director.
Thorat agreed, and the proposal was cleared by Sardar Swaran Singh, the
Minister for Steel. However, it was turned down by the Prime Minister, based on
the advice of Krishna Menon, as Thorat later learned.
Soon after his
arrival in Kolhapur, Thorat was informed that Yeshwantrao Chavan, the Chief
Minister of Maharashtra, wanted to meet him. Thorat went to the Circuit House,
where Chavan was staying, and after greeting him, asked him why he had called
him. Chavan handed over a sealed envelope to Thorat and said, " General
Sahib, this contains a formal letter, requesting you to accept the post of the
Chairman of the Maharashtra State Public Service Commission for five years. If
the proposal is to your liking, kindly open the envelope. Otherwise, just tear
it up."
Thorat said'
"Mr Chavan, you know I am not in the good books of Panditji." Chavan
replied," General Sahib, don't worry about that. Maharashtra is far from
Delhi". Thorat then said that he and his wife had got used to staying in
bungalows, and would feel cooped up in a flat in Bombay. Chavan said that he
would not have to stay in a flat, and would be given a a large bungalow. Thorat
then came to the most important condition. He said that he would accept the job
only if he was allowed to function independently. The day he felt that he was
under pressure from any Minister or politician, he would resign. Chavan readily
agreed to this condition also.
Thorat then said
that they had just moved from Lucknow, and his wife was still unpacking and
setting up house. He would like to discuss this with her, before giving a final
reply. Chavan agreed, and Thorat left, with the envelope still unopened. After
discussing the offer with Leela, he decided to accept, and sent his
confirmation to Chavan. Alongwith his appointment letter, Chavan issued a
directive that no minister, secretary or party functionary would exert any
pressure, or interfere in any manner with the functioning of the Commission.
These orders remained in force even after Chavan left for Delhi, to replace
Krishna Menon as Defence Minister, and Vasantrao Naik became the Chief Minister
of Maharashtra.
Soon after Thorat
was appointed Chairman of the Maharashtra State Public Service Commission,
Chavan met Krishna Menon during the annual session of the Congress Party at
Trivandrum. Menon casually remarked that Chavan had made a mistake by
appointing Thorat to the important appointment, and advised him to reconsider
the decision. Chavan smiled and replied," Mr Menon, I have never
interfered or expressed any views about your handling of defence matters. I
would request you to show the same courtesy to me, as far as affairs of my
State are concerned."
After the Chinese over
ran the defences in NEFA in 1962, there was a lull in the battle, which took
place almost exactly as Thorat had predicted. Nehru sent for him and asked,
"Thorat, how could this have happened. You were in Eastern Command, did
you have any inkling of this disaster?"
Thorat replied "Yes Sir. The possibility had occurred to us and the
Ministry was warned." When Thorat
showed the paper he had sent in October 1959 to him, Nehru was stunned. "Why was this not shown to me ?" he asked.
Thorat suggested that perhaps the Defence Minister could answer this question.
At this Nehru exploded, "Menon, Menon! Why have you got your knife into
him? You people do not realise what an intellectual giant he is."
Thorat said, "If he is,
Sir, I have seen no evidence of it in the case under consideration." Nehru
glared at him angrily, for a few seconds. Then he smiled, and said, "You
know, Thorat, you Maharashtrians are like mules. Normally you are good and
docile, but once you dig your toes in, it is impossible to dislodge
you." The tension broke, and Nehru
rang for some tea. He became once again the affable Nehru, who Thorat knew so
well from the days of the Partition riots, and after his return from Korea.
Nehru went on to discuss the possibility of the Chinese, who had declared a
cease fire unilaterally, advancing into the Brahmputra valley, Thorat told him
that they were unlikely to do so, since
their lines of communication were already stretched, and they could not get
their artillery and tanks across the Himalayas. At this, Nehru perked up, and
invited Thorat to be a member of the
National Defence Council, which he was thinking of forming.
Thorat was appointed
a member of the National Defence Council, which was chaired by the Prime
Minister himself. It also had some senior members of the Cabinet, and the Chief Ministers of States. Surprisingly,
neither Krishna Menon nor Kaul, the two defence experts on whom Nehru had
relied the most, were nominated as members. In the event, the Council could not
achieve much, but Thorat felt that his honour had been vindicated. He had been
accused by Krishna Menon and Kaul of not implementing the forward policy, which
they had been advocating, and which had proved to be a miserable failure.
In 1967, Thorat was
persuaded by Chavan to stand for election to Parliament, as a Congress Party
candidate. Soon after he had filed his nomination, the Maharani of Kolhapur
also announced that she would contest from the same constituency. Chavan
advised him to change his constituency, and offered him the ticket for the
Satara seat, but Thorat refused. He felt that since he had filed his papers
earlier, it was the Maharani who should change her constituency, and not him.
In the event, he lost the election, and decided not to contest again.
Thorat was liberal
and cosmopolitan in his views, and this was mirrored in his family life. He was
himself a Maharashtrian, while his wife was a Punjabi. His son Yashwant married
a South Indian Aiyyar girl. His two daughters, Kusum and Kumud, also married outside the State; one chose her
life partner from Punjab, and the other from Bengal. The Thorats' house in
Kolhapur, called 'Indu Niketan', soon came to epitomise gracious living, and
was always humming with tongues from every part of India. Thorat had always
been a good sportsman, but never played golf, which he began at the age of 73.
For the next 12 years, he was regularly at the golf course, at four in the
evening. While he went round his nine holes, Leela sat in the club house,
reading a book, or knitting, or sometimes strolling in the lawns.
Thorat had a very
strong character, and these qualities were inherited by his children. In 1986,
his grand daughter Kanchan's marriage was celebrated at Kolhapur. There were
about 300 guests at the function, which was held on the lawns of Indu Niketan.
Leela was running a high fever, and her temperature touched 105 degrees. But
she did not flinch, and came out to receive the guests in the porch of the
house. Her daughters then took her inside, and put her to bed. Soon after this,
she went into a coma. The entire family, not wanting to mar the occasion, went
through with it with smiling faces, till the last guest had departed. At
midnight, Thorat drove his wife to the mission hospital at Miraj. She had
meningitis, and battled for two weeks, before she was out of danger. None of
the guests who had attended the wedding had known how serious she had been,
while the party was going on.
A similar incident
occurred when Thorat 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, and 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 was anything wrong. Thorat took her inside, and seating her
on a chair, gently told her that Kumud was no more. Leela began to cry, and
after she had calmed down, he narrated to her the entire episode of her
sickness and death. Later, Thorat explained that he had not told Leela the bad
news on telephone because it would have been difficult for her to bear the
shock alone. Once he was near her, she was able to draw strength from him, and
face the problem squarely.
In 1987, Yashwant
was seconded to the Bank of England. Before he left, he told his father that he
would like to visit Sandhurst, where he had been trained, and about which he
often talked with nostalgia. Thorat laughed, and said, " Bhaiyya, I left
Sandhurst sixty one 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
was engrossed in his work, and almost forgot about Sandhurst, till the end of
his visit. He telephoned the Royal Military College, and told them about his
arrival. When he reached Camberley, he was received by a British Colonel, who
conducted him to a staff car, which had the Indian flag, along with that of the
Royal Military College. They were piloted by a motor cycle escort, and Yashwant
was overwhelmed at the reception, which indicated the respect being given to
his father, by his alma mater. He was taken around the entire College, and then
to the India Museum, where he found his father's name inscribed among the
heroes of World War II, alongwith 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 gave a speech, which included a vivid account of Thorat's career.
Yashwant came away feeling that they knew more about his father than he himself
did. He remembers his visit to Sandhurst as one of the most memorable
experiences of his life.
One of the qualities
for which Thorat was admired, both by officers and men, was his concern for he
welfare of troops, and his humane and compassionate attitude. He was able to
empathise with his subordinates, and treated them with warmth and
consideration. One of his aides, Captain Har Mander Singh, who later joined the
Civil Service, recalls that on the very first occasion he met the Thorats, he was made to feel at home. Not only he, but
his family was accepted, as part of the household. Thorat's behaviour towards
young officers was like that of a father with his son, and his daughters
behaved with his aides as they would with their brothers. When being driven in
his car, if he saw a young officer walking, he always stopped, and asked the
youngster if he wanted a lift. He never
asked his aides to perform menial tasks, such as carrying bags, opening doors,
or pouring drinks. Irrespective of rank, he treated every soldier with respect,
and never made him feel small.
Thorat was a good
orator, and a voracious reader. He had a scholastic bent of mind, and was well
versed in Sanskrit. Though he always addressed troops in simple Hindustani, he
often embellished his talks with Sanskrit 'slokas' (verses), to drive home a
point. Thorat's behaviour with ladies was impeccable, and he had none of the so called vices, except for
smoking, which he did in moderation. He rolled his own cigarettes, which he
carried in a thin cigarette box. He was in the habit of tapping a cigarette
three times, before he put it between his lips, and lighted it. This
idiosyncracy was often copied, by younger officers, who felt that it was it
made them look suave and debonair.
Thorat died on 10
August 1992, at Kolhapur, at the age of 86. His death was widely mourned not
only in Maharashtra, but the whole country, by soldiers as well as civilians.
He was well known in India and abroad, due to his tenure in Korea, and almost
all national dailies published his profile, after his death. He had many
friends and admirers, and it was difficult to find a single instance in his
long and distinguished career during which he had acted in a manner which was
not expected of an officer and a gentleman.
It was indeed unfortunate
that when the Chinese attacked, in 1962, both Thimayya and Thorat had retired.
If they had not, the nation would perhaps have been spared the ignominy and
humiliation it had to bear, resulting mainly from lack of courage, experience
and decisiveness, in the top military leadership at that critical juncture.
Though he did not rise to the highest rank, Thorat's place in Indian military
history is assured. A highly respected soldier, known for his upright behaviour
and gentlemanly ways, he epitomised the highest standards of professionalism in
the Army.
10 comments:
Was a treat reading extensively researched & well crafted article.....Thanks a lot for this amazing write up....I wish you keep writing & the public enjoy reading articles on Great Soldiers......U have earned a fan........Jai Hind
Thank you for a very interesting article on Gen Thorat. I reached your blog after being unable to find anything of substance on the general on Wikipedia. Just one point: When Chavan moved to Delhi as defence minister, he was succeeded as chief minister of Maharashtra by MS Kannamwar who was in office for a year. On his death, Naik took over.
An most interesting and informative read which I thoroughly enjoyed. As a graduate of the RMAS in England, the Somme Coy, intake 29, 1965 - 1967 I admire those who so bravely gave of their service and their life.
A very detailed article spanning almost all aspects of career of Lt. Gen. Thorat. Sir, I would like to know if his autobiography 'From Reveille to Retreat' is one of the reference for this article. Thank you!
Lieutenant General SPP Thorat is from our village vadagaon, Tal -Shahuwdi Dist-Kolhapur & I M very proud of him
like to add he was our founder president yet the bolg was very informative
thanx alot
c j Ranade
lt col *(redt)\
presidetnIESL maharashtra
What is the accuracy of the Melrose story VK?
Thanks for such a detailed history and very informative. Can someone help me in locating Publication/Book seller for two Marathi Books Titled
१. माझे सैनिकी जीवन - जनरल थोरात
२. अरुणाचलच्या सीमेवरून - कॅप्टन वासुदेव बेलवलकर
I already spoke with Rasik, Akshardhara, Majestic which are popular shops in Pune. Also could dnot find them online.
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