A Napoleonic bahadur
Flowers of veneration,
At somebody's feet.
Placed by creepers,
Washed away by waves.
-Shambhunath Singh/em in emSamay ki shila par
In the hoary Hindu tradition of eulogising the dead, the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting recently declared that Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was also an admiral. But even if inadvertently, the writer of the condolence message captured the essence of his personality. The field marshal has indeed been commander of the faithful all his life – the original meaning of admiral, before the term got appropriated by seafarers. There is an interesting anecdote about how the old warrior acquired his popular appellation. It is said that during a routine inspection, he introduced himself to a Gorkha soldier as Sam, and wanted to confirm whether the soldier had gotten his name correct. "Yes Sir, Sam Bahadur," the Gorkha replied. Bahadur, of course, was meant to be a mark of respect, which Sam understood and wore like a badge of honour.