by ARDESHIR COWASJEE
In the British army, upon which were modelled the armies of India and Pakistan, ‘field marshal’ was the highest military rank. A field marshal never retires — the rank is conferred for life.
The British chief of the imperial staff was usually a field marshal as was the chief of the defence staff when that office was created, and certain members of the royal family are accorded the rank. Current practice since the 1990s is that no field marshals are routinely appointed in peacetime — the rank must obviously be earned by generals who have proved themselves in times of war and whose military background warranted its bestowal.
Two field marshals have been appointed by the Government of India since 1947. The first appointed to this rank, whilst still a serving officer, was the then chief of army staff, Gen Sam Manekshaw in 1973. A much-decorated Second World War officer, he was conferred the rank by the Indira Gandhi government, largely in recognition of his leadership during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.
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(Submitted by reader)