TimeOut

I wish to share an interesting incident brought out the greatness of two Legendary Sons of India.

When Dr.Abdul Kalam was the President, he visited Coonoor. On reaching , he came to know that Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw was in the Military Hospital there. 

Dr.Kalam wanted to visit Sam ,which was unscheduled. Arrangements were made. At the bedside, Kalam spent about 15 minutes talking to Sam & enquiring about his health. 

Just before leaving Kalam asked Sam " Are you comfortable? Is there anything I could do? Do you have any  grievance, or any  requirement that would make you more comfortable? 

Sam said “Yes Your Excellency, I have one grievance" 

Shocked with concern & anguish , Kalam asked him what it was . 

Sam replied, “Sir, my grievance is that I am not able to get up & Salute my most respected President of my country" . Kalam held Sam's hand as both were in tears.

But the remaining part of the tale with regarding this meeting is that Sam did tell APJ that he was not paid the pension of the Field Marshall’s rank till then, for nearly twenty years. An aghast President went to Delhi and passed the pension with arrears within a week and sent the cheque of nearly Rs 12 million through the Defence Secretary by a special plane to Wellington, Ooty, where Sam was ailing. That is the greatness of APJ. But then Sam received the cheque and promptly donated it to the Army Relief fund. Whom will you salute now? Indeed those real heroes are missing today.

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