Lucknow University proposes chair to honour '71 hero Sam Manekshaw

The Lucknow University will set up a chair in the name of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw where research and study on his war tactics, strategies and why he is best remembered as the man who masterminded India's victory in the India-Pakistan war of 1971 -- that led to the liberation of Bangladesh -- will be done.

Students of the department of defence studies at Lucknow University and its affiliated colleges will soon be able to study about Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, the first Indian army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.

According to sources, the department of defence studies in the university has sent a proposal of Rs 2 crore to the defence ministry.

LU defence studies coordinator O.P. Shukla said, "The research will be done on lesser-known aspects about Manekshaw who was popularly known as Sam Bahadur. He was the most celebrated general and had a career in the military spanning four decades. He fought five wars, beginning from World War II in 1942. As the army chief, Manekshaw led the Indian Army to its momentous victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Every aspect of his life will be studied minutely under the chair."

He said that with Uttar Pradesh going to be a defence manufacturing hub it is important for students to understand not just the present but also the glorious past of our defence services. -IANS