You Will Shoot Your Eye Out

Disclaimer—It was a metaphorical slap.

After independence, Nehru appointed General Lockhart, British army personnel, as the chief of the Indian Army.

After a year, when the credibility of Gen. Lockhart was questioned, he resigned.

So, Nehru called a meeting along with the top security personnel and the leadership of the country.

He again wanted to appoint some British personnel as chief of the Indian army.

He said—

Since Gen. Lockhart is has resigned, we need to point a new army chief. And I think it is better to appoint a British man because we don’t have a capable and experienced Army man in our country.

His statement hurt the army people who were there. Of course, it would because there were many capable army officers sitting.

Then a brave, bold man stood up and said—

“We also don’t have a man enough experience to lead our nation. Shouldn’t we appoint someone from Britain as our prime minister?”

So, yeah, it was a tight, metaphoric slap for insulting the Indian Army Officers.

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The man was Thakur Nathu Singh Rathore

He served as Division Commander in Burma during World War II, and he was a key person in India-Pakistan 1947 war.

In 1947, he was offered the position of Commander-in-chief of the Indian Army.

He declined the position saying—General K. M. Cariappa is my senior and more eligible than me; He should be the chief.

In 1951, he was appointed as the commander of the Eastern Army.