A soldier fades away

Lt Gen Hanut Singh, PVSM, MVC was one of the finest commanders the Indian Army has been privileged to have. Commissioned as part of the 1^st Course of the Joint Services Wing, in Dehradun, Hanut joined the 17^th Horse armoured regiment, better known as the Poona Horse.

Many distinguished people, some of them with a better grasp of military matters than myself, have written about the General. In several cases, these accounts are based on first-person anecdotes. Some links to such accounts are listed below and with such a volume of material readily available, I will not dwell any further on the General’s career but merely touch upon some impressions of the man.

· By Maj Gen V K Singh: http://veekay-militaryhistory.blogspot.in/2012/10/biography-lieut-general-hanut-singh.html

· By Lt Gen Ashok Joshi: http://www.rediff.com/news/special/truly-an-outstanding-soldier/20150414.htm

· By Bharat Karnad: http://bharatkarnad.com/2015/04/14/the-great-hanut-rip/

  

Lt. Gen Ajai Singh, who eventually succeeded Hanut as the Poona Horse Commandant, joined the regiment in July 1956 at Babina as a young second lieutenant. Hanut, as senior subaltern, became the squadron second in command and was also made responsible for the new officer’s training and grooming. Here is an excerpt from a piece written by Gen Ajai on his initial impressions of Hanut:

“…He walked to me and met with such enthusiasm, warmth and affection that I felt as though we had known each other for ages. After that he met the squadron commander and they exchanged notes about the promotion examination he had just taken. Thereafter, without further ado, he took me to the squadron and introduced me to all the members of his troop, which I was to take over. Having done this at the garages itself, he gave me a programme for my training which I was to commence from the next day; he also gave me a large bundle of books and precis which I was to read in my own time. I went through all this business-like activity in a state of total shock because, till then, such a serious approach to professional matters had neither been seen nor heard by me during the few days I had spent in the regiment…

…Being the senior subaltern he had full authority over the Young Officers (YOs) which he exercised with ruthless impartiality, whether it was in the officer’s mess or on the play grounds. Some of the senior YOs, of course, resented this attitude but Hanut would not compromise…Even then, as a youngster, I could foresee that he might just be the right man to usher in (a) new era in the Poona Horse – an era of regenerated regimental spirit, professionalism and high standards…”

In his long and distinguished career, which went well beyond command of the Poona Horse and encompassed diverse formations such as 17 Mountain Division, 1 Armoured Division and 2 Corps, Hanut was the epitome of regimentation and professionalism. Always a thinking soldier, his understanding of armoured warfare was profound. The upright Hanut always stood up for what he believed was correct. This often involved taking on a set pattern of thinking and he ruffled many feathers and even more egos. For instance, his After Action Report of the Battle of Basantar caused resentment among many of his seniors. Unlike some of his course-mates, he never became an army commander, but it is he who is remembered with pride and respect by those who served with him.

How many officers in today’s army take pride in developing a deep understanding of the core of their profession? How many officers – in the entire history of the Indian Army – have had the courage and the confidence in their own grasp of professional issues – to stand up amidst a circle of senior officers and voice a differing opinion? The number of such officers may be embarrassingly low.

I travelled to the General’s house to pay my last respects to the memory of this very special soldier. A small group of people sat on the verandah. In any other place, it would have been an odd group but in Hanut’s residence, the group was fairly representative of his diverse mind. In the group was Hanut’s nephew Nripendra, who had acted as his care-giver for the last few difficult months. There was a retired soldier, his erect posture giving away a fauji past in a way that civilian clothes can never obscure. An elderly gentleman who was drawn to the old soldier’s spiritual ways. Plus a banker, who happened to be both the son of an old Commandant of the Poona Horse, as well as the grandson of a Poona Horse veteran. And myself. As the sun dipped behind the hills, the atmosphere was filled with memories of the General and his famed regiment.

The first thing a visitor sees on entering the house is the symbol of the Poona Horse – the General was Colonel of the regiment between 1978 and 1991. Mementos of his military career are everywhere. But they are outnumbered by pictures of the saints the General had faith in. Indeed, the general’s room –with a beautiful view of the valley behind – is an ascetic’s room. The General used to pray while sitting in a high backed chair in this room. From what I gathered, he went into a meditative state while sitting in the chair and eventually passed away while sitting. Like a true soldier, Lt Gen Hanut Singh did not die, but faded away. They simply don’t make officers like him anymore.

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Lt. Gen. Hanut Singh speaking about Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, PVC: https://youtu.be/cJXZt4ms6z8