Kodandera Madappa Cariappa: Encyclopedia II - Kodandera Madappa Cariappa - Personality

Kodandera Madappa Cariappa - Personality

During the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars, he visited the front lines to talk to the troops and keep their morale up. Every Jawan of the Indian Army is inspired by his words. He always said, "An officer is nothing without the soldiers." He gave the following credo to the Indian officers, which remains even now the guiding spirit.

Apart from being a military man, Cariappa had insight about the status of the country. He is quoted as saying, "In modern warfare, a large army is not sufficient, it needs industrial potential behind it. If the army is the first line of defence, the industry is the second." Cariappa had even said that "soldiers know the facility of wars to solve the internal problems. We ought to be ashamed that today they had more peace in war than peace in peace." Such insight has placed him above many in this field. "Army is there to serve the Government of the day, and we should make sure that it does not get mixed up with party politics. A soldier is above politics and should not believe in caste or creed," was another insight of this soldier.

He lived and remained, as he said, "an Indian and to the last breath would remain an Indian. To me there is only two Sthans - Hindusthan (India) and Foujisthan (the Army)."

Cariappa had great concern for the nation and saw himself as an Indian first and only then as an officer of high rank, which is one of the reasons why he is still held in high esteem by his fellow men in his native Coorg and the rest of the country. If there is one man whom the Kodavas can identify with reverence and respect it is undoubtedly Cariappa.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Personality", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki