Not my son, he's prisoner of war: When Gen Cariappa snubbed Pak dictator's offer

India Today

23-05-2025

"Your son is safe. If you so desire, I shall set him free," said Pakistani President Field Marshal Ayub Khan, as he made a special offer to his former commander, General KM Cariappa (Retd), after the 1965 India-Pakistan war.The son of General Cariappa, KC Cariappa, then a Flight Lieutenant was held in captivity by the Pakistani army after his fighter plane – a Hawker Hunter – was shot down by Pakistani forces in the Khem Karan sector of Punjab in September 1965, just a day before a ceasefire was announced.advertisement"I will not seek for my son anything which I cannot secure for any Indian soldier. He is no longer my son. He is the son of India. Look after all of them [Indian prisoners of war] well. They are all my sons," was the terse message General Cariappa delivered to Ayub Khan.
Ayub Khan earlier served under General Cariappa in the British Indian Army, and that might have been the reason for the special offer to his former commander.General Cariappa, who was later conferred the title of Field Marshal in 1986, refused to accept any special treatment for his son, Flight Lieutenant KC Cariappa.The story of General Cariappa's principled stand is a compelling chapter in India's military history, especially relevant in the wake of the latest armed conflict with Pakistan following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, sponsored by the hybrid regime of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. India's retaliatory Operation Sindoor, after Pakistan hit civilian and military areas in India, led to a four-day intense mini-war, which was a significant escalation between the two nations after decades.advertisementThis is also relevant as Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir promoted himself to the rank of Field Marshal on May 20.The conduct of Field Marshal Cariappa reveals the discipline and integrity of the Indian military, which is in sharp contrast of the coup-addicted Pakistani army. A prime example of that is Ayub Khan himself, who elevated himself to the rank of a Field Marshal after toppling a civilian government in a coup in 1959.The 1965 India-Pakistan War was triggered after Pakistani forces covertly infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir through its Operation Gibraltar. Even as Pakistan attempted to incite a local uprising in Kashmir, it moved its forces into Gujarat's deserts.This prompted a full-scale military response from India in August 1965.Indian forces crossed the international border, and advanced towards Lahore, while Pakistan launched counteroffensives. The war saw intense battles, including the iconic Battle of Asal Uttar, where India's Param Vir Abdul Hamid decimated Pakistan's Patton tanks. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) staged up close air support to ground troops while countering Pakistan's aerial attacks from US-supplied jets like the F-86 Sabre.WHEN FORMER INDIAN ARMY CHIEF'S SON BECAME PRISONER OF WARAbout a month after the full-fledged war began in August, 27-year-old Flight Lieutenant KC Cariappa was taken captive on September 22, 1965.advertisementKC Cariappa had been tasked with striking Pakistani positions in Kasur in Pakistan."Indian airplanes were in action. Some of them were brought down by Pakistani anti-aircraft guns. On the last day of the war, an Indian plane crashed in Pakistan. The pilot was Flying Officer Nanda (nickname of Flight Lieutenant KC Cariappa) Cariappa. He was the only son of the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of free India, (then) General Cariappa," LS Sheshagiri Rao wrote in his book, Field Marshal KM Cariappa.After Flight Lieutenant Cariappa's Hawker Hunter was hit, it spiralled downward, trailing thick smoke. He pulled the ejection handle. With the aircraft barely 100 feet above the ground, he crash-landed within moments. The force of the impact fractured a few bones. Through the settling haze, he saw soldiers in khaki uniforms emerging."As the artillery fire boomed, one of the soldiers asked the confused young fighter his name. 'Ft-Lt Cariappa," was the reply. "Are you Gen. Cariappa's son?" was the next query," author Sanjay Dutt wrote in his 2000 book, War and Peace in Kargil Sector."Realisation dawned then that I was in the custody of the Pakistani army," a 62-year-old KC Cariappa, who retired as Air Marshal, later told Dutt.advertisementWHEN FIELD MARSHAL CARIAPPA REFUSED AYUB KHAN'S OFFERCaptured by Pakistani forces, he became a high-profile prisoner of war (POW) due to his father's stature. KM Cariappa was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. It was he who had led Indian forces during the 1947-48 Indo-Pak war, and was a respected figure, even among the Pakistani military, as many, including the then military dictator of Pakistan, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, had served under his command in the pre-Partition British Indian Army.Ayub Khan once served under KM Cariappa in the North West Frontier Province, when the latter, as a young Colonel, was posted to the Bannu Frontier Brigade in Waziristan (in the present-day Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).After being taken to a hospital, Flight Lieutenant KC Cariappa was sent to two weeks of solitary confinement in a cell with a battered charpai (cot) and three blankets."I hardly saw sunlight. Every time I was taken outside I was blindfolded," Cariappa told Dutt, adding he was interrogated by the Pakistani military during that period.By then, the news of the high-profile POW had already spread, thanks to Radio Pakistan.advertisementDuring his captivity, KC Cariappa was visited by Pakistani Army Chief General Muhammad Musa along with one of Ayub Khan's sons, who gave him a PG Wodehouse book and some cigarettes, he told The Hindu in 2019.It was during the early weeks of Flight Lieutenant Cariappa's captivity that Pakistani President Ayub Khan called his former commander, General Cariappa. When the 66-year-old veteran received the proposal to secure his son's release, he responded with the powerful message of fairness and equality. The veteran stood by these principles throughout his entire career and beyond.HARSHNESS IN PAKISTANI JAIL AND SOME NEW YEAR CHEERFollowing the visit of the army chief and Ayub Khan's son, Flight Lieutenant Cariappa was, however, reunited with his fellow POWs in a jail in Fort Dargai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."Food was terrible. We had pooris and a mug of tea for breakfast, and rice, two chapattis, lacey bhindi (lady's finger) and a soupy preparation of turnip for lunch, which was repeated for dinner," Cariappa told The Hindu in 2019."In the first week of December, the prisoners received their Red Cross parcels (under the Geneva convention pact), which indicated that they were now officially designated POWs," Dutt wrote in his 2000 book, adding that the Indian soldiers also received a parcel of biscuits and dried fruits from film actress Asha Parekh. They also received two volumes of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which one of the officers would read aloud every night.advertisementDuring their captivity, the Indian soldiers marked the arrival of 1966 with their own unique celebration.On New Year's Eve, the officers managed to sneak some spirits from the medical assistant who came to treat their injuries. They brewed it in a pot along with dry fruits, biscuits, and even chapatis, welcoming the New Year with hearty swigs of their jail-made concoction."We wrapped up the pot with a blanket and placed it near a fire to prepare our brew, snake juice. For dessert, we had Marie biscuits and chocolates that we melted so we had almost the original Oreo sandwich!" Air Marshal Cariappa told The Hindu in 2019.KC CARIAPPA WAS IN PAKISTANI CAPTIVITY FOR FOUR MONTHSNot many days after the New Year's celebration, Cariappa was released. After nearly a month of intense fighting in 1965, the war ended with a ceasefire brokered by the Soviet Union in September 1965, which was later formalised by the Tashkent Agreement in January 1966."On January 22 Cariappa and six of his colleagues were put on board an aircraft bound for Delhi," Dutt wrote.After coming back, Flight Lieutenant Cariappa continued his service with the Indian Air Force. He later went on to serve as the Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the South Western Air Command. He currently lives in his family home in Karnataka's Madikeri, where his father, Field Marshal Cariappa, lived after retiring.The story of Flight Lieutenant KC Cariappa's capture and release during the 1965 India-Pakistan War is not just about war and bravery. It is also a testament to the principles of honour, sacrifice, and equality upheld by India's armed forces.General KM Cariappa's commitment to fairness, even in the face of personal hardship, was and still is an inspiring example of leadership and integrity.Moreover, the two Field Marshals had two very different plays. While Ayub Khan crowned himself, Cariappa showed true leadership. One sought power; the other stood for principle. The proof of strength lies in character, not in rank.Tune InMust Watch