Young man8217;s general

His eyes light up when he tells you about his 40-day voyage from Greece to Stockholm. On a motorcycle. This is undoubtedly one of the fon...

His eyes light up when he tells you about his 40-day voyage from Greece to Stockholm. On a motorcycle. This is undoubtedly one of the fondest memories of the Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen H R S Mann, affectionately called Pap Mann.

The spark is still there. The swashbuckling Guards officer, who insisted on exploring Europe on a bike, may have greyed a bit. But that8217;s all. Ignore the lines on his face and you will find the same adventurer. That perhaps explains the ease with which he relates to young officers.

8220;I always spend part of the day with youngsters. Be it officers, my nephews or my grandson,8221; he grins, giving away his stay-young mantra. 8220;They are like a breath of fresh air. Besides, they never let you get into a groove. These young people know their mind and have no qualms about letting you know it,8221; says the General who is known to stand by his men.

Mention the shrill lament about falling values and he shrugs. 8220;Well,8221; he pauses, giving it a serious thought. 8220;To some extent, yes. Certain values have got diluted, but then8230;8221; He leaves it at that. Sorry, you can8217;t get this general to sermonise.

But then, he remembers. 8220;I wish they would play more games,8221; he frowns. Youngsters today are not very sports-oriented.8221; That is heresy for a man who makes no bones about his obsession with physical fitness. He starts his day with a jog and doesn8217;t go to bed until he has taken a brisk walk. That too, for an hour or so. Anybody who has seen a run-for-fun in Chandimandir will swear by his stamina. He is perhaps the only General officer who completes the entire course during such runs. Warming up to his favourite subject, he says: 8220;Earlier, I used to play regimental games, including football and hockey. Now I swing a club whenever I get time, but it8217;s nothing compared to those games.8221; He lets out a sigh.

Even though the Colonel of the Brigade of the Guards has his hands full , the general makes it a point to unwind in the evenings. 8220;It is very important,8221; he wags his finger, 8220;to recharge your batteries after a hectic day.8221; Our General does this with a cocktail of family, friends and drinks, either at home or by dropping in unannounced at a friend8217;s place. The General is also hooked on television. Every evening from 10 to 11 pm, you can find him parked in front of the telly. Favourite channels include BBC and Discovery. And if it8217;s a soccer match they are beaming, he is ready to stay up even after midnight.

Reading follows his tryst with TV. This, however, is serious stuff, mostly about tactics and warfare. But he lightens it up modern instrumental music. 8220;Yanni is my top choice among instrumentalists,8221; he smiles, 8220;though I don8217;t mind Punjabi pop either.8221;

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The General also has green fingers. Visitors can often see him pottering about his pots and plants. But this is no light recreation. 8220;I am very serious about it,8221; says Mann. 8220;In fact, I plan to cultivate a fruit orchard after my retirement.8221; That will be another chapter, another challenge for this man who believes in achieving success by dint of hard work. 8220;Remember, there are no shortcuts in life,8221; is his parting shot. Coming from a man who made it to the top despite having no Army background, it makes sense.