till the next day. According to the rules, children were forbidden to attend the officers' mess. As chief, Cariappa could have taken them to the mess, but he did not. After he was the C-in-C, he wanted Major (later Lieutenant General) Srinivas Kumar Sinha to be his military assistant (MA). The military secretary noted that a military assistant must hold the rank of lieutenant colonel which required a minimum of six-and-a-half years of service. Sinha was only a major with five years of service. On learning this, Cariappa backed off the idea not wanting to break the rules. During the 1965 war, his son, Nanda, was shot down over Pakistan. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war (POW). On realizing the identity of the wounded soldier at Kargil, Radio Pakistan immediately announced the capture of the younger Cariappa. General Ayub Khan himself contacted General Cariappa, who was living a retired life at Mercara, his hometown, with information about his son's safety. When Ayub Khan offered to release his son immediately, Cariappa is reported to have scoffed at the idea and told him to give his son no better treatment than any other POW. Singh recounts that Cariappa replied, "He is my son no longer. He is the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot. My many thanks for your kind gesture, but I request you to release all or release none. Give him no special treatment." Awards and decorations Dates of rank Notes See also Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh Admiral Ram Dass Katari Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee Notes Footnotes Citations References Further reading External links Profile on Indian Army official website Profile on Bharat Rakshak Profile on The Indian Hawk 1899 births 1993 deaths Field marshals Chiefs of Army Staff (India) Officers of the Order of the British Empire Chief Commanders of the Legion of Merit British Indian Army officers Indian marshals Kodava people People from Kodagu district Indian Army personnel of World War II University of Madras alumni Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta Indian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Pakistan Command and Staff College alumni The Daly College Alumni