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Contents<br />
24<br />
Editor<br />
Shirley Ramsay<br />
Illustrations<br />
V Adm G Mahadevan,<br />
AVSM, VSM<br />
We acknowledge yeoman support by<br />
V Adm MP Muralidharan, AVSM, NM<br />
Chief <strong>of</strong> Personnel<br />
and<br />
V Adm SPS Cheema, AVSM, NM<br />
Chief <strong>of</strong> Personnel Services<br />
DESA Team<br />
Cmde MVS Kumar, VSM<br />
Cdr JK Choudhary<br />
Lt Cdr Ansaree Begum<br />
Published by<br />
Directorate <strong>of</strong> Ex-Servicemen Affairs<br />
6th Floor, Chanakya Bhawan<br />
Yashwant Palace,<br />
Chanakya Puri<br />
New Delhi - 110 021<br />
Tele: 011-24121068/26880943<br />
Email: desa@vsnl.com<br />
Production<br />
Capricorn<br />
9899905275<br />
Contributions to QD may be sent to:<br />
The Editor, Quarterdeck,<br />
G-93, Jalvayu Vihar, Sector 25<br />
NOIDA - 201 301.<br />
email: editorqd@yahoo.com<br />
Telephone: 0120 2537251<br />
o Editorial 02<br />
o Message from CNS 03<br />
o Letters to the Editor 04<br />
o Sagar Parikrama 05<br />
o 275 years <strong>of</strong> Bombay Dockyard 09<br />
o Second Inn<strong>in</strong>gs 27<br />
o Interview - V Adm VA Kamath 31<br />
o Transition from RIN to IN 35<br />
o Golden Jubilee <strong>of</strong> INAS 300 53<br />
o Camaraderie 63<br />
o Close Encounters 66<br />
o Humour 70<br />
o Those were the Days 75<br />
o Pot-pourri 107<br />
o Book Review 133<br />
o Tributes and Obituaries 135<br />
o Adventure and Travelogue 147<br />
o Command News 162<br />
o Charter News 172<br />
o List <strong>of</strong> Contributors 176<br />
Op<strong>in</strong>ions expressed are those <strong>of</strong> the authors. They do not reflect<br />
the views <strong>of</strong> IHQ, MoD (Navy) or the Editor.
Quarterdeck 2011 is privileged to carry two unique contributions – the first is an <strong>in</strong>terview <strong>of</strong><br />
Vice Admiral VA Kamath, who would be 90 years old <strong>in</strong> March this year, and a sole survivor <strong>of</strong><br />
the pre-second World War Navy; he shares historic experiences and recapitulates his views<br />
on the transition <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy. The second is an impassioned articulation by Vice Admiral<br />
MP Awati on his dream project “Solo Circumnavigation <strong>of</strong> the Globe” accomplished adroitly by<br />
Cdr Dilip Donde, earn<strong>in</strong>g worldwide acclaim for the Indian Navy.<br />
The Indian Navy has atta<strong>in</strong>ed the graceful stature <strong>of</strong> senior citizenry. Beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the 21st<br />
Century has augured very well for our Navy and the first decade <strong>of</strong> the millennium has<br />
witnessed substantial growth, both <strong>in</strong> quantitative and qualitative terms. The second decade<br />
and the times that lie ahead hold even greater promises for her cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g growth.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g her historic growth, Indian Navy has witnessed many ships, submar<strong>in</strong>es, squadrons,<br />
units and establishments cross<strong>in</strong>g Silver and Golden Jubilee milestones. It is the endeavour <strong>of</strong><br />
Quarterdeck to recognise each such historic event by <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g contributions to recount the<br />
glorious past by both Veteran and serv<strong>in</strong>g fraternity. Such contributions lend a unique flavour<br />
to Quarterdeck. Accord<strong>in</strong>gly, the current edition carries excellent articulations/presentations<br />
from our Veterans on the 275th anniversary <strong>of</strong> Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, the transition from<br />
RIN to IN and the Golden Jubilee <strong>of</strong> Indian Naval Air Squadron 300 (White Tigers). In this<br />
context, I would like to reiterate my appeal for greater participation on such celebratory themes<br />
<strong>in</strong> Quarterdeck’s future endeavours.<br />
On a sad note, Quarterdeck bids f<strong>in</strong>al adieu to two <strong>of</strong> our contributors-Vice Admiral SM<br />
Gadihoke and Commodore MK Banger, whose articles f<strong>in</strong>d a proud place <strong>in</strong> this edition.<br />
Quarterdeck deeply appreciates the enthusiasm and hard work put <strong>in</strong> by them <strong>in</strong> compil<strong>in</strong>g<br />
their articulations, despite the advanced age.<br />
Quarterdeck 2012 will be 25th edition <strong>of</strong> this magaz<strong>in</strong>e. Therefore, I look forward to an<br />
enthusiastic response from our readers and patrons <strong>in</strong> send<strong>in</strong>g their contributions to<br />
Quarterdeck which crosses an important milestone <strong>in</strong> its journey, emerg<strong>in</strong>g the most favoured<br />
and widely read magaz<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> the Navy Foundation. So, please look out for approved themes<br />
for the Silver Jubilee edition, which will be circulated through NHQ, IG shortly, and also rema<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong> touch with respective charters <strong>of</strong> Navy Foundation for details. Please forward your<br />
contributions <strong>in</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t copy to editorqd@yahoo.com .<br />
This edition would aga<strong>in</strong> not be the same without the valuable contribution <strong>of</strong> Vice Admiral<br />
Ganesh Mahadevan, particularly his unique design by fus<strong>in</strong>g heritage pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> Naval<br />
Dockyard, Mumbai for the cover page. I also deeply appreciate the help provided by PDESA<br />
and his staff <strong>in</strong> br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g out this edition.<br />
Quarterdeck wishes all our readers and their families a Happy New Year!<br />
Editorial
,Mfejy fueZy oekZ<br />
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Admiral Nirmal Verma<br />
PVSM, AVSM, ADC<br />
Chief <strong>of</strong> the Naval Staff<br />
message<br />
j{kk ea=ky;<br />
,dh-r eq[;ky;¼u©lsuk½<br />
uà fnYyh - 110011<br />
Integrated Headquarters<br />
M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> Defence (Navy)<br />
New Delhi - 110011<br />
The history <strong>of</strong> the Navy is a cont<strong>in</strong>uum, as <strong>in</strong>deed is its evolution. Quarterdeck epitomizes this by<br />
transcend<strong>in</strong>g generations <strong>of</strong> naval personnel and connect<strong>in</strong>g our eventful yesterday with what we<br />
see as an excit<strong>in</strong>g tomorrow. In provid<strong>in</strong>g our revered veterans the opportunity to share their<br />
experiences and wisdom with those at the helm today, the publication provides younger<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals crucial <strong>in</strong>sights that will strengthen them as they sail the Navy <strong>in</strong>to the future.<br />
It is both remarkable and strik<strong>in</strong>g that our theme for Navy Week 2010 reflects this very notion.<br />
“Glorious Wake, Vibrant Future” is not a mere slogan. It represents the Navy’s endur<strong>in</strong>g effort to<br />
not just celebrate past achievements, but also learn from its less successful experiences; and not<br />
just rout<strong>in</strong>ely plan for the future, but also consolidate its hard-ga<strong>in</strong>ed current strengths.<br />
As the Navy surges <strong>in</strong>to the second decade <strong>of</strong> the 21 st century and shoulders greater<br />
responsibilities <strong>in</strong> support <strong>of</strong> national security and economic development, I am optimistic that it<br />
will rema<strong>in</strong> on-station and ready to face squarely all emerg<strong>in</strong>g challenges. With a series <strong>of</strong> highcapacity<br />
<strong>in</strong>ductions on the verge <strong>of</strong> materialis<strong>in</strong>g, our force structure is poised to see a qualitative<br />
and quantitative expansion. While venerated platforms such as Dunagiri and Vagli retired this<br />
year after decades <strong>of</strong> loyal and dist<strong>in</strong>guished service, the <strong>in</strong>duction <strong>of</strong> Shivalik, the roll-out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
naval LCA prototype and the soon-to-be commissioned UAV Squadron <strong>in</strong> Porbandar and Fleet<br />
Tanker Deepak underl<strong>in</strong>e an upcom<strong>in</strong>g trend <strong>of</strong> substantial force additions. Yet our personnel<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ue to rema<strong>in</strong> our most critical and capable asset. Their pr<strong>of</strong>essional excellence,<br />
extraord<strong>in</strong>ary dedication and never-say-die attitude are force-multiply<strong>in</strong>g attributes that promise<br />
to propel the Navy <strong>in</strong> the wake <strong>of</strong> their illustrious forebears, <strong>in</strong>to a vibrant and glorious future.<br />
I convey my warm felicitations to the Editorial Team <strong>of</strong> Quarterdeck 2011 and wish the readers <strong>of</strong><br />
the magaz<strong>in</strong>e a happy and healthy year ahead.<br />
Jai H<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
Admiral<br />
Chief <strong>of</strong> the Naval Staff
* It gives me great pleasure to let you know that I have<br />
started to read this wonderful magaz<strong>in</strong>e s<strong>in</strong>ce last few<br />
years. This has been ma<strong>in</strong>ly possible due to one wonderful<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer: Commodore Monty Khanna. He has been<br />
circulat<strong>in</strong>g your magaz<strong>in</strong>e to us <strong>in</strong> the USA. Not only it<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>ds me <strong>of</strong> wonderful time I spent <strong>in</strong> the Navy but your<br />
magaz<strong>in</strong>e has <strong>in</strong>spired me to start writ<strong>in</strong>g on regular basis.<br />
I am thankful to you and your contributors who make this<br />
magaz<strong>in</strong>e a treasure worth read<strong>in</strong>g and encourag<strong>in</strong>g me to<br />
write few articles about my experiences.<br />
billhothi@yahoo.com<br />
* I have gone through the annual publication<br />
Quarterdeck 2010. It is an effulgent compendium<br />
contributed predom<strong>in</strong>antly by the smart old for the benefit<br />
<strong>of</strong> the smarter present. As we know, sea is a body <strong>of</strong><br />
saltwater cover<strong>in</strong>g most <strong>of</strong> the earth’s surface and it is<br />
rightly regarded as a geophysical entity, dist<strong>in</strong>ct from earth<br />
and sky. It is the place <strong>of</strong> duty 24x7 for naval personnel. In<br />
this context, let me wish that the Indian Navy sails the<br />
seven seas and shares the seventh heaven. Further, this<br />
182 page edition is a rare piece <strong>of</strong> collection <strong>of</strong> valuable<br />
articles and related photographs which empirically reveals<br />
the em<strong>in</strong>ence <strong>of</strong> the Editor who certa<strong>in</strong>ly deserves a<br />
bouquet <strong>of</strong> kudos and a garland <strong>of</strong> appreciation.<br />
drctgeorge@gmail.com<br />
* In QD 10, dear Shirley, you have “packed a<br />
plentiful, powerful punch” <strong>of</strong> some humour, nostalgia,<br />
lessons and <strong>of</strong> course narratives. The last named,<br />
<strong>in</strong>evitably-<strong>in</strong>escapably have an element <strong>of</strong> too much ‘I’.<br />
We ‘oldies’ th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>of</strong> noth<strong>in</strong>g else but Them Days <strong>in</strong> our<br />
times etc but when one reads that refra<strong>in</strong> from someone<br />
young (Lt Cdr Khosla) it shows how easily and quickly<br />
we delve <strong>in</strong>to the past. But above all, the broad spectrum<br />
<strong>in</strong> your compilation opened my eyes to the reality <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Letters to the Editor<br />
4<br />
21st century. Our grand old service has made giant<br />
strides which leave me out <strong>of</strong> breath and pant<strong>in</strong>g! A quick<br />
look at the last two issues shows QD 09’s 71 has has on<br />
board 20 Admirals, 11 Ladies, 40 others whereas <strong>in</strong> QD<br />
10’s 80 the numbers respectively are 23, 10 and 47. I will<br />
leave readers to ‘read’ <strong>in</strong>to those figures!<br />
mukundb5@hotmail.com<br />
* It was <strong>in</strong>deed a pleasure to read the<br />
‘Quarterdeck’ and to revive the memories <strong>of</strong> glorious<br />
naval tenure. Every year <strong>in</strong> the month <strong>of</strong> May, after<br />
the annual meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the Navy Foundation the<br />
‘Quarterdeck ‘ is received and its entire contents are<br />
thoroughly read by me with<strong>in</strong> a couple <strong>of</strong> days itself.<br />
I have always wanted to scribble someth<strong>in</strong>g for the<br />
Quarterdeck, but the time and my handwrit<strong>in</strong>g have<br />
been prevent<strong>in</strong>g me till now! After read<strong>in</strong>g the article<br />
‘Hole-<strong>in</strong>-one at Gulmarg’ written by Cdr BS Hothi, we<br />
are old colleagues, I have been <strong>in</strong>spired to recount<br />
nostalgic rem<strong>in</strong>iscences.<br />
ltcdrmathew@gmail.com<br />
* Bravo for your efforts <strong>in</strong> successfully br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g<br />
out the 2009 and 2010 editions <strong>of</strong> the Quarterdeck.<br />
You have been a worthy mentor and deserve<br />
applause for ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g personal rapport with the<br />
contributors which goes a long way towards mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
this magaz<strong>in</strong>e a hallmark <strong>of</strong> excellence.<br />
A special accolade for Vice Admiral Ganesh<br />
Mahadevan for provid<strong>in</strong>g high quality cartoons and<br />
illustrations on regular basis for the last so many<br />
years! Hop<strong>in</strong>g for his cont<strong>in</strong>ued labour <strong>of</strong> love! Last<br />
but not the least, susta<strong>in</strong>ed and beh<strong>in</strong>d the scene<br />
efforts by DESA team needs to be applauded.<br />
rajromaverma@hotmail.com
First Indian Solo Circumnavigation<br />
I first read Joshua Slocum’s `Sail<strong>in</strong>g Alone Around the World’ <strong>in</strong> 1948. I<br />
had picked up the book from a roadside sale <strong>in</strong> London when I was at the<br />
RNC Greenwich. Slocum had built the boat himself from a derelict on a<br />
Massachusetts beach on the US Atlantic coast. He named the 35 feet<br />
boat Spray and fitted it out as a yawl with a ma<strong>in</strong> and a mizzen mast. It<br />
took him three years on his circumnavigation voyage, west about,<br />
stopp<strong>in</strong>g at several ports enroute. It was an epochal voyage by an age<strong>in</strong>g<br />
sea capta<strong>in</strong>, a k<strong>in</strong>d never attempted before. That was <strong>in</strong> 1898. He did<br />
create great <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> the world sail<strong>in</strong>g fraternity. No one emulated him<br />
for a very long time, for upwards <strong>of</strong> fifty years. The reason was the two<br />
World Wars had <strong>in</strong>tervened and the tumultuous years <strong>of</strong> the period<br />
between 1900 and 1950 were not amenable to any adventure activities<br />
at sea, nor was there money <strong>in</strong> the kitties <strong>of</strong> most nations for such<br />
ventures. After 1950, though, there has been a spate <strong>of</strong> solo<br />
circumnavigations by European and American sailors with a few from<br />
Australia, South Africa and Japan. There have been half a dozen women<br />
sailors who have jo<strong>in</strong>ed the ranks <strong>of</strong> these solo sailors. Aside from the<br />
Japanese no one from Asia has ventured, which, I thought was a pity,<br />
consider<strong>in</strong>g that sail<strong>in</strong>g the high seas <strong>in</strong> ships had been an Asian activity for many millennia.<br />
So why not an Indian! I thought to myself, <strong>in</strong> my dy<strong>in</strong>g days <strong>in</strong> the Service.<br />
Why not, <strong>in</strong>deed! But who would support such a venture? I tried a few<br />
corporate houses and drew blanks. After I retired from the Service the<br />
thought became an obsession. From about 1990 I wrote to successive<br />
Chiefs <strong>of</strong> Naval Staff for support, with no result. They must have thought <strong>of</strong><br />
it as the rav<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> an age<strong>in</strong>g sailor who was seek<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g to do <strong>in</strong> his<br />
retirement. That I was, but not for myself, any longer! I was gett<strong>in</strong>g too <strong>in</strong>firm<br />
to attempt such a demand<strong>in</strong>g adventure. Then <strong>in</strong> April 2006 the then CNS,<br />
Admiral Arun Prakash responded to me. He wrote, ‘Why not? An excellent<br />
idea! Why not you? ` He was pull<strong>in</strong>g my leg, <strong>of</strong> course. He would have<br />
known fully well that at 80 I was not a candidate. In his next letter he asked<br />
me, ‘How much will you need? And <strong>in</strong> the same breath, he <strong>in</strong>formed, ‘I will<br />
go to the M<strong>in</strong>istry provided you take this on`. I had no problem tak<strong>in</strong>g it on<br />
and I said so to the CNS. The die was cast, I was to be the Mentor, and the<br />
project was christened Sagarparikrama. I could co-opt anyone I wished <strong>in</strong>to<br />
my team. I asked the CNS for a sum <strong>of</strong> money, by a rough estimate. The<br />
Admiral got me an approval to go ahead and a sum almost twice I had<br />
asked for, <strong>in</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g month. It was June 2006.<br />
5<br />
Vice Admiral MP Awati (Retd)
Events now moved fast. My only stipulation had been that the boat be built<br />
<strong>in</strong> India. That was readily agreed to. A design for the boat was obta<strong>in</strong>ed from<br />
Van de Stadt, the reputed Dutch yacht designers through the efforts <strong>of</strong><br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Soli Contractor whom I had earlier co- opted as my Tech<strong>nic</strong>al<br />
Adviser. Soli was to prove an excellent choice. He is our first yacht<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Olympian and has contacts with the yacht<strong>in</strong>g world. Design <strong>in</strong> hand we went<br />
on a quest for a possible builder. As required, three builders responded to<br />
our enquiries. The selected, Aquarius Fiberglass, is a small boat builder<br />
operat<strong>in</strong>g from Divar Island on River Mandovi, on the opposite bank from<br />
Goa Velha. As it was to turn out, he was a real f<strong>in</strong>d, the owner Ratnakar<br />
Dandekar a true believer <strong>in</strong> the capabilities <strong>of</strong> Indian boat carpenters!<br />
Ratnakar became the third member <strong>of</strong> my Team. The last to jo<strong>in</strong> my team<br />
was the volunteer sailor himself, Commander Dilip Donde, a Clearance<br />
Diver, who, had some open sea sail<strong>in</strong>g experience. I met him and he came<br />
and stayed with us for a couple <strong>of</strong> days <strong>in</strong> our village home. The bond forged<br />
between us has strengthened over the months through many vicissitudes.<br />
He is the real f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> the project.<br />
It turned out that the legendary yachtsman, Sir Rob<strong>in</strong> Knox-Johnston, was just then prepar<strong>in</strong>g his boat for the oncom<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Velox 5 Oceans s<strong>in</strong>glehanded sail<strong>in</strong>g race which was to start from Cadiz on the Spanish Atlantic Coast <strong>in</strong> October that<br />
year. Just then Rob<strong>in</strong> was prepar<strong>in</strong>g and tun<strong>in</strong>g his boat <strong>in</strong> Portsmouth. Would he accept our chap to assist him? He<br />
readily agreed and <strong>of</strong>f went Dilip to Portsmouth to help and take his first steps <strong>in</strong> big time sail<strong>in</strong>g with Rob<strong>in</strong>. He could<br />
not have wished for a better guru. Later that month he sailed <strong>in</strong> the Saga Insurance with Rob<strong>in</strong> to Cadiz for the start <strong>of</strong><br />
the race. Later still, he was sent to Fremantle <strong>in</strong> Western Australia to jo<strong>in</strong> Rob<strong>in</strong>’s Support Team and glean more<br />
experience <strong>of</strong> the bus<strong>in</strong>ess he had volunteered for. I took this as the the first<br />
<strong>in</strong>dication to me that the Gods were on my side. Further evidence <strong>of</strong> this<br />
came when we were look<strong>in</strong>g for Red Cedar for the wooden core <strong>of</strong> the three<br />
sk<strong>in</strong> hull for the design, stipulated by the designer. We found that the tree<br />
grew <strong>in</strong> the highlands <strong>of</strong> Kerala, a stone’s throw from Goa. It would be<br />
processed and be available with a timber merchant <strong>in</strong> Bombay. I was saved<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g to look for the timber <strong>in</strong> some temperate country or <strong>in</strong> Kashmir!<br />
Ratnakar devised an <strong>in</strong>genious method <strong>of</strong> a tent and ord<strong>in</strong>ary electric<br />
heaters, an array <strong>of</strong> them, <strong>in</strong> his yard, to br<strong>in</strong>g the timber to 12% humidity,<br />
once aga<strong>in</strong>, stipulated by the designer, before us<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>in</strong> the boat. All was<br />
now ready to beg<strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g the boat.<br />
The construction began on Christmas Day 2007, soon after the contract<br />
was signed between the navy, the owner, and the builder. Launch<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
promised with<strong>in</strong> one year <strong>of</strong> this date and delivery three months after that.<br />
The builder met both the dates despite some horrendous problems, not<br />
least many <strong>of</strong> them created by the owner, the <strong>in</strong>evitable bureaucratic mess<br />
<strong>in</strong> a succession <strong>of</strong> delayed approvals. The <strong>in</strong>itial work <strong>of</strong> hull construction<br />
6
was ‘topsy-turvy’, literally. After the three sk<strong>in</strong>s had been laid and cured<br />
under carefully controlled humidity and temperature conditions the hull was<br />
upended. Work progressed at a fast pace with Dilip spend<strong>in</strong>g much <strong>of</strong> his<br />
time <strong>in</strong> Goa assist<strong>in</strong>g Ratnakar. The most critical stage came when the 8 ton<br />
lead weighted keel had to go on to the boat. Actually the boat was fitted on<br />
to the keel by lift<strong>in</strong>g it on to it! I watched it with my heart <strong>in</strong> my mouth. It<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>ded me <strong>of</strong> the story <strong>of</strong> a very large fighter pilot who was asked by his<br />
stunned fiancé how he could possibly fit <strong>in</strong>to the cockpit. He replied that he<br />
did not. He wore the aircraft around him!<br />
The boat was launched on midnight’s spr<strong>in</strong>g high tide on Dattatreya Jayanti,<br />
12 December, 2008, almost a fortnight <strong>in</strong> advance <strong>of</strong> a year s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
construction began. Meanwhile I had been <strong>in</strong> search <strong>of</strong> a name for our boat.<br />
Many came to m<strong>in</strong>d. I rejected them all as be<strong>in</strong>g not sufficiently evocative. I<br />
wanted a stunn<strong>in</strong>g name, someth<strong>in</strong>g unusual, a name suitable for a<br />
potential circumnavigator boat, for a maker <strong>of</strong> history. Then <strong>in</strong> June 2008 on<br />
a visit to Goa <strong>in</strong> response to an <strong>in</strong>vitation by my friend, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> History<br />
at University <strong>of</strong> Goa, I was taken <strong>in</strong>to the jungles <strong>of</strong> Sattari at the base <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Ghats, to be shown the Kadamba heritage <strong>of</strong> Gomantak. There are hereabout numerous temples to the Nau-Devi,<br />
patron deity <strong>of</strong> the local community who worship the <strong>in</strong>fant Mandovi as she descends <strong>in</strong>to the pla<strong>in</strong>s from her source <strong>in</strong><br />
the Ghat region <strong>of</strong> Karnataka. Here the Mhadei, the <strong>in</strong>fant Mandovi is worshipped as the River Goddess on which the<br />
Nau-Devi plies her boat. There are wonderfully carved images <strong>of</strong> the Goddess, <strong>in</strong> the locally found black basalt stone,<br />
sitt<strong>in</strong>g cross legged <strong>in</strong> a boat, complete with mast and sails, rowers and the Sukkanni at the steer<strong>in</strong>g oar with the Disha<br />
Kak <strong>in</strong> the crow’s nest wait<strong>in</strong>g to be released to f<strong>in</strong>d land. I knew at once that my search for a name for our boat had<br />
ended. She would be named Mhadei. What could be more evocative for a<br />
boat built on the Mandovi, with a huge cultural heritage beh<strong>in</strong>d her. The<br />
Gods were <strong>in</strong>deed with me.<br />
The Mhadei moved downstream a few days later under her own power to<br />
the naval jetty at Chicalim. There the mast was stepped on to a gold<br />
sovereign, as tradition demanded. The sails were bent on and she took her<br />
first steps <strong>in</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>d on 23 January 2009, aga<strong>in</strong> well <strong>in</strong> advance <strong>of</strong> the<br />
deadl<strong>in</strong>e. The next few days were spent <strong>of</strong>f Goa to check the equipment,<br />
especially the auto pilots, electro<strong>nic</strong> and w<strong>in</strong>d operated. It was ‘a c<strong>in</strong>ch`, to<br />
use a sailor’s slang. On 12 February she was accepted for the navy by the<br />
Chief <strong>of</strong> the Naval Staff at the jetty <strong>of</strong> INS Mandovi on the Panaji River. My<br />
search for a circumnavigator boat was over. It was now for our solo sailor to<br />
assume command and do his bit. He began <strong>in</strong> right earnest, to pace himself.<br />
Rob<strong>in</strong> visited Goa <strong>in</strong> the third week <strong>of</strong> February to have a good look at the<br />
boat. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the week that he was with us he did just that, sail<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>in</strong> her<br />
with Dilip and sometimes with me as a supernumerary, every day to check<br />
7
out on her sail<strong>in</strong>g qualities and the high tech systems we had given her. At<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> the week he pronounced, <strong>in</strong> a typically British understatement,<br />
‘She will do`. He was to have, later, sailed to Mauritius with Dilip to pace him.<br />
Unfortunately, this did not happen. On 14 May Dilip and Lt Cdr Abhilash<br />
Tomy sailed for Mauritius on a shake down cruise. Abhilash was the <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
selected to be Dilip’s stand-<strong>in</strong>. He has been an excellent support and has<br />
fully familiarised himself with the boat. Indeed, it is my hope that he will be<br />
our shot at a nonstop circumnavigation after this one is done. A world class<br />
navy has to move on, up the ladder. A navy is only as good as the people<br />
who man it! Dilip did the return voyage from Mauritius solo, notch<strong>in</strong>g up the<br />
first Indian record. He returned to Goa on 23 June. In the next weeks prior<br />
to 15 Aug, the date set for Dilip’s departure on his big voyage, the Mhadei<br />
would be docked and fully checked out for her voyage. Dilip was flagged <strong>of</strong>f<br />
on 19 Aug, Parsi New Year’s Day, by the CNS. In three years we had been<br />
late by only four days, to allow CNS his wish.<br />
Bombay to Freemantle <strong>in</strong> 39 days! A longish halt before proceed<strong>in</strong>g to round<br />
the first <strong>of</strong> the three Great Capes, Cape Leeuw<strong>in</strong>, <strong>in</strong>to the dreaded Southern<br />
Ocean and the Roar<strong>in</strong>g Forties. On the way to Port Lyttleton, the Port <strong>of</strong><br />
Christchurch the Mhadei ran <strong>in</strong>to a typical southern weather system <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Tasman Sea, with w<strong>in</strong>ds over 50 knots and follow<strong>in</strong>g seas high as 30 feet.<br />
Battl<strong>in</strong>g them Dilip lost his Raymar<strong>in</strong>e and Jefa autopilots.<br />
It was through sheer grit and determ<strong>in</strong>ation that he made port ten days later.<br />
It was a f<strong>in</strong>e act <strong>of</strong> seamanship and sail<strong>in</strong>g through such tumultuous<br />
conditions. Repairs were effected <strong>in</strong> Lyttleton. To no avail, as with<strong>in</strong> a day from Lyttleton both the auto pilots gave up<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>. Dilip had to sail on the W<strong>in</strong>d Vane system fitted for just such an emergency. He rounded the dreaded Horn <strong>in</strong><br />
another southern storm. He had become wiser <strong>in</strong> handl<strong>in</strong>g such conditions. He made Port Stanley <strong>in</strong> good shape, once<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> to effect repairs to the damaged systems. He foreswore us<strong>in</strong>g the electro<strong>nic</strong> auto pilots, stick<strong>in</strong>g with the w<strong>in</strong>d vane<br />
until he made Cape Town on 25 February 2010. After a longish stay there he sailed on the f<strong>in</strong>al and the longest leg <strong>of</strong><br />
his voyage on 03 April, passed the Cape <strong>of</strong> Good Hope, the last <strong>of</strong> the three Great Capes on his it<strong>in</strong>erary, a day later,<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g Bombay at just short <strong>of</strong> midnight on 19 May. On 22 May 2010 he was formally welcomed home by the Vice<br />
President. Thus concluded the first ever solo circumnavigation <strong>of</strong> the globe by an Indian <strong>in</strong> which the navigator crossed<br />
the Equator twice, passed every s<strong>in</strong>gle Meridian <strong>of</strong> longitude, the International Date L<strong>in</strong>e, clock<strong>in</strong>g nearly 24,000 nautical<br />
miles. Truly a great achievement for the Indian Navy and for India, <strong>of</strong> which both can justifiably be proud! For me,<br />
personally, I had achieved my purpose <strong>in</strong> life, a little late, perhaps, but just <strong>in</strong> time. It is my hope now that I should live<br />
to see the first Indian attempt at solo non stop circumnavigation which is slated to start <strong>in</strong> August 2011. It must happen<br />
as a natural sequel to Dilip Donde’s epochal achievement.<br />
SHANNO VARUNAH!<br />
manoharawatip@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong><br />
8
Everyone knows it started as Wadia Shipyard. It built<br />
ships that sailed all over the world. Wadia wooden ships<br />
exist even now <strong>in</strong> the U.K. They require<br />
repair/replacement to a lesser degree than U.K. built<br />
ships. I understand that Bombay ships took part <strong>in</strong> the<br />
American War <strong>of</strong> Independence.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>scription at the head <strong>of</strong> Duncan Dry Dock reads<br />
1734, which <strong>in</strong>dicates the day it commenced. I have no<br />
idea how the dry dock was de-watered. I did not quite<br />
grasp the open<strong>in</strong>g and clos<strong>in</strong>g mechanism. There was<br />
hydraulic mechanism which I saw <strong>in</strong> parts but the entire<br />
mechanism dismembered for repairs was never<br />
witnessed by me.<br />
I first visited the Dockyard <strong>in</strong> 1949 on a trip from<br />
Dehradun. Sea water waves were splash<strong>in</strong>g Challenor<br />
steps mak<strong>in</strong>g the boat carry<strong>in</strong>g us to visit INS Delhi<br />
rock and roll. I was scared as the ship was anchored<br />
<strong>of</strong>f Gateway <strong>of</strong> India. We slept on the wooden<br />
quarterdeck and I was surprised to f<strong>in</strong>d myself<br />
disoriented on wak<strong>in</strong>g up. Tidal changes were<br />
responsible but I did not know about eight hourly<br />
changes <strong>of</strong> tide.<br />
Later on I jo<strong>in</strong>ed Sir Alexander Gibbs and Partners. I<br />
saw the completion <strong>of</strong> Drydock whose operat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
mechanism did not need any repair when I went round<br />
30 years later. I also saw the completion <strong>of</strong> Barracks<br />
and Destroyer Wharves and the extended arm which<br />
was <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> electrification by cables runn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
underneath.<br />
John Rhodes was the Civil Eng<strong>in</strong>eer. He worked on a 24<br />
hour rout<strong>in</strong>e. The two Gibbs brothers died <strong>in</strong> accidents,<br />
Michael Gibbs’ car overturned kill<strong>in</strong>g him and the other<br />
275 years <strong>of</strong> Bombay Dockyard<br />
9<br />
died play<strong>in</strong>g polo. The entire <strong>of</strong>fice and cash account<br />
was managed by Kasi Iyer who was most meticulous<br />
and honest man that I ever met <strong>in</strong> my life. The outer arm<br />
was designed by one Yugoslav Ivan Milit<strong>in</strong>oic Pim by<br />
s<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g pre-fabricated blocks.<br />
We should not forget the men under whose control it<br />
was built. The M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> Defence were controll<strong>in</strong>g it not<br />
the Navy. Rear Admiral Nanda, later (CNS) and Rear<br />
Admiral PK Mukerji were <strong>in</strong>-charge. I remember when<br />
the Dock luff<strong>in</strong>g crane was be<strong>in</strong>g assembled R Adm<br />
Mukerji climbed right to the top, and a Gujarati<br />
assembler ran up the boom from deck surface to the<br />
top.<br />
The contractor for electrification work was British<br />
Insulated Calender Cable, later known as ICC under Mr<br />
Lobb and Mr. Warrier who had the temper <strong>of</strong> primadonna,<br />
but I saw him complete 220 KV oil-filled cable by<br />
freez<strong>in</strong>g either side <strong>of</strong> the jo<strong>in</strong>t by liquid oxygen cable.<br />
I took part <strong>in</strong> the 250 years celebration presided by R<br />
Adm. Daya Shankar. The Admiralty was represented by<br />
Adm. L<strong>in</strong>dsay Bryson - the First Controller who was a<br />
full Admiral and an Electrical Eng<strong>in</strong>eer, a delightful man<br />
who presided over Australian Dockyard Expansion later<br />
on.<br />
Bombay Dockyard, I would always remember as I saw it<br />
whenever my ship entered the wet-bas<strong>in</strong>, although I<br />
served about twelve years <strong>in</strong> various capacities<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a tenure as the Admiral Super<strong>in</strong>tendent. This<br />
is a lot <strong>of</strong> history as I recollect. My best wishes for those<br />
who cont<strong>in</strong>ue the good work.<br />
usha_sukul@rediffmail.com<br />
Vice Admiral JN Sukul (Retd)
Naval Dockyard, Mumbai-Historical Perspective<br />
The task <strong>of</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g the history <strong>of</strong> the Naval Dockyard,<br />
Mumbai spann<strong>in</strong>g a period <strong>of</strong> 275 years from its birth <strong>in</strong><br />
1735 was <strong>in</strong>deed daunt<strong>in</strong>g and challeng<strong>in</strong>g. This<br />
Dockyard has grown over the last 275 years from a<br />
traditional teakwood boat build<strong>in</strong>g yard to one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
modern build<strong>in</strong>g yard east <strong>of</strong> the Suez.<br />
Introduction:<br />
Like the gentle dew that falls unseen and unheard and yet<br />
br<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>to blossom the f<strong>in</strong>est <strong>of</strong> roses, the Naval<br />
Dockyard likewise made our Indian Navy what it is today.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce its <strong>in</strong>ception, it handled Malabar teak, canvas and<br />
muzzle loaders, the Dockyard has come long a way. It<br />
now handles gas turb<strong>in</strong>es, state <strong>of</strong> the art weaponry and<br />
computerized data process<strong>in</strong>g and may be nuclear<br />
technology <strong>in</strong> the not too distant future. Further, with the<br />
Navy go<strong>in</strong>g 3 dimensional, it has set up match<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>frastructural facilities to refit aircraft carriers and<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
The policy <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>digenisation has largely helped <strong>in</strong> atta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
SELF-RELIANCE <strong>in</strong> DEFENCE and thereby enabled to<br />
provide the nation with maritime security by gett<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
ships operational <strong>in</strong> time. The primary objective <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Dockyard was to achieve technological SELF- RELIANCE<br />
<strong>in</strong> all the sectors <strong>of</strong> refitt<strong>in</strong>g ships.<br />
Technological growth (1735-2010):<br />
A chronological list<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the significant achievements with<br />
a brief note associated with each event shall amply justify<br />
the above philosophy.<br />
1735: Naval Dockyard set up and rendered operational.<br />
1736: Built DRAKE, (fitted with 14 guns) a schooner and<br />
a grab.<br />
1750: Built Bombay Dry Dock Length - 209 ft, Width - 47<br />
10<br />
ft., Depth-15 ft.<br />
Late Commodore MK Banger (Retd)<br />
1810: Built Duncan Dry Dock - 286 ft long, 63 ft. wide and<br />
23 ft. depth at a cost Rs. 3,64,052/-.<br />
HMS MINDEN fitted with 74 guns was the first ship built <strong>in</strong><br />
the Dock and commissioned <strong>in</strong>to the Royal Navy. The<br />
Bombay and Duncan Dry-docks stood there as the only<br />
two dry-docks <strong>in</strong> Bombay to provide dry dock<strong>in</strong>g facilities<br />
to the British warships for 135 years through the two World<br />
Wars-<strong>in</strong>deed a remarkable foresight and plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
displayed by the British. This led to build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> dry-docks<br />
at S<strong>in</strong>gapore, Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee, Hong Kong along with Naval<br />
bases to support the Royal Naval Fleet across the South<br />
East Asian waters.<br />
1817: The decision to build warships <strong>in</strong> India encountered<br />
fierce opposition <strong>in</strong> the British Parliament which was<br />
debated over for a number <strong>of</strong> months. However, the<br />
glar<strong>in</strong>g advantages <strong>of</strong> TEAK over OAK swung <strong>in</strong> favour <strong>of</strong><br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g up ship build<strong>in</strong>g yards <strong>in</strong> India which were as<br />
follows:-<br />
(a) Cheap labour and expertise availability from the Wadia<br />
Family.<br />
(b) Oak conta<strong>in</strong>s powerful lign<strong>in</strong> acid which corrodes iron<br />
and consumes the very metal which is supposed to unite.<br />
(c) Teak weighs ¼ less than oak.<br />
(d) Teak is not amenable to spl<strong>in</strong>ter unlike oak which has<br />
been testified by General RABERCROMBIE on report<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> his men be<strong>in</strong>g wound<strong>in</strong>g on his ship “eYLOW” built <strong>of</strong><br />
oak.<br />
352 vessels compris<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> warships, merchant vessels and<br />
yard crafts were built through seven generations <strong>of</strong> Wadia
Master Builders example Foudroyant, ex- HMIS<br />
Tr<strong>in</strong>colmalee built <strong>in</strong> 1817 <strong>in</strong> Bombay Dockyard still lies<br />
afloat <strong>of</strong>f the shores <strong>of</strong> Hartlepool <strong>in</strong> the UK Indian built ships<br />
were found to be far superior to British ones as observed by<br />
the ADMIRALTY. The average life <strong>of</strong> Indian ships was 30<br />
years as compared to British built be<strong>in</strong>g 12 years.<br />
1838-1848: Expansion <strong>of</strong> the Bombay Dockyard launched<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g which period the Duncan Dock was widened 48 ft.<br />
and lengthened by 60 ft. to accommodate larger vessels.<br />
7 DeC 1890: Duncan Dry Dock first brought <strong>in</strong>to use after<br />
deepen<strong>in</strong>g and docked HMS ABYSSINIA (a turret ship) <strong>in</strong><br />
1893.<br />
1906: New breakwater re-constructed to suit the<br />
configuration <strong>of</strong> the revised layout <strong>of</strong> refitt<strong>in</strong>g shop facilities.<br />
1925: Yard Crafts ‘Elsie’ and ‘Nancy’ built with coal burn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
boilers and reciprocat<strong>in</strong>g eng<strong>in</strong>es. The workhorses <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Dockyard to ferry naval personnel dur<strong>in</strong>g monsoons to<br />
ships at anchorage.<br />
1947: On ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Independence additional dry-docks<br />
were envisaged to cater for new acquisition ships from the<br />
UK. With the commission<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> INS Delhi <strong>in</strong> July 1948, the<br />
first Indian warship to make its appearance <strong>in</strong> Indian<br />
Waters - a new era dawned for the Indian Navy.<br />
1950-1962: The Navy appo<strong>in</strong>ted Sir Alexander Gibbs &<br />
Partners to plan an additional dry-docks berth<strong>in</strong>g facilities<br />
and also oversee its construction. The Cruiser Grav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Dock was built <strong>in</strong> the late 50’s under their supervision and<br />
proved to be a valuable and timely asset for Dry Dock<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> INS VIKRANT <strong>in</strong> 1962 just by accident as a hand <strong>in</strong><br />
glove fit.<br />
1964: Life Raft Repair Cell setup.<br />
1965: Coastal W<strong>in</strong>g Workshop taken over from the Army.<br />
26 sep. 1966: WECORS (Weapons Control Repair Shop)<br />
11<br />
commissioned by Vice Admiral AK Chatterjee. This<br />
marked the change over from valve based first generation<br />
system to VSLI technology.<br />
1968: Battery Shop commissioned.<br />
1972: New pa<strong>in</strong>t shop set up though orig<strong>in</strong>ally started <strong>in</strong><br />
1952 with Dr. KP Buch as the pioneer <strong>in</strong> the manufacture<br />
<strong>of</strong> dockyard pa<strong>in</strong>ts.<br />
1973: Systems and Diesels Department set up as a<br />
premier Diesel and Gas Turb<strong>in</strong>e Repair Center.<br />
1979: Missile Boat Eng<strong>in</strong>e Repair Workshop set up. This<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated complex facilities covers complete overall <strong>of</strong><br />
radial eng<strong>in</strong>es which are a derivative <strong>of</strong> aircraft eng<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
This facility also demonstrates the versatility <strong>of</strong> our<br />
Dockyard personnel to overhaul any type <strong>of</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Late 1980’s: Towed Array Sonar Repair facility set up.<br />
Repairs to sta<strong>in</strong>less steel tow cables <strong>of</strong> Variable Depth<br />
Sonar also set up.<br />
1989: Rubber Mould<strong>in</strong>g Shop set up to manufacture seals<br />
<strong>of</strong> various shapes and sizes. early 1990’s: Pipe Repair<br />
Shop set up. early 1990’s: Sonar Dome Shop<br />
(<strong>in</strong>digenous) manufacture <strong>of</strong> Sonar Domes for SNM class.<br />
1994: SLAVE dock<strong>in</strong>g concept <strong>in</strong>troduced for the first time.<br />
A very <strong>in</strong>novative measure optimiz<strong>in</strong>g utilization and<br />
availability <strong>of</strong> dry-dock.<br />
1995: Predictive Hull Analysis Unit - a s<strong>of</strong>tware developed<br />
<strong>in</strong> house which enables a mean<strong>in</strong>gful prediction towards<br />
plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> repair facilities prior to a ship go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> for refit.<br />
1998: Though Quality Assurance Division were set up <strong>in</strong><br />
1976, a fullfledged Quality Assurance Division took shape<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1998 to cater for refit <strong>of</strong> submar<strong>in</strong>e too.<br />
sOme OBseRVaTIONs ON THe NaVaL DOCKYaRD<br />
Whilst one can chro<strong>nic</strong>le its list <strong>of</strong> achievement/milestones
spann<strong>in</strong>g a period <strong>of</strong> 275 years like a good maritime<br />
historian, one cannot help <strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g some relevant<br />
observations dur<strong>in</strong>g its growth.<br />
(i) Firstly, the extensive mar<strong>in</strong>e survey undertaken by the<br />
British to locate the Dockyard so safely <strong>in</strong> a sheltered<br />
location away from the fury <strong>of</strong> the monsoons.<br />
(ii) The foresight and <strong>in</strong>tricate plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> identify<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
essential requirements for a Dockyard e.g. drydocks,<br />
berth<strong>in</strong>g facilities and refitt<strong>in</strong>g shops. Compare this to our<br />
Navy be<strong>in</strong>g able to add just one Dry Dock dur<strong>in</strong>g the last<br />
63 years <strong>of</strong> Independence <strong>in</strong>spite <strong>of</strong> the huge expansion<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Naval fleet to over a 100 ships.<br />
(iii) The state <strong>of</strong> the art <strong>of</strong> civil/structural eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed very sound which is amply evident with the<br />
Bombay and Duncan Dry Dock still <strong>in</strong> use.<br />
(iv) The above <strong>in</strong>directly makes one <strong>in</strong>fer that the quality <strong>of</strong><br />
material, quality <strong>of</strong> workmanship (our own Indian workers)<br />
and above all, supervision were highly commendable.<br />
(v) Two strategic considerations formed the basis <strong>of</strong> the<br />
policy <strong>of</strong> the Royal Navy; one that <strong>of</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> assets and<br />
the other consolidation.<br />
(vi) The sett<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong> the Dockyard Apprentice School <strong>in</strong><br />
1948 by the then Capta<strong>in</strong> Bird is a tribute to the foresight<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Royal Navy. Incidentally, Capt A Chakravarti was the<br />
first Capta<strong>in</strong> Super<strong>in</strong>tendent Dockyard to be appo<strong>in</strong>ted <strong>in</strong><br />
Dec. 1951 who took over from Capta<strong>in</strong> EF Pizey.<br />
(vii) The organization <strong>of</strong> the Dockyard went through<br />
one major structural change viz. one from the<br />
“departmental structure” set up by the British to a<br />
“functional one” based on a service paper titled “Reorganization<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai” written<br />
by me and approved by the Government <strong>in</strong> 1976. An<br />
article titled “Management <strong>of</strong> IN Dockyards” written by<br />
me was published <strong>in</strong> the Journal <strong>of</strong> Naval Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
(UK) Dec 1997.<br />
12<br />
Conclusion:<br />
The Naval Dockyard has now become a vital and strategic<br />
center for our Navy. It has been a breed<strong>in</strong>g ground for<br />
many <strong>of</strong> the junior tech<strong>nic</strong>al <strong>of</strong>ficers to rise both <strong>in</strong> their<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession and ranks. The dockyard has now become<br />
overcrowded with a diverse orig<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> ships both big and<br />
small. There is an urgent need to review the refits <strong>of</strong> ships<br />
undertaken by this Yard. It is strongly felt that certa<strong>in</strong><br />
classes <strong>of</strong> ships (smaller ones) may be diverted to the<br />
newly formed Dockyard at Karwar which has a ship lift<br />
facility <strong>in</strong> lieu <strong>of</strong> a grav<strong>in</strong>g Dock. The above suggestions if<br />
implemented will enable Naval Dockyard, Mumbai to<br />
concentrate on its highly stretched resources and capital<br />
on front l<strong>in</strong>e ships only.<br />
The other suggestion is to base all yard crafts (auxiliary<br />
fleet) <strong>in</strong> Karanja, across the harbour.<br />
There is also a need to consider sett<strong>in</strong>g up a separate<br />
Director General Naval Dockyards who shall be<br />
responsible for the entire gamut <strong>of</strong> refit <strong>of</strong> ships <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Navy and thereby divest the Chief <strong>of</strong> Material <strong>of</strong> this<br />
responsibility.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, anyone who has effectively served <strong>in</strong> the Dockyard<br />
has proved to be an <strong>in</strong>valuable asset after retirement to<br />
the outside commercial world. I for one can proudly say if<br />
not claim it.<br />
mkbanger@gmail.com
Naval Dockyard, Mumbai - A Pioneer<br />
In Oct 2010, Naval Dockyard, Mumbai completed 275th<br />
year <strong>of</strong> its service to the nation. From a very humble<br />
beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g as a mar<strong>in</strong>e repairs facility, the yard graduated<br />
to become one <strong>of</strong> the most reputed yards <strong>in</strong> the world,<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g both “men-<strong>of</strong>-war” and merchant ships dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the British era. Ships built by the Dockyard were found to<br />
be more durable and sea worthy than those built <strong>in</strong><br />
Europe. Post-<strong>in</strong>dependence, the yard has transformed<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the largest captive warship repair facility <strong>of</strong> the<br />
country, support<strong>in</strong>g the Naval fleet battle worth<strong>in</strong>ess. On<br />
the historic occasion <strong>of</strong> yard’s 275th anniversary, it is<br />
appropriate to look at its glorious past and place on<br />
record the contributions <strong>of</strong> this f<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>dustrial giant to the<br />
Indian shipbuild<strong>in</strong>g and repair <strong>in</strong>dustry.<br />
The Birth<br />
The history <strong>of</strong> Naval Dockyard Mumbai is closely l<strong>in</strong>ked<br />
to the city <strong>of</strong> Mumbai. In the 1600s, Mumbai, then called<br />
Bombay, was largely an un<strong>in</strong>habited group <strong>of</strong> seven<br />
islands controlled by the Portuguese. Follow<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
marriage <strong>of</strong> English K<strong>in</strong>g, Charles II to Portuguese<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>cess Cather<strong>in</strong>a <strong>of</strong> Braganza, the islands were<br />
passed on to the British as part <strong>of</strong> the Pr<strong>in</strong>cess’ wedd<strong>in</strong>g<br />
dowry. The East India Company, for development <strong>of</strong> their<br />
trade, needed a facility to enable British ships, which<br />
entered Indian waters after the prolonged passage from<br />
England to undergo repairs. They were enamoured by<br />
13<br />
Vice Admiral Parvesh Jaitly (Retd)<br />
the prospect <strong>of</strong> sett<strong>in</strong>g up a yard <strong>in</strong> Bombay because <strong>of</strong><br />
its locational advantages. The Crown leased the islands<br />
to the Company on an annual farm rent <strong>of</strong> 10 Pounds.<br />
Thus was born the mar<strong>in</strong>e yard with few rudimentary<br />
repair shops under thatched ro<strong>of</strong> sheds near the present<br />
“Angre Fort”<br />
The Formative Years<br />
As trade with the east flourished, repair requirements <strong>of</strong><br />
ships, actively engaged <strong>in</strong> trade, also <strong>in</strong>creased.<br />
Consequently, the yard progressively improved on its<br />
<strong>in</strong>frastructure by build<strong>in</strong>g dry-docks <strong>of</strong> multiple<br />
dimensions, all <strong>of</strong> which are used even todate. The<br />
Bombay Dock, an aggregation <strong>of</strong> upper, lower and<br />
middle docks, was thus built progressively between 1750<br />
and 1765. Bombay Dock upper was the first dry dock to<br />
be constructed <strong>in</strong> India <strong>in</strong> 1750. The Duncan Dock<br />
named after Sir Jonathan Duncan, then Governor <strong>of</strong><br />
Mumbai, was added subsequently <strong>in</strong> 1807 to help build<br />
warships. The first ship to be built <strong>in</strong> Duncan Dock was<br />
M<strong>in</strong>den which is also the first major Royal Navy ship built<br />
outside British Isles. The British empire, which was<br />
look<strong>in</strong>g to expand operations, went about us<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g, docks and repair facilities, over the next two<br />
centuries. The facilities available with the Mar<strong>in</strong>e Yard at<br />
Bombay were unparalleled <strong>in</strong> the East and provided the<br />
British Empire with a full-fledged base to fuel their<br />
ambition for global dom<strong>in</strong>ance.<br />
The Master Builders <strong>of</strong> the Dockyard belonged to the<br />
Parsi Wadia family from Surat. The first Master Builder,<br />
Lowjee Nusserwanjee Wadia, was brought over from<br />
Surat to steer the ship-build<strong>in</strong>g activity. He was followed<br />
by eight other master builders, all from the same l<strong>in</strong>eage,<br />
who kept the ship build<strong>in</strong>g skills at the yard <strong>in</strong>tact till<br />
1884. The reputation <strong>of</strong> ship-build<strong>in</strong>g which the Wadias<br />
established ensured that the order books <strong>of</strong> the Bombay<br />
dock were always full.
Dur<strong>in</strong>g the British period, 170 war vessels were built for<br />
East India Company, 34 warships for the Royal Navy and<br />
87 merchant vessels for private companies. These<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded ships for the East India Company, Bengal Pilot<br />
Service and a host <strong>of</strong> private merchants. The largest ship<br />
built was “Meanee” with a displacement <strong>of</strong> 2591 tons.<br />
Steam propulsion based ships were built as early as<br />
1829. Some <strong>of</strong> the famous men <strong>of</strong> war built at the<br />
Bombay yard <strong>in</strong>clude Ganges, Cornwallis, M<strong>in</strong>den and<br />
Asia. HMS Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee, a frigate, built by the Bombay<br />
dock <strong>in</strong> 1817 is the second oldest ship afloat <strong>in</strong> the world.<br />
The growth<br />
Post-<strong>in</strong>dependence, the Bombay Yard became the<br />
captive facility <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy to support the refit and<br />
repair functions <strong>of</strong> Naval Warships. There was unanimity<br />
<strong>of</strong> view that the yard has to expand and modernize <strong>in</strong><br />
order to cater to the growth <strong>of</strong> the Navy. An ambitious<br />
plan for expansion and modernization was set <strong>in</strong> motion<br />
where<strong>in</strong> major reclamation work was carried out to<br />
create space for additional workshops, jetties, and<br />
wharves.<br />
The Naval Dockyard Expansion Scheme was conceived<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1952 to take <strong>in</strong>to account the requirement <strong>of</strong><br />
support<strong>in</strong>g ships likely to be <strong>in</strong>ducted till 1968. The next<br />
stage <strong>of</strong> expansion came along <strong>in</strong> 1970s with <strong>in</strong>duction<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>digenously built Leander Class Ships. Steam Test<br />
House, Boiler Manufactur<strong>in</strong>g Shop and WECORS phase<br />
II are some <strong>of</strong> the important facilities added. With the<br />
<strong>in</strong>duction <strong>of</strong> Soviet orig<strong>in</strong> ships like Missile Boats,<br />
Corvettes, M<strong>in</strong>e Sweepers, facilities like Radial Eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Repair Shop, WECORS Phase III, etc. were<br />
commissioned. The fourth phase <strong>of</strong> expansion came<br />
along with <strong>in</strong>duction <strong>of</strong> SNF, Godavari - Delhi class.<br />
Major expansions undertaken <strong>in</strong>cluded creation <strong>of</strong><br />
grav<strong>in</strong>g dry dock, jetties, break waters etc.<br />
Heritage Character<br />
While focus<strong>in</strong>g on the expansion and modernization<br />
process, the need to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> the heritage structures <strong>of</strong><br />
the yard was not forgotten. Barr<strong>in</strong>g the closure <strong>of</strong> the<br />
14<br />
clock tower gate, the dockyard frontage on the Shahid<br />
Bhagat S<strong>in</strong>gh road has largely rema<strong>in</strong>ed unchanged,<br />
and forms a slice <strong>of</strong> the city’s history. Some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
prom<strong>in</strong>ent heritage structures <strong>in</strong> the yard <strong>in</strong>clude the<br />
gigantic “Ma<strong>in</strong> Adm<strong>in</strong>istrative Build<strong>in</strong>g” built <strong>in</strong> 1807, the<br />
“Clock Tower” built <strong>in</strong> 1798, the dry dock and the “Castle<br />
Wall”. The clock supplied by M/s. Lund and Blockey <strong>in</strong><br />
1904, cont<strong>in</strong>ues to work to this day and is a gentle<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>der <strong>of</strong> the bygone era. To br<strong>in</strong>g about greater<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> the rich heritage <strong>of</strong> the dockyard amongst<br />
the people <strong>of</strong> Mumbai, a “heritage walk” was started <strong>in</strong><br />
2001 to enable citizens <strong>of</strong> Mumbai to visit and appreciate<br />
the importance <strong>of</strong> heritage structures <strong>in</strong> the yard.<br />
The Present:<br />
The yard today boasts <strong>of</strong> most modern ship repair<br />
<strong>in</strong>frastructure, manned by a skilled workforce <strong>of</strong> over<br />
11000 personnel and is an important asset for the<br />
maritime security <strong>of</strong> India on the Western Seaboard. It is<br />
also a second home to most tech<strong>nic</strong>al <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Indian Navy, who have toiled hard towards its growth.<br />
Pioneer<strong>in</strong>g efforts put <strong>in</strong> by illustrious personalities like<br />
then Cdr NE Warner, Cdr AK Bhatia, Cdr Daya Shankar,<br />
Lt Cdr BP S<strong>in</strong>ha and Shri S Parmanandan f<strong>in</strong>d special<br />
mention <strong>in</strong> the historic growth <strong>of</strong> the yard. Successive<br />
generations <strong>of</strong> leadership have built on this strong<br />
foundation and guided the growth to greater heights.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g served <strong>in</strong> the dockyards for over 12 years, I can<br />
say that any tenure <strong>in</strong> the yard is the most satisfy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional experience that a tech<strong>nic</strong>al <strong>of</strong>ficer can
aspire for. Manag<strong>in</strong>g such a large <strong>in</strong>dustrial workforce as<br />
also timely shore support to Navy’s diverse <strong>in</strong>ventory <strong>of</strong><br />
ships throws up <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g challenges on a daily basis.<br />
However at the end <strong>of</strong> the day one can actually see the<br />
results <strong>of</strong> meticulous plann<strong>in</strong>g and susta<strong>in</strong>ed efforts that<br />
go <strong>in</strong>to the development <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>frastructure and ships<br />
repairs.<br />
Spread over 138 acres <strong>of</strong> land, the yard has a vast range<br />
<strong>of</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g facilities to meet every ma<strong>in</strong>tenance need<br />
<strong>of</strong> ships and submar<strong>in</strong>es. While multifarious facilities<br />
have been added over the years, the support<br />
<strong>in</strong>frastructure development has always lagged beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />
<strong>in</strong>duction time l<strong>in</strong>es <strong>of</strong> new ships, as is generally the case<br />
with any grow<strong>in</strong>g Navy. The ships, therefore, have to be<br />
supported by the yard for the first few years after<br />
<strong>in</strong>duction, with these constra<strong>in</strong>ts call<strong>in</strong>g for imag<strong>in</strong>ative<br />
and <strong>in</strong>novative approaches to meet the ma<strong>in</strong>tenance<br />
requirements <strong>of</strong> the Navy. The Naval Dockyard, Mumbai<br />
with its committed workforce, true to its Motto “Success<br />
through Perseverance”, has always met these<br />
challenges confidently. The biggest strength <strong>of</strong> the yard<br />
has been its skilled workforce which has kept pace with<br />
assimilat<strong>in</strong>g the chang<strong>in</strong>g technologies and exploit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the <strong>in</strong>frastructure <strong>in</strong> most optimal manner. A number <strong>of</strong><br />
major conversions and modernization plans <strong>of</strong> ships and<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g complete reconstruction <strong>of</strong><br />
warships have been successfully executed which bears<br />
testimony to the excellent workmanship, skill sets,<br />
plann<strong>in</strong>g and execution abilities <strong>of</strong> the Naval Dockyard.<br />
Well-documented quality and environmental<br />
management systems have been put <strong>in</strong> place. The yard<br />
was the first major defense <strong>in</strong>dustrial establishment to<br />
get ISO-9001 certification.<br />
Challenges ahead<br />
The challenges that the dockyard faces ahead revolve<br />
around ma<strong>in</strong>tenance <strong>of</strong> age<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>frastructure, re-tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
workforce for higher productivity, manag<strong>in</strong>g a wide range<br />
<strong>of</strong> technology and adapt<strong>in</strong>g modern s<strong>of</strong>t skills and<br />
management practices for more efficient function<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
New <strong>in</strong>itiatives at human resource development also<br />
15<br />
need special attention.<br />
As mentioned earlier dry-docks like Bombay, Duncan,<br />
Cruiser Grav<strong>in</strong>g as also Wet Bas<strong>in</strong> have served the yard<br />
for many decades and need major ma<strong>in</strong>tenance effort.<br />
The Naval <strong>in</strong>ventory today straddles a plethora <strong>of</strong><br />
technologies from a diverse orig<strong>in</strong>. Management <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge and expertise to repair and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> this<br />
<strong>in</strong>ventory is a resource <strong>in</strong>tensive affair and therefore the<br />
Naval Dockyard cannot traverse this path all alone. To<br />
their credit, the Indian <strong>in</strong>dustry has spotted this<br />
opportunity and has been com<strong>in</strong>g forward <strong>in</strong> help<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
dockyards deal with technology challenges. This<br />
ongo<strong>in</strong>g synergy with the <strong>in</strong>dustry and massive<br />
<strong>in</strong>frastructure upgrade plans be<strong>in</strong>g aggressively pursued<br />
by the Naval Dockyard will keep the Indian Naval fleet <strong>in</strong><br />
the best <strong>of</strong> material state <strong>in</strong> the com<strong>in</strong>g future.<br />
Conclusion<br />
The Naval Dockyard has, over her long and checkered<br />
history been a major contributor to the growth <strong>of</strong> the<br />
mar<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>in</strong> South Asia. The ship-build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
strengths <strong>of</strong> the yard contributed immensely to the<br />
might <strong>of</strong> the British empire as well as to the economy <strong>of</strong><br />
Bombay. Today, the Naval Dockyard is a major cog <strong>in</strong><br />
the wheel which drives the nation’s maritime defence<br />
capability. The Naval Dockyard is a pioneer <strong>in</strong> complex<br />
ship-repairs and helps to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a battle-worthy fleet<br />
<strong>of</strong> ships. In the 275 years that have elapsed, the yard<br />
has transformed itself from a modest ship build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
facility to the largest Naval ship refitt<strong>in</strong>g and repair<br />
organisation <strong>in</strong> South East Asia. On the occasion <strong>of</strong> its<br />
275th anniversary, let us salute all the gallant personnel<br />
who worked hard to br<strong>in</strong>g about this phenomenal<br />
growth with their committed and pa<strong>in</strong>stak<strong>in</strong>g efforts. Jai<br />
H<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
Ps: The Author places on record his s<strong>in</strong>cere thanks to<br />
Cmde Sanjay Tiwari <strong>of</strong> Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, for<br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g useful <strong>in</strong>puts to him <strong>in</strong> compil<strong>in</strong>g this article.<br />
parveshjaitly@rediffmail.com
This is about the first few crucial years (1970 to late<br />
1980) <strong>of</strong> the computerisation <strong>of</strong> Naval Dockyard<br />
Mumbai. I have had the privilege <strong>of</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the EDP<br />
department right from its <strong>in</strong>ception. Beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g as a<br />
junior programmer and go<strong>in</strong>g on to become Manager<br />
EDP, I have had an <strong>in</strong>sider view <strong>of</strong> this difficult and<br />
challeng<strong>in</strong>g period. As it is practically impossible to<br />
give all details <strong>of</strong> the evolution due to limitation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
size <strong>of</strong> this article, I will only dwell upon some<br />
paradigm shifts and some humorous <strong>in</strong>cidents dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
this era. On our journey, just like all brave pioneers, we<br />
have had to encounter <strong>in</strong>difference, ridicule, jealousy,<br />
admiration and acceptance, not necessarily <strong>in</strong> that<br />
order!<br />
The evolution <strong>of</strong> Information System <strong>in</strong> the Naval<br />
Dockyard may be broadly classified <strong>in</strong>to 3 phases.<br />
In the first phase, it was the ma<strong>in</strong>frame based<br />
centralised data process<strong>in</strong>g, when the computer was<br />
considered as “Your Obedient Servant”.<br />
The second phase started with the advent <strong>of</strong> PC<br />
(personal computers) and partially distributed data<br />
process<strong>in</strong>g. Dur<strong>in</strong>g this period, “PC” also stood for<br />
“personal comfort/prestige count” the reason for which<br />
you will read later.<br />
The third phase started when the euphoria <strong>of</strong> earlier<br />
“PC” was over and computer literacy had crossed the<br />
threshold. The cost <strong>of</strong> PC had drastically reduced and<br />
it had become quite robust. PC then stood for<br />
“personal consultant”, a major paradigm shift from the<br />
earlier “obedient servant” days.<br />
Even though the decision to computerise various<br />
functions <strong>of</strong> Naval Dockyard was taken <strong>in</strong> late 60s, the<br />
actual formation <strong>of</strong> EDP department took place only <strong>in</strong><br />
Evolution <strong>of</strong> Information System<br />
16<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Haridasan (Retd)<br />
1970. A small team <strong>of</strong> 6 young <strong>of</strong>ficers headed by Cdr<br />
JL Gupta as Manager, formed the EDP department.<br />
The computerisation <strong>of</strong> ND(B) would not have taken <strong>of</strong>f<br />
without the whole hearted support from the then GM,<br />
and later ASD and COM, V Adm JTG Pereira and his<br />
clear vision <strong>of</strong> the Information System Requirement.<br />
The functional areas taken up for computerisation<br />
<strong>in</strong>itially were Naval Stores, Plann<strong>in</strong>g & Production<br />
Control <strong>of</strong> naval ship repairs, Dockyard Zonal Stores,<br />
and Cost Account<strong>in</strong>g. We, the junior level <strong>of</strong>ficers were<br />
all selected after a very rigorous “Aptitude Test” and<br />
appo<strong>in</strong>ted after tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> various tech<strong>nic</strong>al aspects <strong>of</strong><br />
s<strong>of</strong>tware development and operation by ICL.<br />
Those were tough days for all <strong>of</strong> us, as there was no<br />
proper <strong>of</strong>fice space, <strong>in</strong>frastructure or staff. We were<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g everyth<strong>in</strong>g ourselves clerical work, photostat<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g reports and even personally distribut<strong>in</strong>g them.<br />
We used to do programm<strong>in</strong>g, sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> our cab<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the<br />
command mess. As we did not have a computer to<br />
process, we hired computer time for compilation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
programmes from the Maharashtra State Road<br />
Transport Corporation. We used to go all the way to<br />
their <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>in</strong> Mumbai Central on our own scooters ra<strong>in</strong><br />
or sh<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong> heavy traffic at noon time, without any<br />
TA/DA!<br />
But the spirit <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g part <strong>of</strong> this IT revolution kept our<br />
spirits high. We all knew that we are members <strong>of</strong> a<br />
pioneer team which would be facilitat<strong>in</strong>g ND (B) and<br />
the Indian Navy to take a quantum leap. We, Sub<br />
Lieutenants and Lieutenants had the opportunity to<br />
<strong>in</strong>teract with very senior management. Admiral<br />
Super<strong>in</strong>tendent <strong>of</strong> Dockyard, Rear Adm JTG Pereira<br />
used to come to our department and sit with us to<br />
understand and perhaps, to “check” what we were<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g! He also gave us some serious <strong>in</strong>puts. This <strong>in</strong><br />
itself was a great motivation for young <strong>of</strong>ficers.
The technology used was 3rd generation Cobol based<br />
system on ICL 1900 hardware. We had to write<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tware <strong>in</strong> 120 column COBOL sheets, get it punched<br />
on cards, manually correct the cards for punch<strong>in</strong>g<br />
errors, get them compiled and then fix bugs. There<br />
were no tools or onl<strong>in</strong>e help those days. Our ace<br />
programmer, then Dy Manager EDP, Lt Cdr SR Das<br />
wrote one <strong>of</strong> the largest programmes compris<strong>in</strong>g 9,000<br />
l<strong>in</strong>es and got it bug-free <strong>in</strong> a fortnight! Even though he<br />
used to forget his own name occasionally, never forgot<br />
a s<strong>in</strong>gle l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> this mammoth programme. We all put<br />
<strong>in</strong> our total dedicated effort, work<strong>in</strong>g day and night, so<br />
as to <strong>in</strong>augurate our computer system with a live<br />
computer programme. It was one <strong>of</strong> a tender<br />
generation <strong>of</strong> the Naval Stores system that was run<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>augural session. I do not th<strong>in</strong>k any other<br />
system <strong>in</strong> any other organisation did their <strong>in</strong>auguration<br />
this way <strong>in</strong> those days.<br />
The hardware for process<strong>in</strong>g was one <strong>of</strong> the “largest<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>es” <strong>of</strong> that time. Its memory was 16 K! It had<br />
one card reader, 4 tape decks which could handle<br />
1200’ magnetic tapes, 2 hard disk drives <strong>of</strong> 360 K(!)<br />
and one l<strong>in</strong>e pr<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>of</strong> 120 lpm. The hard disk capacity<br />
was 360 K! For runn<strong>in</strong>g the Naval Store system, the<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> ledger file used to occupy 32 disks, and we had<br />
to load and unload these disks manually when the<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> process<strong>in</strong>g was on!<br />
The comradeship among the team was excellent.<br />
Every day we had lunch together <strong>in</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficebachelors<br />
with packed lunch from Command Mess and<br />
married <strong>of</strong>ficers br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g lunch from home. We<br />
bachelors took full advantage <strong>of</strong> the married <strong>of</strong>ficers’<br />
lunch boxes and sent requests to the wives as to what<br />
we would like to have for next day’s lunch.<br />
The data collection <strong>of</strong> lakhs <strong>of</strong> naval stores items for<br />
computerisation was a herculean effort. To collect<br />
data, we had to manually copy the data from the stores<br />
ledgers, correct them, enter <strong>in</strong>to the computer system<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g punch cards, verify the data aga<strong>in</strong> and then use<br />
17<br />
it <strong>in</strong> the system. A team <strong>of</strong> about 20 sailors was<br />
deployed for more than 2 years on this work. Then on<br />
a particular date, the transactions were frozen classgroup<br />
wise, to take the stock balance <strong>of</strong> each item. The<br />
people <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the Information System<br />
implementation may appreciate the effort and pa<strong>in</strong> to<br />
get the data <strong>of</strong> this mammoth volume f<strong>in</strong>ally purified.<br />
In the first phase, the computer was a dumb servant,<br />
who was ordered to supply the necessary menu<br />
(Management <strong>in</strong>formation) and the customers had to<br />
wait for the menu to be served. The quality, quantity<br />
and selection <strong>of</strong> raw material and process (data and<br />
logic <strong>of</strong> programm<strong>in</strong>g) was based on the<br />
commu<strong>nic</strong>ation ability (specify<strong>in</strong>g the requirement) <strong>of</strong><br />
the master. The taste and quality <strong>of</strong> the menu<br />
depended on the efficiency <strong>of</strong> the cooks (programmers<br />
& data processors). The presentation was dependent<br />
on the smartness <strong>of</strong> the stewards (timely delivery <strong>in</strong><br />
the suitable format). A master-servant commu<strong>nic</strong>ation<br />
gap used to result <strong>in</strong> big catastrophe as the master<br />
was unaware <strong>of</strong> the outcome till it was served to him!<br />
He did not have any <strong>in</strong>termediate view <strong>of</strong> the process,<br />
unlike <strong>in</strong> later days.<br />
An <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g episode <strong>of</strong> this time will give some<br />
“<strong>in</strong>sider view” to automation dur<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>itial period. It<br />
took place when Cmde K R Menon took over as GM,<br />
ND(B). Dur<strong>in</strong>g his first visit to EDP, the enthusiastic<br />
young “expert” <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> EDP gave a forceful<br />
presentation giv<strong>in</strong>g the status <strong>of</strong> computerisation and<br />
the various “very useful MIS reports” generated for<br />
different production and plann<strong>in</strong>g departments. At the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> the presentation, to our dismay, GM asked<br />
MEDP to stop generat<strong>in</strong>g all the reports forthwith. GM<br />
also told him to produce before him, the first person<br />
ask<strong>in</strong>g for a report. We did not understand the<br />
mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> it, however, an order was an order! We<br />
were sure that with<strong>in</strong> two days, the departments would<br />
be pester<strong>in</strong>g us for reports, as we “knew” that most <strong>of</strong><br />
the decisions <strong>of</strong> the middle level management were<br />
taken based on “our MIS reports”. Two days passed,
then four days, nobody turned up ask<strong>in</strong>g for reports.<br />
Our ego did not allow us to go and ask the users how<br />
they were manag<strong>in</strong>g without the EDP reports. Six days<br />
passed, and so the weekend. On Monday, a labourer<br />
turned up ask<strong>in</strong>g for the report. The whole department<br />
was so excited! We wanted to take him to the GM<br />
straight away. But then we thought that it was better to<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d out from his manager his requirement as the<br />
labourer was unable to specify the name <strong>of</strong> the report.<br />
The Manager said that he will be happy to have “any”<br />
report. We were surprised with this answer. On further<br />
discussion with the Manager, it was revealed that they<br />
needed the report for us<strong>in</strong>g the paper to wrap snacks<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g tea breaks!!<br />
Another very <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g fact was that dur<strong>in</strong>g this<br />
period, the EDP department, became the favourite<br />
venue <strong>of</strong> many senior <strong>of</strong>ficers at noon time for<br />
“discussions”- ma<strong>in</strong>ly, to enjoy the comfort <strong>of</strong> aircondition<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
as this was the only <strong>of</strong>fice which was airconditioned<br />
at the time!<br />
The second phase was when PCs came <strong>in</strong>to existence<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1983, and they could be networked with the ma<strong>in</strong><br />
computer. This brought <strong>in</strong> some improvement <strong>in</strong> user<br />
<strong>in</strong>teraction with the EDP department, and thereby,<br />
utilisation <strong>of</strong> MIS more effectively. However the PCs <strong>of</strong><br />
those days were very highly priced and were not<br />
robust enough. It required dust and humidity free<br />
environment which <strong>in</strong> practical terms meant air<br />
condition<strong>in</strong>g, clean environment and good furniture.<br />
This <strong>in</strong> turn <strong>in</strong>creased the costs further. As a result, it<br />
was not possible to <strong>in</strong>stall a computer <strong>in</strong> many end<br />
user locations like production centres, stores etc.<br />
Around this time, middle level <strong>of</strong>ficers started tak<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
“sudden” <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> computerisation and asked for<br />
term<strong>in</strong>als so as to avail <strong>of</strong> the better work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
environment. Dur<strong>in</strong>g this phase, PC also stood for<br />
“personal comfort” “prestige count” because many<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers wanted the PC on their table (mostly covered).<br />
But this also gave some momentum to automation and<br />
to improv<strong>in</strong>g the computer literacy among users.<br />
18<br />
In the third phase “PC” had evolved to “personal<br />
consultant”, sitt<strong>in</strong>g on your table, <strong>in</strong>teract<strong>in</strong>g with you,<br />
and explor<strong>in</strong>g answers for “what ifs”. This became<br />
possible for many reasons. PCs became affordable<br />
and robust. The local area network<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> computers<br />
became very easy and reliable. Computer literacy had<br />
removed the fear <strong>of</strong> computerisation. The data<br />
process<strong>in</strong>g methodology had changed from<br />
centralised to distributed process<strong>in</strong>g, with very<br />
<strong>in</strong>teractive user - developer <strong>in</strong>volvement. People had<br />
started appreciat<strong>in</strong>g the advantage <strong>of</strong> automation. The<br />
data base had also undergone a lot <strong>of</strong> purification and<br />
thus become reliable. The response time from the<br />
developers to end users’ requirements was reduced<br />
considerably. As an example, dur<strong>in</strong>g this period, Naval<br />
Dockyard and ships could send material demands<br />
onl<strong>in</strong>e to the Materials Organisation at Ghatkopar.<br />
Information Technology made computers very user<br />
friendly and helpful <strong>in</strong> onl<strong>in</strong>e decision mak<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Twenty years have passed s<strong>in</strong>ce I left the Navy. The<br />
dry dock gates have been opened and closed many<br />
times dur<strong>in</strong>g this period. Information Technology has<br />
changed organisations to “Digital Organisations”. The<br />
computers have taken different avtaars - laptops,<br />
mobiles, PDAs and iphones etc - converg<strong>in</strong>g voice,<br />
data, image and telecommu<strong>nic</strong>ation. I am sure that<br />
Naval Dockyard (M) has been tak<strong>in</strong>g full advantage <strong>of</strong><br />
these changes and computers have now become<br />
“companions” to dockyard <strong>of</strong>ficers and staff.<br />
haridas53@gmail.com
Common causes for laughter are sensations <strong>of</strong> joy and<br />
humour; however, other situations may cause laughter<br />
as well. In its saga <strong>of</strong> 275 years, Naval Dockyard,<br />
Mumbai must certa<strong>in</strong>ly have had its share <strong>of</strong> laughter<br />
provok<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>cidents. My experience dates back to a<br />
relatively shorter period <strong>of</strong> about three decades, which<br />
has witnessed several unforgettable moments<br />
<strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g my course mates. Many <strong>of</strong> these situations<br />
may not have been amus<strong>in</strong>g to the persons at whose<br />
expense others were laugh<strong>in</strong>g, but with the passage <strong>of</strong><br />
time they too were able to sit down and have a quiet<br />
chuckle over it.<br />
My tryst with naval dockyards took place when 6th<br />
Term NDA cadets embarked INS Shakti as part <strong>of</strong><br />
Camp Trishul. Someone had forgotten to <strong>in</strong>form the<br />
cadets that nailed boots were not the ideal footwear on<br />
board ships. What the 346 cadets did to the decks <strong>of</strong><br />
the ship with their boots (692 horse shoes, 692 toe<br />
pieces and 8,996 nails) did not leave either the EXO or<br />
the Chief Bosun’s Mate amused. However, the<br />
chipp<strong>in</strong>g hammers took the day <strong>of</strong>f. The situation was<br />
19<br />
Yarns From The Yard<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Sunil David (Retd)<br />
further exacerbated by the various army-style drill<br />
movements that necessitated stamp<strong>in</strong>g one or both<br />
feet on the deck as hard as one could. That no one<br />
slipped and susta<strong>in</strong>ed major <strong>in</strong>juries was a miracle <strong>in</strong><br />
itself.<br />
The naval cadets stayed back on INS Udaigiri for<br />
gett<strong>in</strong>g their sea-legs. A young Sub Lieutenant on<br />
board spared no effort to impress upon us the cutt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
edge <strong>of</strong> technology that the ship was, and <strong>in</strong>sisted that<br />
we do a fire exercise <strong>in</strong> the hi-tech ship’s galley. After<br />
our lackadaisical attempts the first two times, he<br />
threatened to stop liberty if we did not take this all too<br />
important aspect <strong>of</strong> ship’s safety with the seriousness<br />
it deserves. In Round 3, power supplies were switched<br />
<strong>of</strong>f and the galley was plunged <strong>in</strong>to darkness. There<br />
was a loud hiss<strong>in</strong>g sound that cont<strong>in</strong>ued for some time<br />
before peter<strong>in</strong>g out. When the lights came on, there<br />
stood a beam<strong>in</strong>g Cadet Hari Kumar who had decided<br />
to <strong>in</strong>ject realism <strong>in</strong>to the exercise and had emptied a<br />
foam type ext<strong>in</strong>guisher <strong>in</strong>to the cook<strong>in</strong>g range.<br />
Understandably, the cooks were not too oblig<strong>in</strong>g with
cul<strong>in</strong>ary delights dur<strong>in</strong>g the rest <strong>of</strong> our stay on board.<br />
A source <strong>of</strong> widespread amusement is the misery <strong>of</strong><br />
someone’s vehicle go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the dr<strong>in</strong>k. S Lt V<strong>in</strong>ay<br />
Garg was do<strong>in</strong>g watch keep<strong>in</strong>g on INS Ghorpad and<br />
had learnt to ride a motorcycle recently. One hot<br />
summer’s day, he set <strong>of</strong>f on a borrowed Yezdi Classic<br />
250. He was uncomfortably close to the edge <strong>of</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
Jetty when he saw a dhobie com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the opposite<br />
direction on a cycle piled high with clothes. He did<br />
hard-a-starboard to avoid the dhobie, but was unable<br />
to apply brakes <strong>in</strong> time and sailed <strong>of</strong>f the jetty seated<br />
stoically on his motorcycle. On hitt<strong>in</strong>g the water, the<br />
vehicle sank to the bottom <strong>of</strong> the channel and V<strong>in</strong>ay<br />
was left thrash<strong>in</strong>g about wildly <strong>in</strong> the water as his<br />
swimm<strong>in</strong>g ability closely matched his driv<strong>in</strong>g skills. The<br />
dhobie, display<strong>in</strong>g presence <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d, tied bed sheets<br />
together and threw one end <strong>in</strong>to the water as a life l<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
After be<strong>in</strong>g fished out, a soggy V<strong>in</strong>ay rushed <strong>in</strong>to my<br />
cab<strong>in</strong> on INS Nistar seek<strong>in</strong>g assistance. The hastily<br />
despatched team <strong>of</strong> divers located the motorcycle<br />
immediately and salvaged it with the help <strong>of</strong> a pass<strong>in</strong>g<br />
mobile crane. The crane driver was too amused to<br />
<strong>in</strong>sist on the formality <strong>of</strong> a requisition be<strong>in</strong>g approved<br />
by MYAS. Fortunately, <strong>in</strong> this episode the only <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
was to V<strong>in</strong>ay’s ego!<br />
Lt Cdr Kashyap Kumar had been appo<strong>in</strong>ted as Liaison<br />
Officer to the United Nations <strong>in</strong> Somalia, and was to<br />
take passage on an OPV headed there. On the eve <strong>of</strong><br />
his departure he packed a suitcase, tossed it <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
boot <strong>of</strong> his gleam<strong>in</strong>g white Maruti 800, and went to<br />
leave it on the OPV. Enroute he stopped over at<br />
Cruiser Wharf to pick up some <strong>of</strong> his belong<strong>in</strong>gs from<br />
INS Vikrant, where till recently he had been the<br />
Navigat<strong>in</strong>g Officer. Kashyap parked his car near the<br />
gangway at a safe distance from the edge <strong>of</strong> the wharf,<br />
and went on board. Shortly thereafter, the driver <strong>of</strong> a<br />
one-tonner decided to turn around his truck close to<br />
where the Maruti was parked. In do<strong>in</strong>g so he backed<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the car and cont<strong>in</strong>ued revers<strong>in</strong>g, oblivious <strong>of</strong> the<br />
fact that he was push<strong>in</strong>g the Maruti towards the edge<br />
20<br />
<strong>of</strong> the wharf. Shouts from bystanders fell on deaf ears<br />
and, by the time the driver stopped, the white Maruti<br />
had careened over the jetty. The car landed with an ear<br />
shatter<strong>in</strong>g bang on the huge pontoon used for berth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Vikrant, and then rolled over <strong>in</strong>to the tidal bas<strong>in</strong>.<br />
The fall shattered all the w<strong>in</strong>dows <strong>in</strong> the car and, as it<br />
sank slowly <strong>in</strong>to the water, the plastic fibre suitcase<br />
floated out through the rear glass. The tide was ebb<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and the suitcase started leav<strong>in</strong>g harbour, with a<br />
hapless Kashyap watch<strong>in</strong>g. Fortunately for him, a<br />
pass<strong>in</strong>g boat was hailed and the suitcase recovered<br />
close to the South Breakwater knuckle.<br />
A div<strong>in</strong>g team was put together, and the first diver<br />
surfaced after thirty m<strong>in</strong>utes without f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g the car.<br />
Those <strong>of</strong> us who have dived <strong>in</strong> that area know <strong>of</strong> the<br />
zero visibility conditions and the suspended layers <strong>of</strong><br />
mud at the bottom <strong>in</strong>to which any object can disappear<br />
without a trace. That hardly gave solace to Kashyap.<br />
Thereafter, a systematic underwater search was<br />
undertaken by lay<strong>in</strong>g marker buoys, and the car was<br />
located. By means <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>genious seamanship and an<br />
overhead crane, the Maruti car f<strong>in</strong>ally made it back to<br />
terra firma, look<strong>in</strong>g like a heap <strong>of</strong> mud. Kashyap’s<br />
departure for Somalia had to be delayed by three<br />
months, most <strong>of</strong> which was spent battl<strong>in</strong>g it out with the<br />
<strong>in</strong>surance company - the car was a total write <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
Moral: “Never drive <strong>in</strong>to the dr<strong>in</strong>k!”<br />
The resplendent look <strong>of</strong> Lt Sudhir Pillai’s recently<br />
jazzed up Yezdi motorcycle was the envy <strong>of</strong> many. He<br />
was under transfer from Vizag to Port Blair, and<br />
decided to load the motorcycle on an LST scheduled<br />
for a logistics sortie. After wait<strong>in</strong>g on the jetty for a<br />
crane that never came, Lt Sujeet ‘Calamity Sam’<br />
Samaddar, Flag Lt to FOCEF took it upon himself to<br />
utilise his seamanship skills to complete the evolution.<br />
There were some reservations expressed, but Sujeet<br />
was impervious to his methods be<strong>in</strong>g questioned.<br />
While the motorcycle was be<strong>in</strong>g lowered <strong>in</strong>to the tank<br />
deck, one <strong>of</strong> the manila l<strong>in</strong>es snapped and the bike
took a free fall <strong>of</strong> about twenty feet. It came to<br />
an abrupt halt aga<strong>in</strong>st the deck below,<br />
with body parts fly<strong>in</strong>g outwards<br />
describ<strong>in</strong>g all po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong> the<br />
compass.<br />
The Yezdi reached Port Blair<br />
<strong>in</strong> no condition to be driven. To<br />
make matters worse, there<br />
were no spare parts<br />
available <strong>in</strong> the local<br />
market. It took Sudhir<br />
six months to get the<br />
motorcycle operational<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>, with much help<br />
from the Air Force<br />
courier br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
parts from Johrat. No sooner<br />
had the motorcycle<br />
been restored, Eastern<br />
Fleet called at Port<br />
Blair, and Calamity<br />
Sam was once aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
close proximity. Someone<br />
from the fleet borrowed<br />
Sudhir’s motorcycle and crashed it before<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g sail!<br />
The then state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art OSA-M system on INS<br />
S<strong>in</strong>dhudurg had undergone the first ever Medium Refit<br />
and, as expected, was hav<strong>in</strong>g troubles settl<strong>in</strong>g down.<br />
This meant long hours <strong>of</strong> work regularly. In the f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
stages, alignment was be<strong>in</strong>g done with a truck placed<br />
on the jetty. We broke <strong>of</strong>f work late one night and<br />
decided to resume early next morn<strong>in</strong>g. In the<br />
meanwhile, the DSC sentry on the jetty was <strong>in</strong>structed<br />
to not let anyone enter the truck without our<br />
permission. Sentries changed at night and our<br />
<strong>in</strong>structions got distorted as they were relayed to each<br />
successive reliever. To our astonishment, the morn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
sentry refused us entry <strong>in</strong>to the alignment truck as only<br />
those with burra sahib’s approval could do so. He<br />
21<br />
stood his ground<br />
unimpressed that this<br />
Lieutenant <strong>in</strong> games rig<br />
qualified as the burra<br />
sahib who had issued the<br />
orders. F<strong>in</strong>ally, we were<br />
allowed <strong>in</strong> several hours later<br />
after Dockyard Security<br />
gave clearance to the<br />
determ<strong>in</strong>ed sentry.<br />
In Command <strong>of</strong> INS<br />
Vibhuti, I would cycle<br />
down <strong>of</strong>ten from<br />
NOFRA to the ship as<br />
a fitness measure. One<br />
day the DSC sentry at<br />
South Breakwater<br />
stopped me stat<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
only vehicles <strong>of</strong><br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g Officers<br />
were allowed to pass<br />
through. Despite my<br />
best efforts, the sentry<br />
rema<strong>in</strong>ed unconv<strong>in</strong>ced that<br />
a cycle qualified as ‘Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer’s<br />
Vehicle’, leav<strong>in</strong>g me with no option but to park and<br />
walk down to the ship. Later, a word with the Dockyard<br />
Security Officer ensured that I faced no such<br />
problems aga<strong>in</strong>. The sentries even made it a po<strong>in</strong>t to<br />
give me an extra crisp salute whenever I rode past on<br />
the cycle.<br />
Researchers have established a positive l<strong>in</strong>k between<br />
laughter and healthy function<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> blood vessels. I am<br />
sure that, <strong>in</strong> the years ahead, the dockyards will<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ue to throw up humorous moments to keep the<br />
naval fraternity <strong>in</strong> good health and cheer. As the<br />
philosopher said, “Don’t take life too seriously, you<br />
cannot get out <strong>of</strong> it alive!”<br />
sunil.edw<strong>in</strong>@gmail.com
Remember<strong>in</strong>g Vice Admiral Dayashankar<br />
I had the privilege <strong>of</strong> serv<strong>in</strong>g with this outstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer five times <strong>in</strong> different capacities. His majesty<br />
the Shah <strong>of</strong> Iran specifically eulogized personal<br />
qualities <strong>of</strong> this naval eng<strong>in</strong>eer for his outstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
work on plann<strong>in</strong>g and execution <strong>of</strong> vital projects <strong>in</strong><br />
Iran before a visit<strong>in</strong>g delegation.<br />
Vice Admiral Dayashankar who was Chief <strong>of</strong> Material<br />
<strong>of</strong> Indian Navy dur<strong>in</strong>g 1954-57 and had been<br />
decorated with dist<strong>in</strong>guished service cross and<br />
PVSM. His board<strong>in</strong>g the Italian ship ‘Caboto’ <strong>in</strong><br />
August,1941 at Bunder Abbas Iran fac<strong>in</strong>g loaded<br />
guns, captur<strong>in</strong>g the crew and sav<strong>in</strong>g the ship from<br />
utter fire disaster was an act <strong>of</strong> personal valour <strong>of</strong><br />
high order for which he was truly awarded the DSC.<br />
Next he earned praise for his exceptional skill and<br />
diplomatic handl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> crew on board INS Sutlej near<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gapore while the ship was proceed<strong>in</strong>g to Kure,<br />
Japan to be part <strong>of</strong> British Commonwealth<br />
occupation force. As the ship’s Chief Eng<strong>in</strong>eer he<br />
along with the command<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficer mustered the<br />
crew and spoke to them about the truth beh<strong>in</strong>d RIN<br />
mut<strong>in</strong>y <strong>in</strong> Bombay dur<strong>in</strong>g February 1946 which<br />
ensured mutual regard and trust amongst British<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers and Indian sailors. Authorities look<strong>in</strong>g after<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>tenance <strong>of</strong> Japanese submar<strong>in</strong>es anchored <strong>of</strong>f<br />
Kure had permitted any member <strong>of</strong> Indian and other<br />
allied forces or crew to take away any item like<br />
b<strong>in</strong>oculars, cameras or photograph <strong>of</strong> emperor<br />
Hirohito removed from any submar<strong>in</strong>e earmarked for<br />
s<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. Highly self-respect<strong>in</strong>g Dayashankar refused<br />
to pick up any such trophy. Such was the moral<br />
<strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>of</strong> his conduct on everyone onboard that<br />
the command<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficer consulted him on every<br />
important issue whether it concerned eng<strong>in</strong>e room<br />
department or not. In June 1947 he was picked up as<br />
a member <strong>of</strong> sub committee <strong>of</strong> partition secretariat!<br />
There his assent to transfer to Pakistan, Indian navy<br />
22<br />
Commander TS Trewn (Retd)<br />
ship ‘Narmada’ with an extra cab<strong>in</strong> as a flagship<br />
raised eyebrows <strong>in</strong> highest quarters. Sardar Patel<br />
was furious to learn that India was los<strong>in</strong>g a flagship<br />
until Dayashankar hav<strong>in</strong>g been Chief Eng<strong>in</strong>eer <strong>of</strong> the<br />
same ship, revealed that deteriorated material state<br />
<strong>of</strong> Narmada was such that it would require at least<br />
two years major mach<strong>in</strong>ery repairs before she could<br />
be sea worthy. This pacified Sardar Patel. Soon he<br />
was <strong>in</strong> the committee for West Coast Port<br />
development. It was he who predicted and evaluated<br />
the key role to be played by port <strong>of</strong> Karwar <strong>in</strong> any<br />
future development <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy. Dur<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
service as Chief Eng<strong>in</strong>eer <strong>in</strong> merchant navy, I<br />
happened to visit a friend resid<strong>in</strong>g at Tabriz <strong>in</strong> Iran.<br />
There senior managers <strong>of</strong> Mach<strong>in</strong>e Sazi Tabriz<br />
factory were full <strong>of</strong> praise for Admiral Shankar for his<br />
tremendous and unforgettable contribution <strong>in</strong> various<br />
consultancy assignments and manufactur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
projects benefit<strong>in</strong>g both India and Iran. Indian Navy<br />
is proud that one <strong>of</strong> his naval <strong>of</strong>ficers has contributed<br />
admirably <strong>in</strong> manufactur<strong>in</strong>g Shaktiman 3 ton truck,<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong> tractor project and successful launch <strong>of</strong><br />
Ichhapore rifle <strong>in</strong> India.<br />
The above narration cannot be complete without<br />
reference to the great late lady Madam Anu Shankar<br />
who assisted Admiral Dayashankar at every stage <strong>in</strong><br />
his life by play<strong>in</strong>g laudable roles many times by<br />
<strong>in</strong>convenienc<strong>in</strong>g herself and their kids. Dur<strong>in</strong>g one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the farewell parties held <strong>in</strong> INS Shivaji when he<br />
was hand<strong>in</strong>g over command, one <strong>of</strong>ficer’s wife stood<br />
up and said <strong>in</strong> chaste H<strong>in</strong>di “Ahilya Bai ka shasan<br />
kaal Malwa ka Satyug tha”. Mean<strong>in</strong>g was quite<br />
obvious. Mrs. Dayashankar was visibly moved by<br />
this comparison to the great and benign Rani <strong>of</strong><br />
Indore.<br />
2445, Phase-10, Mohali, Tel: 0172 2233445
Venue - India House, London<br />
Date - 11 January 1949<br />
23<br />
Who’s Who - 2<br />
Commodore HML Saxena (Retd)<br />
Clue: The date <strong>of</strong> Commission <strong>of</strong> cadets <strong>in</strong> uniform is 01 January 1951<br />
saxenahml@gmail.com
Those who are not too familiar with SNOBs (Senior<br />
Naval Officers’ Blocks) and Naval Flats <strong>of</strong> Colaba could<br />
not have noticed this majestic bunglow hidden beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />
dense green foliage and trees like a pearl sitt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
between emerald stones. We moved to Bombay <strong>in</strong><br />
1961, <strong>in</strong>to a newly built ‘E’ Block, just commissioned.<br />
Later came back <strong>in</strong> 1964-1967 and moved <strong>in</strong>to a newly<br />
built ‘N’ Block flat where we had senior friends like<br />
Jackson Puri and Bawi, Tony and Tutu and Jaswanti and<br />
Ram Tahiliani. But I never saw this bunglow No. 1<br />
Maude Lane which was hardly 50 metres away.<br />
Then suddenly <strong>in</strong> 1986 we had to move from Dockyard<br />
House, Vizag to Dockyard House, Bombay which I<br />
believe was built <strong>in</strong> 1932 for then British C-<strong>in</strong>-C. It has<br />
around ten servants rooms and three big<br />
garages/stables hous<strong>in</strong>g bigger families than our own.<br />
The backyard had all sorts <strong>of</strong> fruit-trees <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
chickoo, banana, guava, and a huge fig tree beh<strong>in</strong>d the<br />
outhouse where we used to host ‘HOLI HUNGAMA’ for<br />
all known <strong>of</strong>ficers and their families.<br />
My husband diagnosed me as a patient <strong>of</strong> a disease called<br />
‘St. Vistus’ dance’ mean<strong>in</strong>g hyperactivity, I believe. I<br />
decided to make full use <strong>of</strong> this magnificent edifice by<br />
hold<strong>in</strong>g all sorts <strong>of</strong> social functions for ladies, children and<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers. There were magic shows, all k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong><br />
demonstrations for members <strong>of</strong> DOWA (Dockyard Officers’<br />
Wives’ Association), and a fancy dress competition for<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers. DOWA did a lot <strong>of</strong> social work with Dockyard<br />
Civilian employees’ wives liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Powai Colony.<br />
Most <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the gather<strong>in</strong>gs was a fancy dress<br />
competition led by then Cmde Rishwadkar dressed <strong>in</strong><br />
Indian blue as an Olympic runner, hold<strong>in</strong>g up a burn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
torch, Capt Dev Thukral as gun tott<strong>in</strong>g terrorist, then<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Leslie Lowe who came dressed <strong>in</strong> a long baby<br />
frock (looked like a gown) wear<strong>in</strong>g a baby bonnet and<br />
24<br />
1, Maude Lane<br />
Mrs Usha Sukul<br />
hold<strong>in</strong>g a milk bottle to his mouth. He sat <strong>in</strong> a baby pram<br />
(I don’t know how it supported his weight) and was pushed<br />
by his nanny then Capt Mutatkar. Another <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
hilarious disguise was by then Capt Ajay Sharma and his<br />
assistant mecha<strong>nic</strong> (I forget his name). They timed their<br />
entry well when the party was <strong>in</strong> full sw<strong>in</strong>g. Suddenly a<br />
supervisor <strong>in</strong> white overalls with curly top wear<strong>in</strong>g a round<br />
Gandhi glasses appeared with his khaki clad assistant and<br />
told the Sentry that he has to repair ASD’s fridge. He was<br />
straightaway refused entry say<strong>in</strong>g, “kuchh kharab nah<strong>in</strong><br />
hai”, “abhi party chal raha hai, baad me<strong>in</strong> aana”. But they<br />
won’t budge. Our attention was drawn to these <strong>in</strong>truders<br />
so we requested the then security Head <strong>of</strong> Dockyard to<br />
sort out the matter. He was also fooled by the perfect<br />
disguise <strong>of</strong> then Capt Ajay Sharma and his assistant.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, dur<strong>in</strong>g the argument his voice gave him away and<br />
they could jo<strong>in</strong> the party.<br />
Most <strong>of</strong> the DSC sentries were rotated so one can<br />
blame them if they did not recognise all the family<br />
members who apparently had no gate pass. The most<br />
recognised <strong>in</strong>habitants were our three labradors due to<br />
their black, golden and brown colours. They were<br />
always romp<strong>in</strong>g around <strong>in</strong> the garden.<br />
These sentries had special apathy for all those highly<br />
decorated <strong>of</strong>ficers sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>side the car, wear<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
peak cap which hides most <strong>of</strong> their faces. Only th<strong>in</strong>g<br />
they recognised well was their star and flag car which<br />
they saluted with gusto.<br />
The ASD was generally not seen without his uniform.<br />
When he went for a walk <strong>in</strong> the golf course, he used the<br />
narrow rear gate, meant for servants. One even<strong>in</strong>g while<br />
he had left for his walk, the MES dug up <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> the<br />
rear gate, so he was forced to come from the front gate.<br />
He neither had his uniform, identity card, nor the gate<br />
pass. So the Sentry challenged him. His repeated pleas
that he is the<br />
boss and<br />
lived <strong>in</strong> this<br />
house fell on<br />
s e c u r i t y -<br />
c o n s c i o u s<br />
guard’s deaf<br />
ears. F<strong>in</strong>ally,<br />
s o m e b o d y<br />
<strong>in</strong>side the<br />
house came<br />
to his rescue<br />
a n d<br />
confirmed his<br />
Spot Leslie Leslie Lowe & Mutatkar<br />
bonafide. I<br />
was the only one float<strong>in</strong>g around supervis<strong>in</strong>g the garden<br />
everyday, so I could enter and leave the Dockyard<br />
House without any hassle.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g moved <strong>in</strong> and settled somewhat, our old friends<br />
and acqua<strong>in</strong>tances started call<strong>in</strong>g us. They would ask<br />
for directions to our new residence which they called<br />
‘flat’ and asked for the details on ‘block and the floor<br />
level’. I got tired <strong>of</strong> giv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>structions which were like<br />
this - “come to the end <strong>of</strong> the Cuffe Parade and Navy<br />
Nagar cross<strong>in</strong>g, then turn ‘right’ then ‘left’ then ‘right’<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> and ‘left’ aga<strong>in</strong>, follow the curve and you will f<strong>in</strong>d<br />
1, Maude Lane”. They suspected that I was pull<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
fast one or lead<strong>in</strong>g them up the garden path (<strong>in</strong> this case<br />
read lane). So I solved their problem by putt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>dicators on this route, left-right, left-right.<br />
A local relative visited us and passed this <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
about the grandeur <strong>of</strong> our habitat and people came from<br />
all over, Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow and even Sydney. It<br />
was difficult for them to accept that we could be stay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> such a big house and that too <strong>in</strong> Bombay!<br />
One more <strong>in</strong>cident that stands out clearly <strong>in</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d is<br />
that a few days prior to leav<strong>in</strong>g station there were a<br />
spate <strong>of</strong> farewells. We used to come back late at night.<br />
One night as I had just come and turned <strong>in</strong>, I heard a<br />
25<br />
sound chopp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> wood closeby. All was well <strong>in</strong>side<br />
thanks to the sentries but they had no jurisdiction<br />
beyond the boundary wall.<br />
There was a small Army bunglow with a triangular<br />
garden jutt<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> Dockyard House. The trees<br />
on this patch were be<strong>in</strong>g felled. With the first rays <strong>of</strong> the<br />
sun I bounded out <strong>of</strong> the house to locate this source <strong>of</strong><br />
‘thak-thak’. One <strong>of</strong> these trees was <strong>in</strong> the process <strong>of</strong><br />
fell<strong>in</strong>g, as a ‘V’ cut (horizontal) was already made, other<br />
chopped ones were already ly<strong>in</strong>g prostrate <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong><br />
me. I enquired what was happen<strong>in</strong>g and was told that<br />
the Army was build<strong>in</strong>g a JCO’s block bang opposite the<br />
Dockyard House. I did ‘chipko’ to that tree and<br />
threatened them if one s<strong>in</strong>gle axe fell my sentries will<br />
fire at them. The contractor got scared. Be<strong>in</strong>g a Sunday<br />
I knew C-<strong>in</strong>-C, Tony Ja<strong>in</strong>, would be on the Golf Course,<br />
I went huff<strong>in</strong>g and puff<strong>in</strong>g. He looked surprised and said,<br />
‘will look <strong>in</strong>to the matter’. Not happy, I decided to see<br />
Maj. Gen. Surendra Nath who had just retired and<br />
shifted out <strong>of</strong> Gun House and <strong>in</strong>to Army Mess. He too<br />
seemed unaware. I pleaded that they should build it<br />
opposite Gun House and not 1, Maude Lane. Later I<br />
learnt that they wanted to acquire this edifice and turn it<br />
<strong>in</strong>to a ‘Mess’. The outcome <strong>of</strong> all this was that the<br />
foundation stone was shifted few metres away. The tree<br />
still stood bare and denuded with ‘V’ cut when I went<br />
back a few years later.<br />
usha_sukul@rediffmail.com<br />
Who’s Ajay Sharma
“If today the Navy is on a sound-foot<strong>in</strong>g, it is because<br />
the veterans have performed extremely well” Admiral<br />
Sureesh Mehta the then Chief <strong>of</strong> Naval Staff declared<br />
<strong>in</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the veteran’s annual gather<strong>in</strong>gs. Several<br />
members <strong>of</strong> our fraternity have earned a <strong>nic</strong>he for<br />
themselves <strong>in</strong> entirely different fields. Admiral L<br />
Ramdas acclaimed <strong>in</strong>ternational fame <strong>in</strong> the sphere<br />
<strong>of</strong> peace and received coveted Magsaysay award <strong>in</strong><br />
2004.<br />
It was only a chance drive when a number <strong>of</strong> high<br />
tech farm<strong>in</strong>g system <strong>of</strong><br />
herbal, Veg, <strong>in</strong> the open<br />
and the cash crops grown<br />
<strong>in</strong> green houses, planted<br />
with high value colored<br />
capsicum and cut flowers<br />
(carnation) were seen on<br />
the side <strong>of</strong> the road <strong>in</strong> a<br />
small village named<br />
‘Baleth’ located on the<br />
bank <strong>of</strong> river Beas <strong>in</strong><br />
District Hamirpur <strong>of</strong><br />
Himachal Pradesh. We<br />
stopped for a while and found out that herbal and<br />
medic<strong>in</strong>al plantations <strong>of</strong> safed mush, stevia,<br />
ashwagandha, milk-thisle, aloevera etc were also<br />
engrafted. Herbal parks were set up to provide<br />
holistic treatment under one ro<strong>of</strong>. An elderly man<br />
materialized. His name was Kailash Katoch. He<br />
revealed that he was an ex MCPO1 PRI (Hon S/Lt).<br />
He settled <strong>in</strong> his native place after 36 years <strong>of</strong> long<br />
service. He got his confidence and <strong>in</strong>spiration from<br />
his naval background and took a plunge <strong>in</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
He briefed that, that k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> hi-tech orga<strong>nic</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong> cash crops under protected<br />
cultivation was started only by him <strong>in</strong> Himachal<br />
Pradesh.<br />
Herbal Park <strong>in</strong> Himachal<br />
27<br />
He ensured the help <strong>of</strong> local adm<strong>in</strong>istration <strong>in</strong> fulfill<strong>in</strong>g<br />
his mission. Water problem was solved by<br />
construct<strong>in</strong>g a water harvest<strong>in</strong>g structure at a nearby<br />
rivulet. Many acres <strong>of</strong> land were hired from other<br />
farmers. The pr<strong>of</strong>it earned was more than three folds,<br />
more and more farmers jo<strong>in</strong>ed the wonder movement<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiated by Kailash. They have formed a club named<br />
as ‘Sai farmer club.’ Many youngsters, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g lady<br />
farmers have jo<strong>in</strong>ed his movement. They are actively<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g help and awareness. They are<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ter state trade and even export<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
products. All these<br />
activities have generated<br />
employment opportunities<br />
and made a mark on the<br />
general liv<strong>in</strong>g standard <strong>of</strong><br />
the farmers. It has<br />
changed the overall<br />
outlook <strong>of</strong> the local people.<br />
Many State Government<br />
o f f i c i a l s / m i n i s t e r s<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g several farmergroups<br />
from other<br />
districts/states and members from Agriculture<br />
University have visited his farms and got appreciation<br />
from one and all. Kailash has been a regular recipient<br />
<strong>of</strong> trophies and awards organized at state/district<br />
level. He was honoured very recently by NRIs and<br />
Punjab Institute <strong>of</strong> Medical Science. He is a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> a large number <strong>of</strong> farm-forums and regularly relays<br />
programs on “kisan-bani” FM Radio Himachal<br />
Pradesh.<br />
He gives entire credit for all his achievements <strong>in</strong><br />
farm<strong>in</strong>g to Navy.<br />
cdrjksharma@gmail.com<br />
Cdr JK Sharma (Retd)
When God closes all doors he opens a w<strong>in</strong>dow<br />
somewhere - an <strong>of</strong>t repeated say<strong>in</strong>g which sounds so<br />
<strong>nic</strong>e when you have to give solace to someone and you<br />
repeat it with terrific conviction! Not know<strong>in</strong>g that soon<br />
you would be <strong>in</strong> a position to actually say it to yourself<br />
and beg<strong>in</strong> to believe it! That’s exactly what happened<br />
one f<strong>in</strong>e day when my life changed completely.<br />
Second <strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs is relevant only to cricket! I have heard<br />
<strong>of</strong> the “orderly” and the retired who take to fulfill<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
hobbies, travell<strong>in</strong>g or even learn<strong>in</strong>g new skills which<br />
they are unable to <strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong>, <strong>in</strong> their years <strong>of</strong> child<br />
rear<strong>in</strong>g and career advancement. We all th<strong>in</strong>k along<br />
similar l<strong>in</strong>es and actually “drift” through life without<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g any concrete retirement plans other than<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g a house!<br />
Life demands one to completely accept a situation. And<br />
believe me <strong>in</strong> order to move on, surrender<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
accept<strong>in</strong>g are vital. Clichéd they may sound, but this<br />
br<strong>in</strong>gs a sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ner calm and gives you the strength<br />
to move on and seek joy and happ<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> whatever you<br />
do.<br />
There are varied views on this - some people stop<br />
“work<strong>in</strong>g” as they feel they have done enough or are<br />
simply too tired to work anymore, fair enough. But, it’s<br />
important to do someth<strong>in</strong>g with this time as it is too easy<br />
to slip <strong>in</strong>to a sense <strong>of</strong> lethargy which could easily slip<br />
<strong>in</strong>to apathy!<br />
It is best to engage yourself <strong>in</strong> what you enjoy do<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
most. Br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g back all those hobbies which you always<br />
wanted to <strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong> but really had no time for!<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g been a teacher all my life, I decided to cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />
<strong>in</strong> a field which is familiar and comfort<strong>in</strong>g. School with all<br />
its varied extensions has become an <strong>in</strong>tegral part <strong>of</strong> my<br />
28<br />
life. Perhaps, it is time for me to give back to the<br />
community that has given me so much.<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g with children between 3 to 18 years <strong>of</strong> age is<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed a very enrich<strong>in</strong>g experience - the demands,<br />
aspirations, capabilities, possibilities all vary<br />
tremendously. As demand<strong>in</strong>g as it is, the students with<br />
their different issues are an important part <strong>of</strong> my life.<br />
Contrary to what I hear, I personally feel this generation<br />
is certa<strong>in</strong>ly more aware and more focused. They do not<br />
hesitate to question and seek answers, respect<br />
transparency <strong>in</strong> their deal<strong>in</strong>gs, and are far ahead <strong>of</strong> what<br />
we were. Leave alone our generation; they are far<br />
ahead <strong>of</strong> those even 10 years their senior. I applaud<br />
them; for if guided properly, they will be assets.<br />
Life for me has become synonymous with these<br />
children. Watch<strong>in</strong>g them grow from their k<strong>in</strong>dergarten<br />
years <strong>in</strong>to young adolescents is what keeps me go<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Alv<strong>in</strong> T<strong>of</strong>fler’s famous words - the illiterates <strong>of</strong> these<br />
times are not those who know not how to read and write<br />
but those who cannot un-learn, learn and relearn. It is<br />
this which forms the basis <strong>of</strong> my life <strong>in</strong> this phase - aptly<br />
termed as `second <strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs’. I am grateful to God for<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g given me this opportunity and made life more<br />
mean<strong>in</strong>gful and worth liv<strong>in</strong>g. I have <strong>of</strong>ten heard the<br />
say<strong>in</strong>g “celebrate each day <strong>of</strong> your life” and that is<br />
exactly what I am do<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rumapurkayastha@gmail.com<br />
Second Inn<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Mrs. Ruma Purkayastha<br />
Hope, like the gleam<strong>in</strong>g taper’s light,<br />
Adorn and cheers our way;<br />
And still, as darker grows the night,<br />
Emits a lighter ray.<br />
Oliver Goldsmith
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sK Das (sKD): Thank you for giv<strong>in</strong>g us so much <strong>of</strong> your<br />
time. Sir, you have retired from Naval Service a good 33<br />
years ago, hav<strong>in</strong>g been commissioned when I was just born<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1941. You are perhaps the only surviv<strong>in</strong>g Flag Officer who<br />
was on active service dur<strong>in</strong>g the last World War.<br />
Your 36 illustrious years <strong>in</strong> naval uniform are difficult to<br />
forget, but if I may refresh your memory sir, you spent the<br />
first five years <strong>in</strong> various tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses at the UK,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g your specialisation <strong>in</strong> Naval Gunnery. Before<br />
becom<strong>in</strong>g the father figure at Gunnery School, you spent<br />
a few years at sea onboard HMIS Achilles. On promotion<br />
to brass hat, on board the Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Ship Tir, you moved on<br />
to Naval Plans at NHQ <strong>in</strong> 1953 which you did from 1961<br />
to 63. You were also privileged to commission our then<br />
latest acquisition from the UK-INS Trishul <strong>in</strong> 1959, which<br />
you drove till 1961. Your other commands at sea <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />
Tir, Delhi, the Vikrant and f<strong>in</strong>ally the Western Fleet.<br />
In Plans, from 1953-54 and aga<strong>in</strong> from 1961-63, you must<br />
have fought and processed much <strong>of</strong> how our Navy has<br />
evolved to this day. Besides the purely classical Executive<br />
Interview <strong>of</strong> V Adm VA Kamath<br />
31<br />
R Adm SK Das (Retd)<br />
assignments, you were lucky to have also experienced the<br />
function<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Naval Armament Inspection organisation,<br />
Directorate <strong>of</strong> Equipments and f<strong>in</strong>ally the Chief <strong>of</strong> Material.<br />
You were also Chief Instructor at the DSSC from 1957-59.<br />
Of course, you f<strong>in</strong>ished your <strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs as the found<strong>in</strong>g father<br />
<strong>of</strong> Indian Coast Guard. The Navy has benefited a full n<strong>in</strong>e<br />
years <strong>of</strong> your service <strong>in</strong> Flag rank, four <strong>of</strong> which were as<br />
Vice Chief from 1973-77, spearhead<strong>in</strong>g all Naval<br />
acquisitions, policies and futuristic plans.<br />
Sir, I would like to seek your views on how you have seen<br />
the Service transition from the World War II days till today,<br />
a good 33 years s<strong>in</strong>ce you have retired after a long and<br />
dist<strong>in</strong>guished Naval service.<br />
sKD: Could you tell us what <strong>in</strong>spired you to jo<strong>in</strong> the Navy<br />
at a time when there was the dist<strong>in</strong>ct possibility <strong>of</strong> war<br />
break<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>in</strong> Europe?<br />
Va Kamath (VaK): I was one <strong>of</strong> the three Executive<br />
cadets selected for the RIN from the Duffer<strong>in</strong>. The<br />
Duffer<strong>in</strong> was established as a tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ship for the<br />
merchant navy but the Government decided to take a few<br />
cadets from this ship for the Navy. Incidentally, <strong>of</strong> the<br />
three cadets chosen that year for the Navy <strong>in</strong> Dec 1938,<br />
two later jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Pak Navy and both became their<br />
Naval Chiefs and further, one became the Governor <strong>of</strong><br />
East Pakistan and the other the Defence M<strong>in</strong>ister under<br />
Gen Ayub Khan.<br />
The talk <strong>of</strong> war was not really so important to us<br />
youngsters at that age but I certa<strong>in</strong>ly became <strong>in</strong>terested<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Navy s<strong>in</strong>ce some foreign warships used to visit<br />
Bombay and we as cadets <strong>of</strong> Duffer<strong>in</strong> got the opportunity<br />
<strong>of</strong> go<strong>in</strong>g onboard those ships. I was highly impressed by<br />
the warships with their huge guns, smart uniforms and<br />
spotlessly clean ships. So I thought <strong>of</strong> jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the Navy<br />
rather than the Merchant Navy.
sKD: Would you recount briefly your World War II<br />
experiences dur<strong>in</strong>g your tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as a Cadet and<br />
Midshipman with the RN?<br />
VaK: Our tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as cadets <strong>in</strong> those days was carried out<br />
<strong>in</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g cruisers. After three months <strong>of</strong> harbour tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> HMS Frobisher, we were moved to a sea tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ship,<br />
HMS V<strong>in</strong>dictive and did a cruise to Iceland, some French<br />
channel ports and the Channel Islands. Our tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as<br />
cadets was cut down by three months because <strong>of</strong> the war<br />
and we three Indian cadets were appo<strong>in</strong>ted to the<br />
battleship HMS Royal Sovereign as Midshipmen. It was<br />
quite a change for us from India to see these huge<br />
battleships with 15”-16” guns, all collected at a place<br />
called Scapa Flow, <strong>in</strong> Orkney Islands, north <strong>of</strong> Scotland. I<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Royal Sovereign just three days before the war<br />
on 01 Sep 1939 and after the war broke out we were<br />
dispatched to Halifax <strong>in</strong> Canada for ocean convoy duty<br />
across the Atlantic. We spent the w<strong>in</strong>ter months <strong>of</strong> 1939-<br />
40 based <strong>in</strong> Halifax, Nova Scotia, escort<strong>in</strong>g large ocean<br />
convoys across the Atlantic up to about 150-200 miles<br />
short <strong>of</strong> the British coast; the Convoys were handed over<br />
to destroyers from the British Home Fleet and we returned<br />
to Halifax. It was <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g work but little by way <strong>of</strong> naval<br />
action took place dur<strong>in</strong>g those days for my ship. The<br />
convoys themselves were commanded by retired<br />
Admirals who were designated as ‘Commodore <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Convoy’, while we looked after their defence aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
enemy warships. I still remember that one <strong>of</strong> the duties <strong>of</strong><br />
the midshipman on watch on cold w<strong>in</strong>ter nights on the<br />
bridge was to make and supply hot cocoa to <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
present on the bridge. I will remember the only<br />
commendation I got once, that “I made the best cocoa!”<br />
sKD: Did you not see any action at all?<br />
VaK: In the spr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> 1940, there was a talk <strong>of</strong> Italy jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
the war and we were dispatched to Alexandria, Egypt to<br />
be part <strong>of</strong> the Mediterranean Fleet. A number <strong>of</strong> French<br />
warships had also gathered there. Once Italy came <strong>in</strong>to<br />
the war, the fleet used to make forays <strong>in</strong>to central<br />
Mediterranean and each time we were out at sea, Italian<br />
32<br />
bombers used to carry out bomb<strong>in</strong>g attacks aga<strong>in</strong>st our<br />
ships. Fortunately, those days there was no dive bomb<strong>in</strong>g<br />
which Germans <strong>in</strong>troduced later dur<strong>in</strong>g the war. High<br />
level bomb<strong>in</strong>g was not that accurate <strong>in</strong>spite <strong>of</strong> our longrange<br />
Ack-ack guns, which were putt<strong>in</strong>g up a barrage. As<br />
a result we survived, though a cluster <strong>of</strong> bombs fell close<br />
to the ship many times. My duty dur<strong>in</strong>g air attacks then<br />
was on the crow’s nest and as the Director <strong>of</strong> close range<br />
weapons, to allocate targets to these weapons. However,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce there was no dive bomb<strong>in</strong>g, there was very little for<br />
me to do but to see the bombs fall<strong>in</strong>g all round dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
those raids, and that is where I started my smok<strong>in</strong>g habit<br />
which lasted until my seventies.<br />
On another occasion, while operat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f South Italy, we<br />
ran <strong>in</strong>to a Italian battle ship and some exchange <strong>of</strong> fire<br />
between us took place. We were both out <strong>of</strong> gun range,<br />
and therefore no damage was done and the Italian Navy<br />
soon broke <strong>of</strong>f the engagement and headed back to<br />
harbour. I believe that this brief engagement was recorded<br />
as the “Battle <strong>of</strong>f Calabria”. From Durban we<br />
circumnavigated Africa on our way back to Halifax to<br />
prepare for the next w<strong>in</strong>ter’s ocean convoys. I felt very<br />
proud to have circumnavigated the cont<strong>in</strong>ent <strong>of</strong> Africa after<br />
call<strong>in</strong>g at Cape Town, Freetown <strong>in</strong> Sierra Leone and<br />
Gibraltar. The second w<strong>in</strong>ter’s convoy duties <strong>in</strong> many ways<br />
were similar to the previous experience. After the second<br />
spell based at Halifax our time as midshipmen had come<br />
to an end. After seamanship exam<strong>in</strong>ation we were sent<br />
back to the UK as Sub Lieutenants to attend <strong>in</strong>itial courses.<br />
The only <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>g about this passage to the UK<br />
was that s<strong>in</strong>ce there were no passenger ships to take us to<br />
the UK, all <strong>of</strong> us midshipmen on board, about 20, were put<br />
on a merchant ship carry<strong>in</strong>g aeroplanes from Canada. The<br />
result was that we spent our entire midshipman time <strong>in</strong> one<br />
class <strong>of</strong> ship, i.e. “Battleship” whereas the normal practice<br />
was to shift midshipmen to different classes <strong>of</strong> warships,<br />
which we missed out due to exigencies <strong>of</strong> war.<br />
sKD: As a commissioned <strong>of</strong>ficer, which ships and<br />
establishments did you serve <strong>in</strong> before our<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependence?
VaK: My first ship <strong>in</strong> the RIN was HMIS Clive, an old<br />
sloop fitted with a small surface gun and the then new<br />
sonar called ASDIC. I was to be the Anti-Submar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer on board. S<strong>in</strong>ce our courses <strong>in</strong> the UK had not<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded Anti-Submar<strong>in</strong>e studies <strong>in</strong> the syllabus, before<br />
jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the Clive I attended an AS course <strong>in</strong> the school set<br />
up on the top <strong>of</strong> Castle Barracks, and was headed by<br />
then Lt Cdr Chatterjee who had just returned from the UK<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g done a long AS course.<br />
After Clive, I was sent to a shore establishment named<br />
HMIS Bahadur, the newly built Boys’ Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
Establishment <strong>in</strong> Karachi on Manora Island. Among those<br />
who were serv<strong>in</strong>g with me <strong>in</strong> Bahadur <strong>in</strong> 1943 were then<br />
Lts. Katari, Kaul, Puri, and Baswan. I also served for a short<br />
period after Bahadur <strong>in</strong> the Junior Boys Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
establishment named HMIS Dilawar, also located at<br />
Karachi. My next post<strong>in</strong>g was to Whale Island <strong>in</strong> the UK for<br />
my Long ‘G’ course. On completion I was back to Karachi<br />
to jo<strong>in</strong> the then new RIN Gunnery School HMIS Himalaya,<br />
located on Manora island. It was dur<strong>in</strong>g my time there that<br />
the Indian Naval mut<strong>in</strong>y took place but the sailors <strong>in</strong><br />
Karachi took no part <strong>in</strong> it, although feel<strong>in</strong>gs ran high. At the<br />
Gunnery School, I was <strong>in</strong> charge <strong>of</strong> the Coast Battery<br />
located along the coast <strong>of</strong> Manora, a few miles from the<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> Gunnery School. After Himalaya, I was appo<strong>in</strong>ted as<br />
Officer-<strong>in</strong>-Charge <strong>of</strong> the gunnery rat<strong>in</strong>gs selected for<br />
mann<strong>in</strong>g our first cruiser Delhi and sent to HMS Excellent.<br />
I was sent to the UK to look after their tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g which<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded learn<strong>in</strong>g about the cruiser’s gunnery system.<br />
You may be <strong>in</strong>terested to note that recruit<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> sailors<br />
then called rat<strong>in</strong>gs followed a certa<strong>in</strong> pattern dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
British days. The gunnery sailors were mostly from<br />
Punjab, because they were sturdy, but most happened to<br />
be Muslims. The Signal sailors were mostly recruited<br />
from the South because <strong>of</strong> their better knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
English and the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Seaman sailors were Konkani<br />
Muslims from the Ratnagiri area. Halfway through this<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g came Independence and partition and I had to<br />
return nearly half the gunnery rat<strong>in</strong>gs who opted for<br />
Pakistan <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g my deputy, a f<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong>ficer called<br />
33<br />
Mohammad Sharif Khan. These had to be replaced by<br />
new drafts from India before tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g could recommence,<br />
and despite this we managed to keep to the<br />
commission<strong>in</strong>g schedule <strong>of</strong> our first cruiser. It was<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g that later when I was posted at NHQ as a<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong>, Mohammad Sharif Khan was, as a Commander,<br />
the Naval Attaché <strong>of</strong> Pakistan <strong>in</strong> New Delhi.<br />
sKD: What was it like for you and the sailors liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
England <strong>in</strong> the early post war Brita<strong>in</strong>, while stand<strong>in</strong>g by for<br />
the Cruiser Delhi?<br />
VaK: The men were accommodated <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />
barracks with our own kitchens etc. Liv<strong>in</strong>g conditions for<br />
the local civilian population were quite bad, food, petrol,<br />
oil were all strictly rationed. We <strong>in</strong> the Indian naval<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>gent did not face any difficulty, <strong>in</strong> fact we got special<br />
treatment and consideration.<br />
sKD: Please tell us someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the tasks you were<br />
faced with as the Director <strong>of</strong> Naval Plans.<br />
VaK: Dur<strong>in</strong>g my first spell as Director Naval Plans 1953-<br />
55, the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> DNP consisted <strong>of</strong> one Director - I and two<br />
Staff <strong>of</strong>ficers one Lt Cdr (Plans) and one Lt Cdr (S) who<br />
dealt with logistics. My first spell as DNP was taken up,<br />
not surpris<strong>in</strong>gly with equipment acquisition. I was put <strong>in</strong><br />
charge <strong>of</strong> the group <strong>of</strong> specialists responsible for sett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
up tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g schools at Coch<strong>in</strong>. After detailed discussions<br />
with tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g schools <strong>in</strong> the UK, we had to assess what<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g equipment we would need for our new tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
schools com<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>in</strong> Coch<strong>in</strong>. That took most <strong>of</strong> my time.<br />
The major expansion plan for the Navy had already been<br />
prepared by an earlier DNP, Cdr. Chatterjee, later CNS,<br />
and had been approved <strong>in</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ciple by the Government<br />
We were at the implementation stage.<br />
sKD: What made us turn to the Soviets for our further<br />
requirements <strong>of</strong> ships and submar<strong>in</strong>es?<br />
VaK: We had become used to look<strong>in</strong>g only at Brita<strong>in</strong> for<br />
our naval requirements, hence we approached them for
start <strong>of</strong> a submar<strong>in</strong>e branch, but they were quite hesitant<br />
and not very forthcom<strong>in</strong>g. There was a feel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Navy<br />
that Brita<strong>in</strong> was try<strong>in</strong>g to control our expansion plan <strong>in</strong><br />
such a way as to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a balance <strong>of</strong> power between<br />
India and Pakistan. We felt that time had come for us to<br />
look elsewhere and found the Soviets ready and will<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
sKD: Which were the appo<strong>in</strong>tments you considered most<br />
memorable dur<strong>in</strong>g your illustrious career?<br />
VaK: Most memorable was perhaps commission<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
new ship. I stood by Trishul for the f<strong>in</strong>al 3-4 months <strong>of</strong> her<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g. It meant br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g to life a brand new ship that I<br />
saw tak<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>al shape at the Yard <strong>in</strong> Belfast. It was a<br />
challeng<strong>in</strong>g task mould<strong>in</strong>g a new crew <strong>in</strong>to work<strong>in</strong>g as a<br />
team and produc<strong>in</strong>g a highly tra<strong>in</strong>ed and effective fight<strong>in</strong>g<br />
unit for our Navy. Later, <strong>of</strong> course, command <strong>of</strong> then the<br />
only carrier was a memorable milestone as it would have<br />
been for any Executive Officer <strong>in</strong> any Navy. After my<br />
retirement I had the honour and good fortune to set up a<br />
Coast Guard service which, from all accounts, is shap<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>to an effective maritime service.<br />
sKD: You were one <strong>of</strong> the earliest command<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
<strong>of</strong> our Carrier Vikrant, so had the unique opportunity to<br />
experience naval air power at sea. Any comments sir!<br />
VaK: I am glad it came, when it did and not much later. We<br />
were very fortunate <strong>in</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g some f<strong>in</strong>e young fliers to start<br />
the naval air arm. Their enthusiasm and pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism<br />
helped establish a credible Naval Aviation for the Indian<br />
Navy. As Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the carrier what impressed me most<br />
was the fly<strong>in</strong>g fraternity that I was meet<strong>in</strong>g for the first time<br />
at sea under operational conditions. It gave me as the<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> a lot <strong>of</strong> confidence <strong>in</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g the fleet with the air<br />
element that the ship was there to provide. In my later<br />
post<strong>in</strong>g as Fleet Commander it gave me an opportunity to<br />
try out various tactical situations where carrier air support<br />
would be most effective.<br />
sKD: K<strong>in</strong>dly share with us sir, your perceptions <strong>of</strong> over 60<br />
years <strong>of</strong> transition <strong>of</strong> our Navy, and how it measures up to<br />
34<br />
the <strong>in</strong>itial visions <strong>of</strong> our found<strong>in</strong>g fathers <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g, yourself.<br />
VaK: When I jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Navy as a Cadet <strong>in</strong> 1939, the<br />
Indian Navy consisted <strong>of</strong> a handful <strong>of</strong> so called “sloops”<br />
and some yard craft <strong>of</strong> the RIN all operat<strong>in</strong>g from the old<br />
Naval Dockyard <strong>in</strong> Mumbai. The war saw some<br />
expansions by way <strong>of</strong> a few new frigates like Narbada,<br />
Cauvery & Kistna and an assortment <strong>of</strong> craft acquired<br />
from the trade for the duration <strong>of</strong> the war. What was left<br />
to the Navy after the war was further divided between<br />
India and Pakistan. Apart from the Electrical School <strong>in</strong><br />
Jamnagar and the Signals School <strong>in</strong> Bombay, the rest <strong>of</strong><br />
the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g schools by way <strong>of</strong> Bahadur Boys Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
establishment, the Gunnery School and the new radar<br />
school called Chamak, went to Pakistan. As I said<br />
earlier, many experienced sailors switched to the<br />
Pakistan Navy and many others were released to<br />
civilian life. As for <strong>of</strong>ficers, the British RIN <strong>of</strong>ficers left<br />
practically en masse. To some extent this was made up<br />
by giv<strong>in</strong>g permanent commission to Indian Reserve<br />
Officers and by loan from RN, ma<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>in</strong> the senior<br />
ranks. It was an enormous task for us to build up an<br />
effective, balanced Navy from such a state. Here, I must<br />
thank the senior Royal Navy <strong>of</strong>ficers from the Chiefs<br />
down to Commodores and Capta<strong>in</strong>s who made an<br />
unst<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g contribution to our growth <strong>in</strong> the 1940s &<br />
1950s. I would say, that the Indian Navy’s growth has<br />
really surpassed some <strong>of</strong> our aims.<br />
sKD: F<strong>in</strong>ally sir, what may be your message to the<br />
readers <strong>of</strong> the Quarterdeck?<br />
VaK: My message to the retired community from the<br />
Navy is that you can all take pride <strong>in</strong> the contribution that<br />
you made dur<strong>in</strong>g your service, however small you th<strong>in</strong>k it<br />
might have been. Rest assured, the sum total has<br />
contributed significantly to the growth <strong>of</strong> our Navy. Do jo<strong>in</strong><br />
me <strong>in</strong> wish<strong>in</strong>g our successors all good fortune and<br />
success <strong>in</strong> tak<strong>in</strong>g the Indian Navy to higher and higher<br />
standards <strong>of</strong> service to our country.<br />
admiraldas@hotmail.com
‘Inquilaab - Z<strong>in</strong>dabad! Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai!<br />
Jawaharlal Nehru ki Jai! Subhas Bose ki Jai! Bharat<br />
Mata ki Jai! H<strong>in</strong>dustan Hamaara! Inquilaab -<br />
Z<strong>in</strong>dabad!’....Rifle fire!...’Gora Palton!’....’How Many<br />
Dead?’<br />
These were the slogans and cries, r<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g to high<br />
heavens, that I heard when a student at the University<br />
<strong>of</strong> Allahabad <strong>in</strong> the 1940’s. There was a new temper <strong>of</strong><br />
the times. It was the heady w<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> Independence <strong>in</strong> the<br />
air that was go<strong>in</strong>g to the very souls <strong>of</strong> the young! My<br />
younger sister Pushpi, a student <strong>in</strong> Benares, was<br />
talk<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the processions. A nation whose<br />
women rise up <strong>in</strong> revolt, can never be defeated - the<br />
men have nowhere to go, and cower with fanciful tales<br />
<strong>of</strong> rivers <strong>of</strong> blood and <strong>of</strong> flame, fire and fury!<br />
The spirit that moved the India <strong>of</strong> the 40’s, (<strong>in</strong> light <strong>of</strong><br />
later events), has been called a ‘magnificent<br />
aberration’!<br />
I could not help be<strong>in</strong>g moved too. For two p<strong>in</strong>s, I would<br />
have rushed out and jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Independence<br />
processions myself, but parental <strong>in</strong>junctions prevailed.<br />
Pratap was to complete his studies, and then appear<br />
for the I. C. S. In sensible fashion, therefore, Pratap<br />
completed his Master’s, and with all normal peace time<br />
careers closed by then by the canny British, went and<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Navy.<br />
I reported to the Navy Office, M<strong>in</strong>t Road, Bombay, April<br />
25, 1943. I was not even sworn <strong>in</strong>. Under a long<br />
stand<strong>in</strong>g custom <strong>of</strong> Great Brita<strong>in</strong>, the loyalty <strong>of</strong> her<br />
Navy, on whose accomplishments and exploits, the<br />
entire British Empire had been built, was unquestioned.<br />
Unlike the <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> the Army and the Air Force<br />
therefore, Naval Officers <strong>of</strong> the Navies <strong>of</strong> the British<br />
Empire, were also never subjected to the superfluity <strong>of</strong><br />
Transition - RIN to IN<br />
35<br />
an oath <strong>of</strong> allegiance!<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> PN Mathur (Retd)<br />
Outfitted by the House <strong>of</strong> F.X. Fernandes, bespoke<br />
tailors <strong>of</strong> the Royal Indian Navy, I reported to Castle<br />
Barracks, Bombay, for my rapid fire <strong>in</strong>itial tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
duration six months. B. K. Dang and I sat next to each<br />
other <strong>in</strong> 4-week classes <strong>in</strong> Seamanship, Navigation,<br />
and Asdics (anti-submar<strong>in</strong>e). I never could beat him. He<br />
was always first and I only second. Followed by<br />
courses <strong>in</strong> the Signals School, Colaba, for signals, and<br />
HMIS ‘Himalaya’ <strong>in</strong> Manora, Karachi for Gunnery.<br />
There was also an Introductory Course, sandwiched<br />
somewhere.<br />
This was not the end <strong>of</strong> my tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, because I found<br />
myself sent back to Karachi to do a modified Long<br />
Gunnery Course. It was <strong>of</strong> duration 6 months <strong>in</strong> HMIS<br />
‘Himalaya’. In this last course, U. A. Saeed, a very<br />
decent chap, later <strong>of</strong> the Pakistan Navy, was my classfellow.<br />
On completion, I was sent to sea <strong>in</strong> November 1944, <strong>in</strong><br />
the new sloop HMIS ‘Godavari’, Commander Goord,<br />
RIN command<strong>in</strong>g. For me, the real bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>of</strong> war at<br />
sea had, at last, begun!<br />
It might be useful at this po<strong>in</strong>t, to take a quick look at<br />
the overall War situation <strong>in</strong> 1944. In the West, Rome<br />
was liberated <strong>in</strong> June; the Normandy Land<strong>in</strong>gs took<br />
place that month. At the Battle <strong>of</strong> the Bulge <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Ardennes, the bloodiest <strong>of</strong> the War for the Americans,<br />
the casualties were over 108,000 with over 19,000<br />
dead. Rommel was giv<strong>in</strong>g Montgomery a hard time <strong>in</strong><br />
north Africa, In the East, S<strong>in</strong>gapore had fallen early <strong>in</strong><br />
February 1942, Japan had advanced <strong>in</strong> Guam, New<br />
Gu<strong>in</strong>ea and Burma, and had control <strong>of</strong> many cities <strong>in</strong><br />
ma<strong>in</strong>land Ch<strong>in</strong>a. All <strong>in</strong> all, even after 5 years <strong>of</strong> war, the<br />
issue was very much <strong>in</strong> doubt.
HMIS ‘Godavari’, the new sloop, with new Sub-<br />
Lieutenant Mathur on board, rendezvoused with the<br />
British Commonwealth Force 66, a Hunter-Killer Group,<br />
out <strong>in</strong> the middle <strong>of</strong> the Indian Ocean someplace, late<br />
one night. It was December 1944. Search<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
German and Japanese submar<strong>in</strong>es from East Africa <strong>in</strong><br />
the west, to Malay, Sumatra and the East Indies <strong>in</strong> the<br />
east, was our mission. The object was to safeguard the<br />
vital supply l<strong>in</strong>es from India to the Middle East.<br />
The Ma<strong>in</strong> Body <strong>of</strong> Force 66, compris<strong>in</strong>g HMS ‘Begum’<br />
and ‘Shah’, had the senior Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> tactical command<br />
<strong>of</strong> the whole Force. ‘Begum’ and ‘Shah’ were<br />
merchantmen, converted <strong>in</strong>to ‘ersatz’ - make do -<br />
aircraft carriers. They had a complement <strong>of</strong> about 16<br />
Anti-Submar<strong>in</strong>e patrol aircraft each. Their task was to<br />
fly out, and search the ocean ahead, both visually and<br />
thru sonar buoys they would drop and listen to. While<br />
they scoured the ocean, we the 6 to 10 A/S vessels <strong>of</strong><br />
British, Canadian, Australian and Indian Navies, formed<br />
a screen ahead <strong>of</strong> the Ma<strong>in</strong> Body, to protect it from<br />
enemy torpedo attack. The screen operated its sonar<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>uously, and observed complete wireless silence.<br />
This was not all. The entire Force, Ma<strong>in</strong> Body <strong>in</strong>cluded,<br />
followed specific zigzag diagrams from a Tactical<br />
Manual, and altered course automatically every 15 or<br />
20 m<strong>in</strong>utes, day and night, to avoid possible torpedoes<br />
fired at us. Watches were synchronized daily at noon.<br />
The whole th<strong>in</strong>g was well thought out, and operated like<br />
clockwork. It was fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g to do one’s own part, and<br />
watch the entire operation unfold smoothly!<br />
Force 66 was a Force that never put <strong>in</strong> to port. As each<br />
ship ran low on fuel, it was detached to the nearest<br />
British-Indian harbour to replenish, and with NO<br />
LIBERTY ASHORE, rejo<strong>in</strong>ed the Force at sea. Force<br />
66 was unique!<br />
Did we f<strong>in</strong>d any submar<strong>in</strong>es? No, not <strong>in</strong> my tour <strong>of</strong> duty<br />
<strong>of</strong> 6 months - from November 1944 to May 1945, I<br />
regret to say. Immediately before my jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ship,<br />
36<br />
however, Force 66 had sunk a German submar<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong>f<br />
the coast <strong>of</strong> Kenya. The quantity <strong>of</strong> junk that came<br />
float<strong>in</strong>g up, they said, was really immense. It could not<br />
possibly have been just a ruse. Besides, sonar had<br />
picked up and recorded under water explosions. I was<br />
<strong>in</strong> a hot Force!<br />
Did we encounter any Japanese aircraft? Yes, once. On<br />
a clear afternoon, a lone Zero approached from<br />
starboard, fly<strong>in</strong>g at perhaps 10,000 ft., and rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
well out <strong>of</strong> range <strong>of</strong> our guns, crossed over to port, and<br />
disappeared over the horizon. It was possibly on a<br />
recce mission. Japanese armed merchant cruisers<br />
(AMC’s) had been reported <strong>in</strong> those waters. We waited<br />
<strong>in</strong> anticipation for possibly a surface engagement, but<br />
drat! - none came to pass.<br />
Then there was this most memorable event while I was<br />
on board! We had entered and secured alongside <strong>in</strong><br />
Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee harbour <strong>in</strong> May. The French battleship<br />
‘Richelieu” was secured right across the harbour from<br />
us on the other side, look<strong>in</strong>g magnificent! After a late<br />
lunch, I was catch<strong>in</strong>g up with some much needed sleep<br />
<strong>in</strong> my cab<strong>in</strong> below, when suddenly I shot up, half awake<br />
and wonder<strong>in</strong>g, to the most raucous and monumental<br />
d<strong>in</strong> I ever heard <strong>in</strong> all my life! Arriv<strong>in</strong>g on deck, hot foot<br />
and pant<strong>in</strong>g, I saw commotion and chaos everywhere!<br />
Everyone seemed to have gone mad! The whole Fleet<br />
had raised steam, and was lett<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>of</strong>f like crazy! And<br />
well they might: it was May 7, 1945, and Germany had<br />
surrendered!<br />
The War situation <strong>in</strong> August, 1945 was, that the U.S.<br />
had dropped atom bombs over Hiroshima on Aug. 6,<br />
and on Nagasaki on Aug. 9. The Soviets had <strong>in</strong>vaded<br />
Japanese Manchuria Aug. 9., and Japan had formally<br />
made its historic unconditional surrender to General<br />
MacArthur on behalf <strong>of</strong> the Allies, on board the USS<br />
‘Missouri’, <strong>in</strong> Tokyo Bay on Sep. 2, 1945. World War II<br />
was over. The Allies had won!<br />
But, as they say, life goes on!
War over, there now arose new, major, and<br />
unprecedented problems <strong>in</strong> the Indo-British world. The<br />
very first was the fate <strong>of</strong> India, <strong>of</strong> course. This was<br />
decided, at the stubborn <strong>in</strong>sistence <strong>of</strong> the Muslim<br />
League and Mr. J<strong>in</strong>nah, very reluctantly on the part <strong>of</strong><br />
India, and Great Brita<strong>in</strong>, the solution be<strong>in</strong>g the political<br />
Partition <strong>of</strong> India.<br />
Result<strong>in</strong>g from this, arose the problems <strong>of</strong> the equitable<br />
‘partition’ <strong>of</strong> the men and materiel <strong>of</strong> the military<br />
services <strong>of</strong> the two new countries <strong>of</strong> India and Pakistan.<br />
In the Navy, I saw my old Capta<strong>in</strong> HMS Chaudhuri - (he<br />
was my Capta<strong>in</strong> briefly <strong>in</strong> the ‘Godavari’) - go to<br />
Pakistan. It was also a tug at the heart, to see the<br />
gentle UA Saeed <strong>of</strong> Aligarh, leave us for Karachi. Of<br />
course many H<strong>in</strong>du <strong>of</strong>ficers like Vidya Bhushan Dewan,<br />
alumnus <strong>of</strong> my University, who came from Multan, had<br />
to leave home and choose the new India.<br />
As to ships, ‘Narbada’, the new frigate, went to<br />
Pakistan, as also did other ships and craft <strong>of</strong> course, <strong>in</strong><br />
the proportion agreed upon. I heard <strong>of</strong> no compla<strong>in</strong>ts or<br />
dissatisfaction <strong>of</strong> either side <strong>in</strong> how the split was done.<br />
Obviously, reason and accommodation were used by<br />
the teams <strong>of</strong> both sides <strong>in</strong> the division <strong>of</strong> materiel and<br />
assets <strong>in</strong> 1946-’47. A very smart and capable a person<br />
like Agha Shahi, ICS, also a fellow student and hostel<br />
mate <strong>of</strong> my Alma Mater days, was <strong>in</strong> charge <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Pakistani Partition Team. Know<strong>in</strong>g him, I knew the<br />
Pakistanis were not likely to be short-changed <strong>in</strong> any<br />
way, he be<strong>in</strong>g not only competent and capable, but also<br />
a very likeable and persuasive a personality.<br />
With the new carved out Indian Navy decided on, arose<br />
the major problem <strong>of</strong> which <strong>of</strong> the wartime <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong><br />
the RINR, and RINVR, cadres, would stay permanently<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Navy, and which would leave. The Navy therefore<br />
set up an organization <strong>in</strong> Dehra Dun, where Group<br />
Test<strong>in</strong>g Officers (GTOs), would conduct a series <strong>of</strong><br />
tests - practical, written and oral - to judge abilities and<br />
aptitudes considered valuable to the Service. Many<br />
applied, and compla<strong>in</strong>ed that the tests were too<br />
37<br />
demand<strong>in</strong>g and not fair. I doubt if the standards <strong>of</strong><br />
severity <strong>of</strong> the tests were changed as a result at all.<br />
What we do know is that the Navy did obta<strong>in</strong> all the<br />
number and type <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficer it preferred, from among the<br />
number that applied. Admiral Katari and I were among<br />
the very first 14 or so, chosen for permanent regular<br />
commissions, as promulgated by the relevant IG<br />
message <strong>in</strong> 1946.<br />
The next major problem that arose directly as a result<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>duction <strong>of</strong> Reserve Officers <strong>in</strong>to the regular<br />
cadre <strong>of</strong> the Navy was the question <strong>of</strong> seniority<br />
accorded to each <strong>in</strong> his new rank <strong>in</strong> the post-war I. N.<br />
Some basic considerations were that Reserve Officers<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g had only the m<strong>in</strong>imal <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, and that<br />
<strong>in</strong> wartime India with poor facilities, could never be<br />
equal to cadet entry <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>in</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
competence, who had received much longer and far<br />
superior tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g with the Royal Navy <strong>in</strong> England. The<br />
opposite was, that Reserve <strong>of</strong>ficers who passed the<br />
demand<strong>in</strong>g tests <strong>in</strong> Dehra Dun, and had come thru the<br />
crucial test <strong>of</strong> actual War Service dur<strong>in</strong>g Word War II<br />
the same as Cadet Entry Officers, had proved<br />
themselves qualified for a fight<strong>in</strong>g Service, and equal to<br />
their opposite numbers who were cadet entry.<br />
Even this much would have stuck <strong>in</strong> the craw <strong>of</strong> some<br />
die-hard cadet entry purists, when along came another<br />
consideration, which <strong>in</strong>creased the problem quite<br />
considerably. That was the question <strong>of</strong> add<strong>in</strong>g to the<br />
Reserve Officers’ seniority <strong>in</strong> their particular rank, to<br />
allow for disparity <strong>of</strong> age.<br />
In peace time RIN, cadets were chosen at a young age.<br />
By the time they completed their <strong>in</strong>itial tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
England, they were about 17 to 19 years <strong>of</strong> age, and<br />
Sub Lieutenants <strong>in</strong> rank. Thus, through normal<br />
promotion rules, with no accelerated promotions, they<br />
would atta<strong>in</strong> the rank <strong>of</strong> Lieutenant at 20 to 22 years <strong>of</strong><br />
age and Lieutenant Commander 8 years after that,<br />
namely at about 28 to 30 years <strong>of</strong> age.”
Such disparity would not be fair <strong>in</strong> the long term, as it<br />
would retire many deserv<strong>in</strong>g ex-Reserve Officers at<br />
compulsory retirement ages, before they even had the<br />
chance to qualify for Flag Rank! Therefore some<br />
seniority should be added on transfer to the RIN cadre,<br />
to compensate and achieve parity, was the argument.<br />
We know, from the autobiography <strong>of</strong> Admiral Nanda,<br />
who actually went on to be promoted to full Admiral and<br />
CNS, that start<strong>in</strong>g as an RINVR <strong>of</strong>ficer, he was<br />
awarded additional seniority on transfer to the RIN<br />
cadre, such that it made him a full Lieutenant from a<br />
date even before he actually jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Navy! This is a<br />
result which would seem, on the face <strong>of</strong> it, to be quite<br />
preposterous!<br />
One cannot blame the Admiral for this result, because<br />
he did not make this decision. The proposal must have<br />
been made by the Navy, and must have had the<br />
approval <strong>of</strong> the Government <strong>of</strong> India <strong>of</strong> the time, which<br />
is where one leaves the matter, no matter how much<br />
heartache it might have caused some senior cadet<br />
entry <strong>of</strong>ficers who he superseded.<br />
I mention all this, because myself and many other<br />
Reserve Officers, who chose the Navy, suffered <strong>in</strong> their<br />
relations with cadet entry <strong>of</strong>ficers, because <strong>of</strong> this.<br />
Personally, I received NO additional seniority. I<br />
superseded no cadet entry <strong>of</strong>ficer, and yet there<br />
simmered resentment for many years, <strong>in</strong> many a cadet<br />
entry heart on these issues.<br />
At the same time, I am happy and grateful to say, that<br />
almost half a century after retir<strong>in</strong>g from the Service, my<br />
very best friend <strong>in</strong> the Navy today, from whom I have<br />
received long letters <strong>in</strong> longhand all these many years,<br />
and now <strong>in</strong> the age <strong>of</strong> the computer, receive several<br />
messages a month, is a cadet entry <strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>of</strong> about my<br />
seniority, who, after dist<strong>in</strong>guished service, f<strong>in</strong>ally retired<br />
as a Vice Admiral.<br />
Simultaneously with the above, was the problem <strong>of</strong> who<br />
38<br />
shall command the post-War Indian Navy, plan its<br />
future expansion and direct its tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, for it to become<br />
a proper and viable force for the defence <strong>of</strong> India.<br />
Even the senior-most cadet entry Indian R. I. N. Officer<br />
on completion <strong>of</strong> World War II, was only a relatively<br />
junior Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> rank. It says much to the credit <strong>of</strong><br />
these senior Indian <strong>of</strong>ficers, to will<strong>in</strong>gly agree, that it<br />
might be <strong>in</strong> the best <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> the Naval Service and<br />
<strong>of</strong> India <strong>in</strong> the long run, if we <strong>in</strong>vited <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> higher<br />
rank and appropriate tactical and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
experience, from the Royal Navy, to serve <strong>in</strong> the post-<br />
War Indian Navy ashore and afloat, until such time as<br />
Indian Officers could take over for themselves. This<br />
would assist <strong>in</strong> the proper plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the acquisition <strong>of</strong><br />
the right ships, submar<strong>in</strong>es and aircraft considered<br />
needed, as well as <strong>of</strong> the associated tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
and men necessary, and thus provide the best possible<br />
Navy for India, with<strong>in</strong> the shortest possible time.<br />
As a result, the Chiefs <strong>of</strong> Staff <strong>of</strong> the post-War Indian<br />
Navy from 1947 to 1958, were <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> the British<br />
Royal Navy, namely Admirals William Parry, Sir Charles<br />
Pizey, and Sir Stephen Carllil.<br />
Ships new, and not-so-new, were ordered from Great<br />
Brita<strong>in</strong>, and arrived accord<strong>in</strong>g to availability, as follows:-<br />
(a) Rajput, Rana, Ranjit, 11th Destroyer Squadron -<br />
1948 - 50<br />
(b) Khukri, Kirpan, Kuthar - 14TH Frigate Squadron -<br />
1958-’60;<br />
(c) Mysore, Cruiser - 1958;<br />
(d) Brahmaputra, Betwa, Beas, AA Frigates - 1958-’61<br />
The only new post-war shore establishments <strong>in</strong> my time<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Service, (I retired <strong>in</strong> 1966), were INS ‘Gomantak’,<br />
the Naval Base <strong>in</strong> Goa, and INS ‘Hansa’ the Air Station-<br />
1964-‘65
The value <strong>of</strong> a military Service, is judged not only by the<br />
number and quality <strong>of</strong> its ships, aircraft and<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es, but also very much by the tactical<br />
capability and preparation for war <strong>of</strong> its <strong>of</strong>ficers and<br />
men. In the <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> brevity, I shall therefore mention<br />
only three more items <strong>in</strong> succeed<strong>in</strong>g paragraphs:-<br />
(a) The Tactical School, Coch<strong>in</strong>, was already a fully<br />
established <strong>in</strong>stitution, that I had the honour to be the<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> from 1959 to ‘61. Its ma<strong>in</strong> features were a<br />
Tactical Teacher, with fully equipped cubicles with<br />
plott<strong>in</strong>g tables and commu<strong>nic</strong>ation facilities, a large<br />
central vertical master plot, and the Control Station for<br />
the Director which monitored all positions. Teams from<br />
the ships <strong>of</strong> the only Fleet we had <strong>in</strong> my time, would<br />
take up a cubicle each, be given a tactical sett<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
oppos<strong>in</strong>g sides, and the Game would be played. On<br />
completion, the Director would conduct a debrief,<br />
Discussions with ships’ teams would ensue, and the<br />
Director would summarize the lessons learnt.<br />
The Tactical Teacher was the one useful device we had<br />
at the time, where ships’ tactical teams could ‘fight’ a<br />
simulated ‘action’ and derive benefit as to the best use<br />
<strong>of</strong> weapons and tactics <strong>in</strong> different tactical situations,<br />
while still ashore, and hav<strong>in</strong>g the ships and ships’<br />
companies, repaired and rest<strong>in</strong>g, as appropriate.<br />
(b) The Portuguese warship ‘Albuquerque’ was at Goa<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the 3-Day war with the Portuguese <strong>in</strong> December<br />
1961. Portuguese warships had fired earlier, and killed<br />
some Indian fishermen <strong>in</strong> the vic<strong>in</strong>ity. This was not<br />
necessarily the casus belli, but on receipt <strong>of</strong> orders<br />
from higher authority, senior ship ‘Betwa’, then<br />
Commander RKS Ghandhi command<strong>in</strong>g, delivered the<br />
ultimatum. ‘Betwa’ & ‘Beas’ opened fire, mak<strong>in</strong>g short<br />
work <strong>of</strong> the ‘Albuquerque’, <strong>in</strong> a matter <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>utes,<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g it on fire, and caus<strong>in</strong>g it to beach and surrender.<br />
It has been said that the action was unequal. Well, does<br />
one wait till the enemy has ga<strong>in</strong>ed equality, and<br />
possibly even superiority, before engag<strong>in</strong>g him? The<br />
39<br />
Indian Capta<strong>in</strong>s, <strong>in</strong> a gesture <strong>of</strong> gallantry, visited the<br />
<strong>in</strong>jured Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the enemy warship as he lay<br />
recuperat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> hospital. The Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the<br />
‘Albuquerque’ showed the Indian Capta<strong>in</strong>s a piece <strong>of</strong><br />
shrapnel removed from his chest. The senior Indian<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong>, <strong>in</strong> gestures <strong>of</strong> gallantry and natural sympathy<br />
for a fallen foe, arranged through RN channels, to<br />
<strong>in</strong>form the wife <strong>of</strong> the Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the ‘Albuquerque’ that<br />
he was <strong>in</strong> hospital and do<strong>in</strong>g well, and presented him<br />
with a bottle <strong>of</strong> brandy and some chocolate for<br />
Christmas.<br />
There is no animus between men <strong>of</strong> the military <strong>of</strong><br />
oppos<strong>in</strong>g nations. We are patriots, and, when called<br />
upon, fight for our country.<br />
(c) The horse, it has been said, knows the rider. As a<br />
mere First Lieutenant <strong>in</strong> one case, and Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> two<br />
different ships <strong>in</strong> the other two cases, it was my<br />
pleasure and great good fortune, to have<br />
watched/worked with, three Admirals, who <strong>in</strong> my<br />
humble op<strong>in</strong>ion, were brilliant at sea. They were<br />
Admirals Barnard, Katari and Chatterji. (There is praise<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Service for a fourth who I did not happen to know.<br />
His name: Admiral Sir St. John Tyrwhitt, RN).<br />
All three Admirals engaged the Indian Fleet <strong>in</strong><br />
extensive exercises at sea, by day and by night,<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g that had never been done before Admiral<br />
Barnard. The manual followed was U.S. ATP 4, a<br />
beautiful work, scientifically designed and clearly<br />
written. Each Admiral took personal charge <strong>of</strong> the<br />
manoeuvres and exercises himself.<br />
With Admiral Barnard, I was only the First Lieutenant <strong>of</strong><br />
‘Ranjit’ <strong>in</strong> 1951. The Admiral spent a lot <strong>of</strong> time at sea<br />
aboard our ship, exercis<strong>in</strong>g tactical command <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Fleet.<br />
I admired and learnt from his grasp <strong>of</strong> the tactical<br />
situation by day, and - with all ships darkened - by night,<br />
and admired his know how and his <strong>in</strong>stant and most
effective decisions and orders.<br />
With Admiral Katari <strong>in</strong> 1957, I was Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the<br />
‘Ganga’. I received no ‘Bravo Zulu’s’ from him at all.<br />
Instead, when I was transferred, he gave me a ‘flimsy’,<br />
which read that this <strong>of</strong>ficer is ‘gifted’. Later, after his<br />
own retirement, when he heard I had opted to leave, he<br />
wrote me a letter <strong>in</strong> longhand, urg<strong>in</strong>g me to reconsider.<br />
With Admiral Chatterji, fly<strong>in</strong>g his flag <strong>in</strong> the ‘Mysore’ <strong>in</strong><br />
1962-’63, I was Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the ‘Talwar’. All the rest <strong>of</strong><br />
the Fleet was busy alongside <strong>in</strong> harbour, ships hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
their defects, major and m<strong>in</strong>or, attended to. The Admiral<br />
took me - just one ship - from Bombay to Coch<strong>in</strong> and<br />
back on 3 consecutive voyages. In each 3-day leg <strong>of</strong><br />
the voyage, he put me thru my paces, start<strong>in</strong>g slow.<br />
The exercises got more and more difficult with each<br />
successive leg, and dur<strong>in</strong>g the 6th and last trip out and<br />
back, he ‘threw the book’ at me!<br />
I never got a s<strong>in</strong>gle ‘Bravo Zulu’s’ from him at sea<br />
either. Instead, on each return to Bombay, he sent my<br />
Squadron Commander, Capta<strong>in</strong> Kulkarni <strong>of</strong> ‘Trishul’ -<br />
(who had been ashore all the time, hav<strong>in</strong>g his ship<br />
40<br />
attended to by the Dockyard <strong>of</strong> course). Each time it<br />
was the same. Capta<strong>in</strong> Kulkarni came to see me, gave<br />
me the Admiral’s compliments, and his message, that <strong>in</strong><br />
the last trip out and back, I had done well!<br />
In 1966, I put <strong>in</strong> my papers, and requested premature<br />
retirement on grounds <strong>of</strong> supersession. Hav<strong>in</strong>g no<br />
further family responsibilities <strong>of</strong> my own <strong>in</strong> India, I<br />
collected my small personal family, and migrated bag<br />
and baggage to the United States, without realiz<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
somewhere along the way, the heart got left beh<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
Note: In writ<strong>in</strong>g this article, an old and dear friend <strong>in</strong><br />
India did some valuable research for me. I asked, but<br />
he wishes to rema<strong>in</strong> anonymous. Let me add<br />
nevertheless, that he stayed on, and after many years<br />
<strong>of</strong> dist<strong>in</strong>guished service, retired as a Vice Admiral. I<br />
owe him my most s<strong>in</strong>cere thanks, and <strong>of</strong>fer him hearty<br />
congratulations.<br />
Ps: Readers <strong>of</strong> QD, desirous <strong>of</strong> perus<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
unabridged version may contact the Author<br />
mathurpnusa<strong>in</strong>d@aol.com<br />
HMS Deyonshire - Cadets’ Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Ship <strong>in</strong> the Royal Navy
On 15th August 1947 India became <strong>in</strong>dependent and<br />
acquired dom<strong>in</strong>ion status, with the Queen <strong>of</strong> England<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g acknowledged as the head <strong>of</strong> State. It was only on<br />
26th January 1950 that India declared itself as a<br />
Republic and the President <strong>of</strong> India became the head <strong>of</strong><br />
State. The Royal Indian Navy became the Indian Navy<br />
that day.<br />
In November 1947, I had taken the Competitive<br />
Exam<strong>in</strong>ation, and qualified <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>terview board held<br />
subsequently <strong>in</strong> February 1948. Together with 14 other<br />
young people like me, I was sent to the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom<br />
for naval tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. I may mention here, that such tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
facilities as existed<br />
<strong>in</strong> undivided India<br />
were located <strong>in</strong><br />
Karachi. In any<br />
case Officer<br />
Cadets who were<br />
selected for<br />
p e r m a n e n t<br />
commission <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Royal Indian Navy<br />
were all sent to<br />
U.K., start<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
the Royal Naval<br />
College <strong>in</strong><br />
Dartmouth.<br />
In the British<br />
scheme <strong>of</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
the maritime<br />
defence <strong>of</strong> India<br />
was the<br />
responsibility <strong>of</strong><br />
the British Royal<br />
Navy. Hence, all<br />
that the erstwhile<br />
Historic Perspective <strong>of</strong> Transition<br />
41<br />
Admiral RH Tahiliani (Retd)<br />
Royal Indian Navy had were a few old frigates and<br />
sloops, which were good enough for coastal defence.<br />
With the onset <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dependence, Royal Indian Navy had<br />
to be augmented considerably <strong>in</strong> order that India could<br />
undertake its own maritime defence. India’s first Prime<br />
M<strong>in</strong>ister Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru has used a phrase “To<br />
be secular on land one must be supreme at Sea” or<br />
words to that effect. Jawahar Lal Nehru and the other<br />
leaders like Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Maulana Azad,<br />
Acharya Kriplani, had not forgotten the fact that India<br />
had been enslaved by conquest from the Sea.<br />
New warships take a long time to build. Therefore for a<br />
<strong>Band</strong> <strong>Band</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> - - Batch Batch <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> 1951<br />
1951<br />
Stand<strong>in</strong>g: Sub Lts: S Mookerjee, RP Bhalla, RH Tahiliani (bearded) and JP Syal.<br />
Seated: Sub Lts: GK Nadkar and PJ Barron
start India acquired a secondhand world war cruiser and<br />
named it as INS Delhi. This was commissioned <strong>in</strong> 1949.<br />
India also acquired another cruiser from Brita<strong>in</strong> and<br />
which was named INS Mysore <strong>in</strong> 1958. Simultaneously<br />
India placed orders on British Shipyards to build eight<br />
new frigates (two: Trishul-Talwar; three: Brahmaputra-<br />
Beas-Betwa and three: Khukri-Kirpan-Kuthar). All these<br />
were commissioned sometime <strong>in</strong> the early 60’s.<br />
India’s maritime defence got a big boost with the<br />
acquisition <strong>of</strong> its first aircraft carrier named INS Vikrant.<br />
This ship had started build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the later part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Second World War, but was not completed when the<br />
war ended. The Indian Navy acquired this unf<strong>in</strong>ished<br />
carrier, had it completed at its own expense <strong>in</strong> a<br />
shipyard <strong>in</strong> Belfast, UK. INS Vikrant was commissioned<br />
on 16th Feb 1961 and served the Indian Navy as its<br />
Flagship for 40 odd years.<br />
The big change however came with the acquisition <strong>of</strong><br />
INS Viraat which was commissioned <strong>in</strong> UK under the<br />
Indian Navy’s ensign on 12th <strong>of</strong> May 1987. The<br />
acquisition <strong>of</strong> this second carrier was totally fortuitous.<br />
Between the time that the Royal Navy made its <strong>of</strong>fer to<br />
the Indian Navy and asked whether the Indian Navy<br />
would be <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> buy<strong>in</strong>g HMS Hermes, a mere<br />
twenty six months were to lapse when a fully refitted<br />
aircraft carrier was commissioned as INS Viraat. INS<br />
Viraat arrived <strong>in</strong> Indian waters on 21st Aug 1987.<br />
From a small coastal Navy with a few old war time<br />
frigates and sloops, the Indian Navy had been turned<br />
<strong>in</strong>to a blue water Navy with two aircraft carriers.<br />
Simultaneously Mazagon Docks <strong>in</strong> Mumbai had started<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g frigates. The first <strong>of</strong> this Leander class frigate<br />
was Nilgiri, followed by Himgiri and Udaygiri. These new<br />
frigates were capable <strong>of</strong> carry<strong>in</strong>g match role helicopters<br />
for Anti Submar<strong>in</strong>e Warfare.<br />
Sometime <strong>in</strong> the late sixties the Indian Navy had<br />
acquired OSA class missile boats from USSR. These<br />
missile boats were used most effectively dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
42<br />
December 1971 war with Pakistan when they sailed up<br />
just outside Karachi <strong>in</strong> hours <strong>of</strong> darkness and sank the<br />
Pakistan Navy ship Khyber and damaged another one.<br />
Few missiles were launched also aga<strong>in</strong>st the oil<br />
<strong>in</strong>stallations <strong>in</strong> Karachi. Dur<strong>in</strong>g that same war, Vikrant<br />
which had been marg<strong>in</strong>ally reduced <strong>in</strong> effectiveness<br />
because <strong>of</strong> boiler problems operated <strong>in</strong> the Bay <strong>of</strong><br />
Bengal. Its Sea Hawks and Alizes gave a good account<br />
<strong>of</strong> themselves <strong>in</strong> bomb<strong>in</strong>g shore <strong>in</strong>stallations <strong>in</strong> the then<br />
erstwhile East Pakistan <strong>in</strong> places like Chittagong and<br />
Khullna.<br />
The Navy, a small coastal Navy <strong>in</strong> 1947, had been<br />
transformed and India had a Blue Water <strong>in</strong>to Navy by<br />
the sixties and seventies. There has been a quantum<br />
<strong>in</strong>crease which would have been difficult for the<br />
planners to imag<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the 50’s. Today the Indian Navy<br />
can boast <strong>of</strong> a nuclear powered submar<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>digenously<br />
built <strong>in</strong> India. Apart from Mazagon Docks Ltd. <strong>in</strong><br />
Mumbai, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Eng<strong>in</strong>eers <strong>in</strong><br />
Kolkata and Goa Shipyard Ltd. <strong>in</strong> Goa are also build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ships for the Indian Navy. An aircraft carrier <strong>of</strong> our own<br />
design is also be<strong>in</strong>g built at Coch<strong>in</strong> Shipyard Ltd.<br />
Manpower growth <strong>of</strong> the Navy<br />
Officers<br />
1947 444 Indian Officers 60 British<br />
1953 1096 Indian Officers 2 British<br />
2010 7789 Indian Officers Nil<br />
Sailors<br />
1953 9594<br />
2010 56940<br />
Civilians<br />
1980 36468<br />
2010 45212<br />
Our country can be legitimately proud <strong>of</strong> the progress<br />
made by its Navy. May it cont<strong>in</strong>ue to sail the oceans as<br />
harb<strong>in</strong>gers <strong>of</strong> peace <strong>in</strong> the Indian Ocean.<br />
admiralrht@hotmail.com
As a cadet <strong>in</strong> the Royal Indian Navy <strong>in</strong> 1948-49, I had<br />
the opportunity <strong>of</strong> watch<strong>in</strong>g the transition from the RIN<br />
to the IN at close quarters. It was a momentous change<br />
and <strong>in</strong>fact a culture shock. As part <strong>of</strong> my sea tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
with the RN <strong>in</strong> aircraft carriers, cruisers, and frigates I<br />
could observe first hand what made the RN and the IN<br />
tick. My sea time <strong>in</strong>cluded participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Korean<br />
War, while serv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> HMS Belfast for almost a year.<br />
So both <strong>in</strong> war and <strong>in</strong> peace the two navies learned from<br />
each other. The ships we acquired from the RN <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />
the Vikrant, Brahmaputra class and K class frigates i.e.<br />
Khukri, Kirpan, Kuthar and T class i.e. Talwar and<br />
Trishul, apart from the tankers Shakti and Deepak and<br />
seaward defence boats. All these were designed and<br />
built <strong>in</strong> the UK.<br />
The traditions, customs and practices were all handed<br />
down to us by the Royal Navy. While this had the<br />
advantage <strong>of</strong> both uniformity and cont<strong>in</strong>uity, the Indian<br />
Navy rema<strong>in</strong>ed the poor <strong>in</strong> relation dependent, largely<br />
Chang<strong>in</strong>g Pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>of</strong> Indian Navy<br />
on the largesse <strong>of</strong> the RN.<br />
Royal Navy College, Dartmouth<br />
43<br />
Rear Admiral YN Inamdar (Retd)<br />
The honeymoon lasted until we asked for<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es. The RN flatly refused. In fact we, the<br />
Indian <strong>of</strong>ficers had to leave our classes <strong>in</strong> the Royal<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g College whenever topics related to<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es were discussed. Obviously this could not<br />
go on. The RN literally pushed us <strong>in</strong>to the arms <strong>of</strong> our<br />
Russian comrades who <strong>of</strong>fered not<br />
only submar<strong>in</strong>es but also surface<br />
ships as complete packages.<br />
Draw<strong>in</strong>gs designs, spare parts,<br />
stores and specialists formed the<br />
package. The Soviets also<br />
undertook to tra<strong>in</strong> our <strong>of</strong>ficers,<br />
sailors and dockyard staff. From<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g dependents and poor<br />
relations <strong>of</strong> the RN we played a big<br />
role <strong>in</strong> relation to the Soviets.<br />
The Soviet acquisition ships were<br />
under warranty for one year dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
which all defects aris<strong>in</strong>g would be<br />
made good by the Soviet specialists<br />
attached to our ships, submar<strong>in</strong>es<br />
and dockyard at their cost. The Soviet<br />
specialists found every excuse to stop our ships from<br />
sail<strong>in</strong>g so that no defects come to light dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
warranty period. Ships and submar<strong>in</strong>es had to be sent<br />
all the way to Russia for refits.<br />
The Indian Navy therefore began to explore other<br />
sources <strong>of</strong> submar<strong>in</strong>e acquisition. A tech<strong>nic</strong>al delegation<br />
<strong>of</strong> which I was a member visited Italy, Germany, Sweden<br />
and France to evaluate submar<strong>in</strong>es and their equipment<br />
with a view to select<strong>in</strong>g one which not only met our staff<br />
requirements but also one which could be manufactured<br />
<strong>in</strong> India under licence.
Our delegation had unanimously selected a Swedish<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e which was tech<strong>nic</strong>ally the most advanced out<br />
<strong>of</strong> all those on <strong>of</strong>fer. However due to political<br />
considerations <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g “ kick-back”, the German<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e was chosen and preparations were started<br />
for its manufacture <strong>in</strong> Mazagon Docks <strong>in</strong> Bombay. At this<br />
time the Nilgiri class frigates were be<strong>in</strong>g manufactured<br />
<strong>in</strong> Bombay.<br />
As a member <strong>of</strong> a delegation compris<strong>in</strong>g CNS, DCNS<br />
and myself as Assistant Chief <strong>of</strong> Material, I once had<br />
occasion to <strong>in</strong>teract directly with Admiral Gorshkov, the<br />
father figure <strong>of</strong> the Soviet Navy. I suggested to him that<br />
<strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> the prevail<strong>in</strong>g practice <strong>of</strong> designs, draw<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
tech<strong>nic</strong>al literature, stores and spares arriv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> India<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependently and <strong>in</strong> an uncoord<strong>in</strong>ated fashion, the date<br />
<strong>of</strong> arrival <strong>of</strong> a ship or submar<strong>in</strong>e should be considered<br />
as “D” Day. Draw<strong>in</strong>g designs tech literature, stores and<br />
spares should arrive <strong>in</strong> India D-m<strong>in</strong>us six months and so<br />
on.<br />
There was one difficulty which had to be resolved for<br />
this new system to work. The Soviets undertook<br />
manufacture <strong>of</strong> stores and spares accord<strong>in</strong>g to a rigid<br />
schedule whereby all demands needed to be raised<br />
sufficiently <strong>in</strong> advance <strong>of</strong> the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the Soviet<br />
manufactur<strong>in</strong>g cycle. This implied a fairly accurate<br />
prediction <strong>of</strong> what and how many spares and stores<br />
would be needed, eighteen months <strong>in</strong> advance. This<br />
was <strong>in</strong>deed a tall order.<br />
We were used to order<strong>in</strong>g spares and stores from the<br />
UK on an “as required” basis. Therefore the Indian Navy<br />
had to reorient its th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g and plann<strong>in</strong>g, be<strong>in</strong>g no longer<br />
tied to the apron str<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> the RN.<br />
The Indian Navy needed a balanced blue-water fleet.<br />
Plans were accord<strong>in</strong>gly launched both for acquisition<br />
and <strong>in</strong>digenous manufacture. The process is still on and<br />
its success depends on good coord<strong>in</strong>ation between<br />
defence R&D, shipyards and self sufficiency <strong>in</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
establishments.<br />
44<br />
Over sixty years <strong>of</strong> an <strong>in</strong>dependent India is a long<br />
enough period to review the success <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy.<br />
On balance the Indian Navy has not done too badly.<br />
At the time <strong>of</strong> partition <strong>in</strong> 1947, the Royal Indian Navy<br />
was left with a few old frigates such as Kistna and<br />
Cauvery, some old m<strong>in</strong>esweepers like Bombay, Konkan<br />
and Madras and some Yardcraft for the dockyard like<br />
Elsie and Nancy etc. A target tow<strong>in</strong>g tug was also<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded. Clearly, addition <strong>of</strong> more modern ships was<br />
imperative.<br />
For a long time after 1947 British <strong>of</strong>ficers on loan from<br />
the Royal Navy were needed to man crucial<br />
appo<strong>in</strong>tments such as the Chief <strong>of</strong> Naval Staff, Fleet<br />
Commander, Commodores-<strong>in</strong>-Charge, Bombay and<br />
Coch<strong>in</strong> and even the capta<strong>in</strong> and commander <strong>of</strong> INS<br />
Shivaji and Valsura tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g establishments.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the side effects <strong>of</strong> India becom<strong>in</strong>g a republic on<br />
26th January 1950 was that the Navy no longer enjoyed<br />
the status <strong>of</strong> “senior service” and was relegated to<br />
second place after the Indian Army.<br />
In the 1962 war with Ch<strong>in</strong>a, the Indian Navy ma<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
watched from the sidel<strong>in</strong>es. Though we lost INS<br />
Khukri to a torpedo, the Indian Navy was not called<br />
to account <strong>in</strong> the 1965 war with Pakistan. However it<br />
more than made up for it all <strong>in</strong> the 1971 war with<br />
Pakistan. The OSSA class missile boats acquired<br />
from the Soviet Union were towed to Karachi and<br />
played hell <strong>in</strong>to Karachi harbour with their missiles.<br />
This was a brilliantly planned and efficiently<br />
executed operation with no casualties on the Indian<br />
side. Our lone aircraft carrier also played a big role<br />
<strong>in</strong> the East.<br />
It may be said with legitimate pride that the Indian Navy<br />
has proved its worth <strong>in</strong> both peace and war.<br />
k<strong>in</strong>amdar@airtelmail.<strong>in</strong>
Royal Indian Navy to Indian Navy<br />
abstract<br />
The Indian Navy had a Royal beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g - firstly as it<br />
developed primarily from the strong foundation laid by<br />
the Royal Navy and secondly, it had the good fortune <strong>of</strong><br />
be<strong>in</strong>g tra<strong>in</strong>ed by Royal Naval <strong>of</strong>ficers who were then<br />
considered as the rulers <strong>of</strong> the seven seas.<br />
The Indian Navy grew up from an Indian Naval Flotilla<br />
with a couple <strong>of</strong> ships from 1947 to a full-fledged three<br />
dimensional Navy (over 100 ships) today.<br />
early Beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
The Indian Navy gratefully owes its existence to the<br />
Royal Navy which tra<strong>in</strong>ed and nurtured its <strong>of</strong>ficers and<br />
men to a full-fledged Navy <strong>in</strong> 1958. In fact, the Indian<br />
Navy started with an entire fleet <strong>of</strong> British orig<strong>in</strong> ships<br />
along with its shore tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g establishments set up at<br />
Lonawala, Jamnagar and Coch<strong>in</strong> to cover up the mar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g, electrical and seamanship aspects <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Navy. It is relevant to quote the R.N. tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g policy<br />
philosophy based on Lord Haldane’s tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
philosophy. “It is only by the possession <strong>of</strong> tra<strong>in</strong>ed and<br />
developed m<strong>in</strong>d that the fullest capacity can, as a rule,<br />
be obta<strong>in</strong>ed. There are, <strong>of</strong> course, exceptional<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals with rare natural gifts which make up for<br />
deficiencies. But such gifts are <strong>in</strong>deed rare. We are<br />
com<strong>in</strong>g more and more to recognize that the best<br />
specialist can be produced only after a long tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
general learn<strong>in</strong>g. The grasp <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ciple which makes<br />
detail easy can only come when <strong>in</strong>nate capacity has<br />
been evoked and moulded by high tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g”. (As a<br />
former Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer, INS Shivaji I fully vouch for<br />
this).<br />
Right from Rear-Admiral JTS Hall, (15th August, 1947 to<br />
14th August 1948), Admiral Sir Edward Parry (15th<br />
August 1948 to 13th December 1951), Admiral Sir Mark<br />
Pizey (14th Octoboer 1951 to 21st July 1955), Vice<br />
45<br />
Late Commodore MK Banger (Retd)<br />
Admiral Sir Stephen Carlill (22nd July 1955 to 21st April<br />
1958) and f<strong>in</strong>ally Vice Admiral RD Katari (22nd April<br />
1958 to 21st June 1962) - it has been a glorious cha<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> the topmost cream <strong>of</strong> both the Royal and the Indian<br />
Navies to have been selected to guide the dest<strong>in</strong>y and<br />
growth <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy.<br />
The Indian Navy’s fleet composition up till 1960<br />
consisted ma<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>of</strong> western orig<strong>in</strong> ships (ex-Royal<br />
Navy) compris<strong>in</strong>g two light cruisers, three each ‘R’ and<br />
‘G’ (Hunt) class destroyers, m<strong>in</strong>esweepers and survey<br />
vessels. From a coal-fired reciprocat<strong>in</strong>g eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
propelled flotilla to a gas turb<strong>in</strong>e driven fleet marked a<br />
big technological leap. To add to that, the creation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Fleet Air Arm <strong>in</strong> 1959 and the Submar<strong>in</strong>e Arm <strong>in</strong> 1967<br />
made the Navy three dimensional <strong>in</strong> the true sense.<br />
Further, the acquisition <strong>of</strong> a Russian nuclear submar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1985 on temporary lease truly tested the skills <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Indian naval personnel, much to the astonishment <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world. This clearly proved beyond doubt that Indian<br />
Navy crews can adapt themselves to any modern<br />
technology.<br />
There have been four dist<strong>in</strong>ct phases <strong>in</strong> the<br />
technological growth <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy as below:<br />
* Firstly, steam propelled ships both with<br />
reciprocat<strong>in</strong>g eng<strong>in</strong>es and steam turb<strong>in</strong>es as<br />
previously operated by the Royal Indian Navy.<br />
* Secondly, the <strong>in</strong>troduction <strong>of</strong> new diesel propelled<br />
ships with ASRI diesel propulsion eng<strong>in</strong>es as fitted <strong>in</strong><br />
the Leopard class frigates <strong>in</strong> 1960.<br />
* Thirdly, the <strong>in</strong>troduction <strong>of</strong> advanced boiler and<br />
steam turb<strong>in</strong>e technology as fitted <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>digenously<br />
constructed Leander class frigates <strong>in</strong> 1971.
* F<strong>in</strong>ally, the <strong>in</strong>troduction <strong>of</strong> gas turb<strong>in</strong>e powered<br />
ships (the Kash<strong>in</strong> class destroyers from Russia) <strong>in</strong><br />
1980.<br />
The recent launch <strong>of</strong> the hull <strong>of</strong> the nuclear powered<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e by the Hon’ble Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>of</strong> India shall<br />
open a new era <strong>in</strong> the technological growth <strong>of</strong> the Indian<br />
Navy.<br />
some Observations on the rapid growth<br />
The follow<strong>in</strong>g observations are <strong>of</strong>fered on the<br />
technological growth <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy :-<br />
(a) The content <strong>of</strong> Western orig<strong>in</strong> ships has<br />
decreased to a large extent over the years, giv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
way to Soviet orig<strong>in</strong> ships.<br />
(b) The policy <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>digenization right from the very<br />
start has now paid rich dividends. The <strong>in</strong>digenous<br />
ship construction programme produced land<strong>in</strong>g craft,<br />
survey vessels, Leanders, submar<strong>in</strong>es and the<br />
destroyers. The construction <strong>of</strong> an aircraft carrier is<br />
on the card now.<br />
(c) The acquisition <strong>of</strong> Soviet orig<strong>in</strong> ships warranted<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong> a specialized naval dockyard <strong>in</strong> 1980 at<br />
an estimated cost <strong>of</strong> over Rs. 5000 crores at<br />
Visakhapatnam.<br />
(d) Also, the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g establishments had to<br />
specially draw up new syllabi, tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g aids and<br />
stimulators to cater for such Soviet orig<strong>in</strong> ships. The<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g pattern too had to be modified to meet the<br />
vertical specialist type <strong>of</strong> demand <strong>of</strong> the new breed <strong>of</strong><br />
ships.<br />
(e) The mann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> ships has marg<strong>in</strong>ally reduced<br />
though the support<strong>in</strong>g staff ashore has <strong>in</strong>creased due<br />
to sophistication brought <strong>in</strong> by modern ships and the<br />
ever <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g high demand for ‘quality’.<br />
(f) The growth <strong>of</strong> the ancillary mar<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>dustry has<br />
46<br />
not been well planned with structured growth. The<br />
growth has been ad hoc and with the stoppage <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Leander construction programme the ancillary<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry received a major setback.<br />
(g) The current <strong>in</strong>digenous development <strong>of</strong> a<br />
mar<strong>in</strong>e gas turb<strong>in</strong>e will be a big achievement. It will<br />
prove that sufficient metallurgical <strong>in</strong>- house expertise<br />
is available to produce high temperature creepresist<strong>in</strong>g<br />
blade material which is so essential for the<br />
success <strong>of</strong> gas turb<strong>in</strong>e technology.<br />
Conclusion<br />
The technological growth <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy has far<br />
outpaced the numerical growth <strong>of</strong> ships <strong>in</strong> the short<br />
period <strong>of</strong> 50 years. The credit for this rapid modernization<br />
goes to the naval planners, defence research<br />
laboratories, the shipbuild<strong>in</strong>g yards, the ancillary mar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry. The Navy has graduated from slow speed<br />
reciprocat<strong>in</strong>g eng<strong>in</strong>es to high speed gas turb<strong>in</strong>es - the<br />
basic guid<strong>in</strong>g pr<strong>in</strong>ciple be<strong>in</strong>g that only new technologies<br />
can w<strong>in</strong> a war as proved <strong>in</strong> the last Gulf War.<br />
mkbanger@gmail.com<br />
editor’s Tribute:<br />
Cmde MK Banger passed away on 10th September,<br />
2010. He was commissioned <strong>in</strong> January 1961 <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g Branch. He served <strong>in</strong> INS Shivaji <strong>in</strong> various<br />
capacities and f<strong>in</strong>ally as CO. He was a regular<br />
contributor to tech<strong>nic</strong>al journals and was one <strong>of</strong> the few<br />
Indian Naval <strong>of</strong>ficers who wrote for the British Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
Naval Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and the Economic Times. After his<br />
retirement, he jo<strong>in</strong>ed Merchant Navy with Great Eastern<br />
Shipp<strong>in</strong>g and later as the Consultant to the Government<br />
<strong>of</strong> Maharashtra, Maharashtra Maritime Board and the<br />
Asian Development Bank. His last assignment was as a<br />
Consultant to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region<br />
Development Authority to <strong>in</strong>troduce mar<strong>in</strong>e mass<br />
transportation <strong>in</strong> Mumbai.<br />
Quarterdeck salutes the departed Naval Veteran.
The Indian Navy today is one <strong>of</strong> the largest sea forces<br />
<strong>in</strong> the world. It is a well balanced and mighty force<br />
capable <strong>of</strong> project<strong>in</strong>g power far beyond the shores <strong>of</strong><br />
India. It was, <strong>of</strong> course, not always so. Look<strong>in</strong>g at the<br />
Navy today it is difficult to imag<strong>in</strong>e that it is only over<br />
sixty years ago that it all began.<br />
In 1947 when India became <strong>in</strong>dependent and the history<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy really began, it was a small force <strong>of</strong><br />
a few World War II frigates and m<strong>in</strong>esweepers. The<br />
Navy had been more or less managed by the Royal<br />
Navy with a preponderance <strong>of</strong> British <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>in</strong><br />
important positions. The senior most Indian <strong>of</strong>ficer was<br />
the rank <strong>of</strong> a Commander. Most <strong>of</strong> them had been<br />
recruited after war started with only a few months<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g beh<strong>in</strong>d them. Yet over the next few years, these<br />
few capable men, catapulted overnight to positions <strong>of</strong><br />
power, despite their lack <strong>of</strong> experience guided the<br />
Indian Navy unerr<strong>in</strong>gly putt<strong>in</strong>g it on the right path<br />
towards consolidation, expansion and eventual<br />
greatness. The modern generation owes these pioneers<br />
an enormous debt <strong>of</strong> admiration and gratitude for their<br />
achievements <strong>in</strong> difficult times.<br />
admiral RD Katari.<br />
Admiral Ram Dass Katari,<br />
Indian Navy’s first Indian<br />
Chief <strong>of</strong> the Naval Staff<br />
had a brilliant career<br />
before jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the Indian<br />
Navy at the outbreak <strong>of</strong><br />
war. He was the first<br />
cadet on the new<br />
merchant navy tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
ship “Duffer<strong>in</strong>” and the<br />
first recipient <strong>of</strong> the Viceroy’s Gold Medal. He had less<br />
than 8 years experience <strong>in</strong> the Navy at <strong>in</strong>dependence.<br />
Yet he was promoted to Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> 1948 and took over<br />
47<br />
The Pioneers<br />
Admiral Jayant Nadkarni (Retd)<br />
as the Chief <strong>of</strong> Personnel. Today no <strong>of</strong>ficer can expect<br />
to become the Chief until he is 58 or 59. Yet Admiral<br />
Katari became the Chief when he was just 48 and<br />
retired after a four year’s tenure by the time he was 52!<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g his four years as the Chief, he laid the plans and<br />
foundation for the future Navy. He was a great visionary<br />
and some <strong>of</strong> the plans that the Navy made for its future<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g his tenure endured over many years. His tenure<br />
will also be remembered for tak<strong>in</strong>g the Navy <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
field <strong>of</strong> aviation. The acquisition <strong>of</strong> “Vikrant” <strong>in</strong> 1961 laid<br />
the foundation <strong>of</strong> Naval Aviation.<br />
admiral Bs soman.<br />
Admiral Bhaskar Soman<br />
brought to the Navy a<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> patriotism and<br />
self reliance. He had<br />
shown flashes <strong>of</strong> these<br />
qualities dur<strong>in</strong>g his early<br />
years <strong>in</strong> the Indian Navy.<br />
Son <strong>of</strong> a freedom fighter,<br />
Bhaskar Soman had<br />
always bristled at the<br />
predom<strong>in</strong>ance and attitude <strong>of</strong> British <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Navy. When he became Chief he began the process <strong>of</strong><br />
veer<strong>in</strong>g the Indian Navy away from its reliance on the<br />
Royal Navy. Up to that time the Indian Navy had totally<br />
relied on the Royal Navy not only for the supply <strong>of</strong> ships<br />
but also certa<strong>in</strong> key personnel <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g its Chiefs.<br />
Aga<strong>in</strong>st popular op<strong>in</strong>ion, Soman took the first steps <strong>of</strong><br />
look<strong>in</strong>g towards the Soviet Union as its chief provider <strong>of</strong><br />
equipment. That <strong>in</strong>itial step for the purchase <strong>of</strong> Soviet<br />
ships and equipment resulted <strong>in</strong> an endur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
relationship <strong>of</strong> over fifty years.<br />
A great patriot, Soman did not like the idea <strong>of</strong> forever<br />
rely<strong>in</strong>g on imported ships and equipment. With the full
support <strong>of</strong> an equally patriotic Defence M<strong>in</strong>ister, Krishna<br />
Menon, Soman pioneered the acquisition <strong>of</strong> two<br />
shipbuild<strong>in</strong>g yards, the British owned Mazagon Docks<br />
and Garden Reach Shipyards. Over fifty years these<br />
two (assisted by Goa Shipyard later) have been the<br />
backbone <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy supply<strong>in</strong>g it with state-<strong>of</strong>the-art<br />
ships and weapons.<br />
After a four year’s tenure Bhaskar Soman handed over<br />
the re<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy at the age <strong>of</strong> 52 to Admiral<br />
A.K.Chatterjee.<br />
admiral aK Chatterjee.<br />
Adhar Kumar Chatterjee<br />
was one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
brilliant <strong>of</strong>ficers to serve<br />
the Indian Navy. Earlier <strong>in</strong><br />
his career he had made a<br />
name for himself as the<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> Delhi. He was<br />
an outstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
shiphandler and some <strong>of</strong><br />
his exploits <strong>in</strong> that field<br />
drew fulsome praise from <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> foreign navies.<br />
Adhar Chatterjee took the Navy <strong>in</strong>to the missile age. His<br />
name will always be l<strong>in</strong>ked with the acquisition <strong>of</strong> the<br />
famous “AK” (for Adhar Kumar) boats which made a<br />
name for themselves <strong>in</strong> the naval war <strong>of</strong> 1971. The<br />
missile boats were <strong>of</strong>f loaded at Calcutta and towed to<br />
Bombay. They had arrived just <strong>in</strong> time and took part <strong>in</strong><br />
the attack on Karachi caus<strong>in</strong>g havoc ashore.<br />
Admiral Chatterjee also oversaw the start <strong>of</strong> the frigate<br />
programme <strong>in</strong> Mazagon Dock. The keel <strong>of</strong> the first<br />
Leander class frigate, INS “Nilgiri” was laid <strong>in</strong> 1966 and<br />
the ship delivered <strong>in</strong> 1972. Nilgiri was the forerunner <strong>of</strong><br />
many subsequent ships delivered by the shipyard over<br />
50 years. Chatterjee, one <strong>of</strong> the authors <strong>of</strong> a detailed<br />
naval plan many years earlier, was fortunate enough to<br />
be able to implement a large part <strong>of</strong> his plan.<br />
48<br />
Chatterjee also saw the expansion <strong>of</strong> the Navy <strong>in</strong> the<br />
underwater arena. It was dur<strong>in</strong>g his tenure that the Navy<br />
acquired its first submar<strong>in</strong>e from the Soviet Union.<br />
admiral sm Nanda.<br />
Nanda was largely<br />
responsible for br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g<br />
an <strong>of</strong>fensive spirit to the<br />
Indian Navy. Nanda had<br />
the task <strong>of</strong> prepar<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Indian Navy for the<br />
<strong>in</strong>evitable war aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
Pakistan and he was<br />
determ<strong>in</strong>ed to ensure<br />
that the Navy would not<br />
lose the opportunity <strong>of</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g a name for itself. He<br />
devised the brilliant idea <strong>of</strong> tow<strong>in</strong>g the missile boats and<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g them <strong>in</strong> an <strong>of</strong>fensive role <strong>of</strong>f Karachi. The rest is <strong>of</strong><br />
course history. With the success <strong>of</strong> his brilliant strategy<br />
Nanda became “the man who bombed Karachi”. With<br />
this action, overnight the Indian Navy became the<br />
darl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the nation.<br />
admiral sN Kohli.<br />
Admiral Surendra Nath<br />
Kohli, a meticulous<br />
organizer expanded the<br />
Indian Navy<br />
considerably. After the<br />
Navy’s performance <strong>in</strong><br />
1971 the Government at<br />
last sat up and began to<br />
take the Navy seriously.<br />
Kohli took full advantage<br />
<strong>of</strong> this and put <strong>in</strong>to action a large acquisition plan. The<br />
SNF (SN stand<strong>in</strong>g for Surendra Nath) ships and the<br />
larger EKM submar<strong>in</strong>es along with many other ships<br />
such as missile vessels and m<strong>in</strong>esweepers began to<br />
swell the Indian Navy. At the same time Mazagon Docks<br />
began the construction <strong>of</strong> the first missile frigate, totally<br />
designed by the Naval Design Bureau.
admiral Jal Cursetji. Jal<br />
Cursetji who took over<br />
from Kohli brought to the<br />
Navy adm<strong>in</strong>istrative skills<br />
and excellence <strong>in</strong> man<br />
management. The<br />
Navy’s expansion<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued unabated<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g Cursetji’s time<br />
also.<br />
Jal Cursetji’s great achievement was to br<strong>in</strong>g to the<br />
Navy its Maritime Reconnaissance capability. Up to<br />
that time the Indian Air Force had <strong>in</strong>sisted on<br />
reta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the Maritime Recce role for itself. Cursetji’s<br />
perseverance and meticulous reason<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>ally<br />
conv<strong>in</strong>ced the Government about the Navy’s claim<br />
and the Maritime Recce role was f<strong>in</strong>ally transferred to<br />
the Indian Navy. This also led to the acquisition <strong>of</strong> MR<br />
aircraft from abroad greatly <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g the naval<br />
capability <strong>in</strong> this field.<br />
Triggered by Editor’s call for a contribution, I am<br />
putt<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g down but I would suggest to the<br />
readers to have a look at the compilation ‘Nautical<br />
Nostalgia - fathoms deep’ an old issues <strong>of</strong> QD to get<br />
a picture <strong>of</strong> how we went through the transition and<br />
dropped the “Royal” from the Navy <strong>in</strong> 1950 to become<br />
Indian. Accounts by other writers, especially by<br />
Admiral Jerry Nair, Lila Samson a.k.a I.M.Gaynor,<br />
‘Bubbles’ Ghandhi are <strong>in</strong>valuable too.<br />
My narration beg<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> September 1947 when my<br />
brother went to Delhi to appear for the Navy exam<br />
conducted by the F (Federal) PSC. He told us about<br />
the tragic post-partition riot scenes (e.g. dead bodies<br />
on Delhi streets), some <strong>of</strong> which cont<strong>in</strong>ued till January<br />
49<br />
admiral RL Pereira.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally there was Ronnie,<br />
probably the most<br />
beloved and popular <strong>of</strong><br />
all CsNS. Ronnie brought<br />
to the Navy enough<br />
humane qualities and<br />
man management skills<br />
to last a lifetime. His<br />
spontaneity pervaded the<br />
Navy. His total candour<br />
as well as his empathy for the common man endeared<br />
him to <strong>of</strong>ficer and sailor alike.<br />
The Indian Navy has been fortunate to have such able<br />
people at its helm <strong>in</strong> its <strong>in</strong>itial years. The growth <strong>of</strong> the Navy<br />
and its power and ability today is <strong>in</strong> no small measure to<br />
these pioneers. I hope look<strong>in</strong>g down from above at their<br />
creation they are pleased with what they have achieved.<br />
jnadkarni@hotmail.com<br />
Navy’s 60 years <strong>of</strong> Transition<br />
Cmde MB Kunte (Retd.)<br />
1948 when he was called for <strong>in</strong>terview by the SSB <strong>in</strong><br />
Meerut. His second, post-<strong>in</strong>dependence, RIN batch,<br />
which <strong>in</strong>cluded Ram Tahiliani, was flown post-haste to<br />
England to jo<strong>in</strong> Dartmouth. (Just a little before<br />
emplan<strong>in</strong>g he was told <strong>of</strong> his change <strong>of</strong> branch to ‘S’<br />
because <strong>of</strong> weak eyesight.) His letters from the UK,<br />
West Indies, Mediterranean, etc. were <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g<br />
enough for me, and tempt<strong>in</strong>g too because <strong>of</strong> the<br />
glamour, to jo<strong>in</strong> the IN. In 1950, the UPSC held a<br />
special exam to select five cadets (we were<br />
sandwiched between the 1st & 2nd JSW courses) and<br />
<strong>in</strong> July 1951 we sailed from Bombay <strong>in</strong> the former WW<br />
II troop-ship SS Ranchi, to jo<strong>in</strong> the RN College. My<br />
dist<strong>in</strong>ct memory on reach<strong>in</strong>g London is <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>vited to tea with the High Commissioner, Krishna
Menon <strong>in</strong> India House - vividly recalled because <strong>of</strong> our<br />
struggle <strong>of</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a blue uniform with stiff white<br />
collars.<br />
At our POP <strong>in</strong> December 1951, Admiral Mountbatten,<br />
then Fourth Sea Lord <strong>in</strong> the Admiralty, <strong>in</strong>spected us. I<br />
had made a request (through proper channels!) for<br />
him to sign my copy <strong>of</strong> a biography, LAST VICEROY<br />
by Ray Murphy. He didn’t oblige but a letter written <strong>in</strong><br />
his own hand was delivered to me!<br />
Later when I was serv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Mediterranean Fleet<br />
he was the C-<strong>in</strong>-C. One morn<strong>in</strong>g, he came to <strong>in</strong>spect<br />
divisions on the flight deck <strong>of</strong> HMS Indomitable, at<br />
anchor <strong>in</strong> the grand harbour <strong>of</strong> Malta. On conclusion,<br />
and as per his custom, before address<strong>in</strong>g the ship’s<br />
company he <strong>in</strong>vited us to break ranks and form a<br />
hollow square. He then began by announc<strong>in</strong>g that as<br />
<strong>of</strong> that morn<strong>in</strong>g he had acquired another ‘hat’ - that <strong>of</strong><br />
C-<strong>in</strong>-C, AFMED (Allied Forces Med). Then with a<br />
grand sweep <strong>of</strong> his arms he turned towards his new<br />
Hqs located <strong>in</strong> an impressive build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Valetta. That<br />
gesture was timed (and rehearsed) to perfection<br />
because several w<strong>in</strong>dows were thrown open, lights<br />
switched on and curta<strong>in</strong>s drawn. That was the style <strong>of</strong><br />
a famed showman that he was known to be! As Philip<br />
Zeigler has noted, ‘his vanity, although childlike, was<br />
monstrous.’<br />
In late 1953 I was do<strong>in</strong>g my Sub’s time <strong>in</strong> HMS<br />
Peacock <strong>of</strong> the 2nd Frigate Squadron (another ship <strong>of</strong><br />
the 2nd FS was HMS Magpie, earlier commanded by<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Philip). The C-<strong>in</strong>-C was famous for his<br />
outward-bound schemes (on week ends he himself<br />
played polo and did scuba div<strong>in</strong>g on the many Maltese<br />
beaches) and once he ordered all ships and<br />
establishments to run a round-the-island race. I was<br />
detailed by my ship and, half way down the circuit, I<br />
was surprised to be signaled to pull to the side - Lady<br />
Edw<strong>in</strong>a Mountbatten was watch<strong>in</strong>g and see<strong>in</strong>g an<br />
Indian <strong>in</strong> the pack she wanted to have a word with<br />
‘huff<strong>in</strong>g and puff<strong>in</strong>g’ me!<br />
50<br />
A small consolation was that I received a New Year<br />
greet<strong>in</strong>g card from the C-<strong>in</strong>-C, signed by Lord Louis.<br />
Now for the transition to the IN, and my first ship, the<br />
destroyer Ranjit on which I was a just promoted twostriper,<br />
TAS <strong>of</strong>ficer. 21 <strong>in</strong>ch Mk 9 torpedoes were<br />
carried by the ship and when one forenoon I had<br />
pulled the trigger from the bridge for a practice fir<strong>in</strong>g I<br />
<strong>in</strong>st<strong>in</strong>ctively ran to the port side <strong>of</strong> the bridge to get my<br />
first ever sight <strong>of</strong> a torpedo leav<strong>in</strong>g the tube and be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on its way. I had hardly any role because the Gunner<br />
(TAS) Mr Chakraverti and the UW sailors had<br />
prepared for the fir<strong>in</strong>g to perfection.<br />
Another episode <strong>in</strong> 1956 was how the fleet (three Rs,<br />
three Gs led by the Delhi) was anchored <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e to<br />
greet the Shah-n-Shah and Queen Soraya <strong>of</strong> Iran.<br />
Our Commissioned Gunner was Mr. Muthu who had<br />
got us to rehearse the sequence <strong>of</strong> mann<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
cheer<strong>in</strong>g ship. The snag was that the Navy had just<br />
converted to H<strong>in</strong>di words <strong>of</strong> command. The FOCIF<br />
was Rear Admiral Sir St John Tyrwhit; the Flag<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> ‘Chippy’ Samson; our C.O. Hayden Arthur<br />
Agate; and X.O Alexander Francis Collaco. Why all<br />
these names? Because all besides Mr. Muthu, were<br />
not fluent <strong>in</strong> H<strong>in</strong>di. But MD Muthu carried the day,<br />
<strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g the ship’s company to ‘teen jai ke liye tayyar’<br />
and the full throated thrice repeated order “Iran ke<br />
Shah ‘N’ Shah aur Maharani ki Jai”. Quite a mouthful<br />
for our Tamilian stalwart, not conversant with the new<br />
tongue, so toasts to his chaste H<strong>in</strong>di were later drunk<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Wardroom.<br />
Now, a few years later, to the time when Admiral Sir<br />
Stephen Carlyl handed over to our first Indian Chief,<br />
Ramdas Katari. When RDK retired <strong>in</strong> 1962 he was just<br />
50! I was his last Flags and was all admiration for the<br />
way he dealt with Delhi’s bureaucracy, much older <strong>in</strong><br />
age and senior <strong>in</strong> service. The Navy had only three<br />
Flag Officers then -DCNS, FOCIF and FOB besides<br />
Rear Admiral Daya Shanker <strong>in</strong> Defence Production.<br />
Admirals too wore shorts except on rare occasions<br />
when Bush jacket was the norm - Admiral Karmarkar
even wore it with shorts.<br />
So I hope this will give some idea <strong>of</strong> how the service<br />
transited from one level to another and f<strong>in</strong>ally to its<br />
present strength.<br />
P.S.1. At the Varuna Bar I was very recently told that<br />
Lieutenants are also entitled to fly; sailors are eligible<br />
for motor car advances. If that is not progress/change,<br />
Those Days <strong>of</strong> Royal Indian Navy<br />
Before our navy entered era <strong>of</strong> Indian Navy <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>dependent India it was an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g period if not a<br />
glorious one. While as a part <strong>of</strong> Royal Indian Navy we<br />
enjoyed certa<strong>in</strong> experiences which still subtly l<strong>in</strong>ger on<br />
<strong>in</strong> our memories. While <strong>in</strong> the UK all RIN personnel<br />
enjoyed concessional travel and duty free canteen<br />
facilities Messrs Geeves the famous naval outfitters <strong>of</strong><br />
Royal Navy used to supply us quality uniform<br />
requirements on credit just by mere ask<strong>in</strong>g and mere<br />
production <strong>of</strong> identity card. Indian <strong>of</strong>ficers picked up<br />
ceremonial swords and bills could be paid even after<br />
arriv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> India. I with my two naval colleagues was<br />
<strong>in</strong>vited to a Royal Cactus Society, London annual<br />
function. As important guests humorously we presented<br />
them a prom<strong>in</strong>ent hoard<strong>in</strong>g which read “WATER IS<br />
ENEMY OF CACTI”.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g the same pre-<strong>in</strong>dependence Royal Indian Naval<br />
service period I had the privilege <strong>of</strong> sail<strong>in</strong>g to Persian<br />
Gulf onboard HMIS Cauvery from Karachi under the<br />
command <strong>of</strong> Commander Fickney fly<strong>in</strong>g flag <strong>of</strong> senior<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer Persian Gulf. We visited Bunder Abbas, Abadan<br />
and Basra and at every port British, Canadian and<br />
Australian cont<strong>in</strong>gent welcomed us warmly. Same<br />
situation existed when we were stationed <strong>in</strong> Japan as<br />
part <strong>of</strong> British expeditionary force.<br />
51<br />
what is!<br />
P.S.2. The Admiral, recogniz<strong>in</strong>g the newly jo<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
Midshipman as the son <strong>of</strong> an old colleague, said ‘The<br />
fool <strong>of</strong> the family has been sent to the sea, I see.’ “No<br />
Sir” was the astound<strong>in</strong>g reply, “times have changed<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce your days”! Changed era <strong>of</strong> gen-next?<br />
mukundb5@hotmail.com<br />
Cdr TS Trewn (Retd)<br />
At Mumbai the British Governor frequently <strong>in</strong>vited<br />
Royal Indian Navy personnel to Governor’s house<br />
parties and proudly <strong>in</strong>troduced them to other<br />
personalities. Equally <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g was the fact that<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g those days quality <strong>of</strong> imported products like<br />
electric toasters, wrist watches, hair dryers, portable<br />
radios, cameras, b<strong>in</strong>oculars perfumes and many other<br />
were scarce. The old Army and Navy store near Kala<br />
Ghora issued special membership cards to Royal<br />
Indian Naval Officers to purchase such items as their<br />
privileged customers. This was besides the NAAFI duty<br />
free canteen facility.<br />
As comic part <strong>of</strong> this narration we had <strong>in</strong>vited a British<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer <strong>of</strong>ficer before the change over to Indian Navy<br />
serv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> HMIS Shivaji, Lonavala to enjoy an old<br />
English film <strong>in</strong> local c<strong>in</strong>ema hall <strong>in</strong> Lonavala town. It<br />
was the month <strong>of</strong> August and ra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. As we entered the<br />
c<strong>in</strong>ema hall we were surprised to see every one sitt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with their ra<strong>in</strong>coats on as the entire c<strong>in</strong>ema hall ro<strong>of</strong><br />
was leak<strong>in</strong>g. Later on arrival <strong>in</strong> Brita<strong>in</strong> the naval <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
wrote us back that it was his unique life time experience<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed!<br />
2445, Phase-10, Mohali. Tel: 0172 2233445
“Consider yourself bottled”, was the lco<strong>nic</strong> rebuke from<br />
the young Lieutenant to a sailor. “Is it a matter <strong>of</strong> life and<br />
death?”, was likewise directed at another who had tried<br />
to <strong>in</strong>terrupt an earnest conversation. And, if confronted<br />
with a tech<strong>nic</strong>al query, there was always the artless<br />
deflection: “What did you read <strong>in</strong> the newspaper<br />
yesterday?” Of course I knew that the sailor had not<br />
opened its pages. Yes, I was the Lieutenant <strong>in</strong> question<br />
<strong>in</strong> his first appo<strong>in</strong>tment <strong>in</strong> 1957 after 7 years <strong>in</strong> England.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce then I have many a time wondered what my<br />
sailors <strong>in</strong> INS Garuda thought <strong>of</strong> this eccentric <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
and his puzzl<strong>in</strong>g ways who spoke <strong>in</strong> a markedly different<br />
manner. But one th<strong>in</strong>g is for sure: they soon must have<br />
realized that I was abysmally ignorant <strong>of</strong> the electrics <strong>in</strong><br />
Firefly and Sealand aircraft.<br />
My oddball ways at work - did I say work? - percolated<br />
through to the wardroom as well. Imag<strong>in</strong>e actually<br />
volunteer<strong>in</strong>g to be the Mess Secretary. What is still more<br />
<strong>in</strong>credible was my order that no d<strong>in</strong>ner be served or<br />
even kept <strong>in</strong> covered plates after 2100 hours know<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fully well that the PMC, an Instructor Commander, and<br />
his sidekick used to sit dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g every even<strong>in</strong>g till well<br />
past the d<strong>in</strong>ner time deadl<strong>in</strong>e. The latter came posthaste<br />
to ask if I knew what I was do<strong>in</strong>g. The answer was<br />
a stony yes.<br />
RIN-Cambridge Univ-HMS Coll<strong>in</strong>gwood-the IN<br />
Cooks - greatly to their disgust - l<strong>in</strong>e up for <strong>in</strong>spection on<br />
the patch <strong>of</strong> rough grass by the waterside <strong>in</strong> the heat <strong>of</strong><br />
the afternoon! Poor P.O. Steward Swamy had to implore<br />
me to postpone it twice; great was the flak he must have<br />
faced from his hard work<strong>in</strong>g crew, because <strong>of</strong> this<br />
crackpot Mess Secretary.<br />
It was much later that I dimly realised that it was my st<strong>in</strong>t<br />
as the Mess Secretary - comb<strong>in</strong>ed with the <strong>in</strong>troduction<br />
<strong>of</strong> some Ch<strong>in</strong>ese dishes on gala occasions - that saved<br />
my hide. Commander YN S<strong>in</strong>gh vetoed an adverse<br />
report by my superior <strong>in</strong> INS Garuda who had quite<br />
rightly seen through me and realized that I hardly knew<br />
the difference between A.C. and D.C. (*He went on to<br />
become a Vice Admiral, deservedly so. Editor-He was<br />
‘Bapu’ Mudholkar, if you wish to say so.)<br />
My peculiar ways extended to my personal life: <strong>of</strong>f to the<br />
squash court to lash a black ball around all by myself at<br />
half-past four after the merest siesta. Back to my cab<strong>in</strong>the<br />
walls <strong>of</strong> which were plastered with pr<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong><br />
impressionist pa<strong>in</strong>ters-to shower and play some<br />
Bethoven! Bearer Joseph brought me a cup <strong>of</strong> tea while<br />
his colleagues went round the cab<strong>in</strong>s to rouse the<br />
slumber<strong>in</strong>g forms who were much wiser than I <strong>in</strong> the<br />
ways <strong>of</strong> naval life as lived on Will<strong>in</strong>don Island’s naval<br />
base <strong>in</strong> the 1950s.<br />
How about my order to have the Stewards and even the 623, KP Tower 2, Fatima Nagar, Pune-411013<br />
I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks<br />
as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves<br />
<strong>of</strong> its heroes, but also by the aggregate <strong>of</strong> the t<strong>in</strong>y pushes <strong>of</strong> each honest worker.<br />
Helen Keller<br />
52<br />
Cdr Noel Lobo (Retd)<br />
I used to th<strong>in</strong>k that God’s gifts were on shelves-one above the other and the taller we grow, the<br />
more easily we could reach them. I now f<strong>in</strong>d that God’s gifts are on the shelves one beneath<br />
the other and that it is not a question <strong>of</strong> grow<strong>in</strong>g taller but <strong>of</strong> stoop<strong>in</strong>g lower.<br />
FB Meyer
The Seahawks <strong>of</strong> the White Tiger Squadron<br />
300 Squadron completed its Golden Jubilee on 07 July<br />
2010 and <strong>in</strong> true ‘Tiger Spirit’, <strong>in</strong>vited all those<br />
associated with the Squadron to a wonderful gettogether<br />
at Dabolim. Inspite <strong>of</strong> long embarkations, the<br />
Squadron paid attention to each detail and made everyone’s<br />
stay comfortable and most enjoyable. The efforts<br />
<strong>of</strong> the serv<strong>in</strong>g Tigers, as well as FONA and CO Hansa<br />
made this a truly memorable occasion. S<strong>in</strong>ce some<br />
would be cover<strong>in</strong>g this event, I plan to give<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>iscences <strong>of</strong> my days with the Seahawks. They flew<br />
for two decades and played an important role <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Bangladesh War. On 16 Dec ‘83, Cdr Bapat flew the last<br />
Seahawk sortie, to welcome three Sea Harriers com<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from England.<br />
The remarks <strong>of</strong> Capt BD Law, the first CO 300, fully<br />
reflect the Seahawk’s capabilities “The greatest tribute<br />
to its fly<strong>in</strong>g qualities lies <strong>in</strong> the fact that, despite there<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g no tra<strong>in</strong>er variant, a generation <strong>of</strong> Indian<br />
Naviators graduated with ease to embarked operations<br />
based only on verbal brief<strong>in</strong>gs”. Perfect <strong>in</strong> many ways, it<br />
was a dream to fly an aircraft, one most forgiv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> pilot<br />
error. It flew from aircraft carriers <strong>of</strong> the British, Dutch<br />
and the Indian Navies and operated extensively from<br />
ashore <strong>in</strong> the German Navy. After the Germans changed<br />
over to Starfighters, India was able to acquire 28<br />
German Seahawks at a very crucial time. It was ma<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
because <strong>of</strong> these that we had adequate aircraft <strong>in</strong> 1971.<br />
Also, s<strong>in</strong>ce these German Seahawks were<br />
comparatively new, we had higher serviceability.<br />
300 Sqn was commissioned at Brawdy on 07 July 1960.<br />
With<strong>in</strong> the year, it embarked with Lt Cdr Tahiliani and Lt<br />
Ghosh becom<strong>in</strong>g the first two Naviators to land on<br />
Vikrant on 18 May 1961. After its first ORI 300 Sqn<br />
embarked Vikrant, which then sailed for France to<br />
embark 310 Sqn. This was followed by the full work-up<br />
at Malta, where for the next ten weeks HMS Hal Far<br />
53<br />
Vice Admiral V Pasricha (Retd)<br />
provided vital support. On 02 Oct ‘61, when the ORI was<br />
completed, eight pilots had done their night deckland<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
and night armament carried on the range. The<br />
overall performance as a Squadron was assessed as<br />
above average. In less than two years, 300 had<br />
transformed <strong>in</strong>to a full-fledged fight<strong>in</strong>g unit.<br />
Vikrant arrived <strong>in</strong> India on 03 Nov 1961 and was<br />
welcomed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The squadron<br />
also made its presence felt that day, with an ‘Anchor<br />
formation’ fly-past over Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive and soon disembarked<br />
to Sulur. Three weeks later, when the Tigers<br />
were actually look<strong>in</strong>g forward to some time with families,<br />
they were back onboard for ‘Operation Vijay’ at Goa. In<br />
1963, after the Indo-Ch<strong>in</strong>a war, the Seahawks went to<br />
Kalaikunda and Gorakhpur and spent a month there for<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>t exercises with the Army and Air Force. Fly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
foothills <strong>of</strong> the Himalayas and do<strong>in</strong>g range work are<br />
experiences that are still cherished by the Tigers. With<br />
regular Jo<strong>in</strong>t Exercises Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee (JET), visits to A&N<br />
Islands and S<strong>in</strong>gapore, the Squadron cont<strong>in</strong>ued<br />
operational <strong>in</strong>teraction with Commonwealth Navies.<br />
These exercises and work-ups ensured that the<br />
operational status <strong>of</strong> the squadron cont<strong>in</strong>ued to rema<strong>in</strong><br />
high.<br />
Unfortunately, Vikrant was <strong>in</strong> dry-docks dur<strong>in</strong>g 1965 and<br />
thus the squadron, which was on exercise at Jamnagar,<br />
moved to Santa Cruz and provided AD cover to Mumbai.<br />
Then aga<strong>in</strong>, before the 71 War, Vikrant was under refit.<br />
Her operational state was debated and a decision taken<br />
for Vikrant to embark both squadrons and move to the<br />
East. In the <strong>in</strong>itial stages, the poor availability <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Seahawks rema<strong>in</strong>ed a concern. Fortunately, our German<br />
Seahawks played an important role here. The squadron<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ally had 15 pilots and 19 Seahawks for the war. Our<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>tenance teams ensured that all Seahawks were<br />
kept fully serviceable and we achieved all war tasks. One
never saw our tech<strong>nic</strong>al personnel ever rest<strong>in</strong>g. Also,<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g those eleven days, there were many when the<br />
w<strong>in</strong>ds were not sufficient for Seahawk fly<strong>in</strong>g. In effect,<br />
300 Sqn fought a ‘seven-day war’, where on many<br />
occasions the Seahawks were flown to their limits,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g with some emergencies and battle-damage,<br />
which made recovery on board extremely challeng<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
300 Sqn Officers on Vikrant dur<strong>in</strong>g the war<br />
The association <strong>of</strong> our Prime M<strong>in</strong>isters with 300 has<br />
been another phenomenon. In fact, the Nehru family<br />
has spent many days with Vikrant and the Squadron.<br />
Pandit Nehru welcomed Vikrant and later Indira Gandhi<br />
and Rajiv Gandhi spent time at sea on both carriers.<br />
With no cell phones <strong>in</strong> those days, their entire time on<br />
board was devoted to maritime activity. Because <strong>of</strong> her<br />
crucial decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g processes dur<strong>in</strong>g the 1971 War,<br />
Mrs Gandhi’s association with 300 Sqn was perhaps the<br />
strongest.<br />
There are a few <strong>in</strong>cidents on Seahawks that merit<br />
special mention. These <strong>in</strong>clude a young sailor, who had<br />
never flown a Seahawk decid<strong>in</strong>g that he was good<br />
enough to fly it from Madras. He could not land the<br />
aircraft and then ditched it <strong>of</strong>f the coast and survived to<br />
tell this tale. Then, we had a mid-air collision <strong>of</strong> two<br />
Seahawks, where Ashok S<strong>in</strong>ha ejected safely and Billy<br />
Dhillon was able to land his damaged Seahawk. F<strong>in</strong>ally,<br />
we have the unique case <strong>of</strong> Peter Debrass’ Seahawk<br />
fall<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the sea on a deck launch that went awry. His<br />
presence <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d and the excellent actions by him and<br />
CO Vikrant, then Capt Tahiliani, ensured that not only<br />
54<br />
was he back on board <strong>in</strong> less than two m<strong>in</strong>utes, but<br />
ready for fly<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
In later years despite reduced Seahawk availability, the<br />
fly<strong>in</strong>g achieved/rema<strong>in</strong>ed high and <strong>in</strong> fact improved with<br />
some pilots fly<strong>in</strong>g more than <strong>in</strong> earlier tenures. Also,<br />
night deck land<strong>in</strong>g cont<strong>in</strong>ued with many pilots qualify<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
No other exercise can build as much confidence <strong>in</strong> any<br />
pilot as a dark night sortie from the carrier. Then, dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
exercises conducted with HMAS Melbourne <strong>in</strong> Sep ‘77,<br />
all seven Seahawks <strong>of</strong> the squadron flew, achiev<strong>in</strong>g<br />
twice as much as the modern Skyhawks with the<br />
Australian Navy. We also had 100% serviceability<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g this entire exercise. From this, it was evident that<br />
there was still ample fly<strong>in</strong>g available on Seahawks.<br />
However, the term<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> embarked fly<strong>in</strong>g soon after<br />
these exercises came as a total surprise. We should<br />
actually have utilised the large quantum <strong>of</strong> fly<strong>in</strong>g available<br />
with the Seahawks, so that the carrier reta<strong>in</strong>ed fighter<br />
cover at sea. Then, our pilots started fly<strong>in</strong>g ashore on<br />
HJT-16s (Kirans). Fortunately this <strong>in</strong>terim period, limit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fighter tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and embarkations, was very short. Soon<br />
enough the transition to Sea Harriers happened and<br />
carriers were back <strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess-Vikrant for a few years<br />
and then Viraat. I would like to mention here that V Adm<br />
Shekhar S<strong>in</strong>ha was a young Seahawk pilot then. 300 Sqn<br />
tried to have him deck-land <strong>in</strong> a Seahawk, but the<br />
opportunity just faded because <strong>of</strong> some NHQ decisions.<br />
He got ready to deck-land, had completed MADDLs and<br />
was planned to hook-on. Just the night before he was to<br />
do so, the Sqn was <strong>in</strong>formed that there would be no new<br />
Seahawk DLQs. As our senior most Naviator today, his<br />
experience would have been <strong>in</strong>valuable when we aga<strong>in</strong><br />
start deck-land<strong>in</strong>gs on Vikramaditya.<br />
In conclusion, the last fifty years have seen 300 Sqn<br />
grow tremendously, with a lot achieved. One now hopes<br />
that like all IAF Sqns and Army Regiments, the Tigers<br />
too will shortly be presented with ‘President’s Colours’.<br />
v<strong>in</strong>od.pasricha@gmail.com
A conventional carrier is required to turn <strong>in</strong>to w<strong>in</strong>d for<br />
all launches and aircraft recoveries, to make sure that<br />
the aircraft can be flown safely and to their optimum<br />
utilization. This limitation can restrict the fleet onto one<br />
particular course for a considerable time and could<br />
prove to be harmful <strong>in</strong> the presence <strong>of</strong> enemy<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es. There is no doubt that the carrier force<br />
provides valuable air element to the fleet however, the<br />
force does have this limitation dur<strong>in</strong>g the air<br />
operations. The naval aircraft also operates with the<br />
help <strong>of</strong> catapult and arrester gear as the deck run is<br />
always limited onboard an aircraft carrier.<br />
I must narrate one <strong>in</strong>cident here just to prove how<br />
important it is to use all available expertise to recover<br />
aircraft at sea especially the relative recovery.<br />
I was fly<strong>in</strong>g Seahawks from INS Vikrant <strong>of</strong>f Madras <strong>in</strong><br />
1978. The time was towards the even<strong>in</strong>g and I was to<br />
recover on board as the last aircraft. The fly<strong>in</strong>g course<br />
was towards Mar<strong>in</strong>a beach as we were also enter<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Madras port shortly thereafter. My report<strong>in</strong>g overhead<br />
was partly over the beach. I was aware <strong>of</strong> the fact that<br />
we did not have enough time to waste as such, a good<br />
approach and recovery was obviously the foremost<br />
thought <strong>in</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
I called down w<strong>in</strong>d with four greens and I thought that<br />
my approach was pretty good to surely catch a wire.<br />
Once I hit the deck, with the expectation to get<br />
arrested, I did not get any feel<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> sharp<br />
deceleration; I had bolted and <strong>in</strong>itiated go round. Lt<br />
Cdr Fly<strong>in</strong>g screamed bolter at the same time. I<br />
analyzed my circuit and approach but my m<strong>in</strong>d was too<br />
busy to effect next arrest.<br />
Not only had I bolted once but I did that three more<br />
times. I was over concentrat<strong>in</strong>g to recover with the<br />
Relative Recoveries Onboard Carrier<br />
55<br />
Cdr BS Hothi (Retd)<br />
result that I was sail<strong>in</strong>g over all the wires, not to<br />
mention that I was practically fly<strong>in</strong>g over the beach<br />
now.<br />
On my fourth circuit, with almost no fuel to spare, I<br />
caught the last wire and was literally hang<strong>in</strong>g over the<br />
deck and star<strong>in</strong>g at the beach. The carrier turned as<br />
sharply as the rudder could react, to rema<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the<br />
deeper waters. I thought that my aircraft will topple<br />
overboard. The Capta<strong>in</strong> must have had nerves <strong>of</strong> steel<br />
to go through such a hair-rais<strong>in</strong>g recovery for which I<br />
was responsible.<br />
I was obviously shaken a bit. I was also worried to face<br />
a very angry look<strong>in</strong>g Lieut. Commander Fly<strong>in</strong>g and the<br />
Commander Air. I must say that no one got after me<br />
but I knew what they all had gone through dur<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
bolters and <strong>in</strong> very close quarters <strong>of</strong> the beach.<br />
The importance <strong>of</strong> relative recoveries and, to elim<strong>in</strong>ate<br />
restriction imposed on the command, to turn <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
w<strong>in</strong>d for recoveries and launches <strong>of</strong> aircraft, rema<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
foremost <strong>in</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d ever thereafter, much more so<br />
when I jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Harrier force.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g my Harrier command we were already<br />
swamped by <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g all sorts <strong>of</strong> operational<br />
exercises start<strong>in</strong>g from dissimilar air combat at<br />
TACDE, night fly<strong>in</strong>g from the deck and many other<br />
exercises from the deck and also from ashore. The<br />
relative recovery <strong>in</strong>troduction was last th<strong>in</strong>g on my<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d however, I knew that it had to be done sooner<br />
than later. The only problem fac<strong>in</strong>g me was the lack <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge and lack <strong>of</strong> any written material on relative<br />
recoveries. One th<strong>in</strong>g we knew; RN was conduct<strong>in</strong>g<br />
relative recoveries already.<br />
We had a chance visit by a Royal Navy Harrier carrier
when we had the opportunity to fly few sorties<br />
with their Harriers but, more importantly, we<br />
had a chance to share our operational<br />
concerns with each other at the squadron<br />
level. RN squadron <strong>in</strong>vited all the Tigers on<br />
board for lunch and squadron level chit chat.<br />
The squadron commander <strong>of</strong> RNAS 800<br />
requested me to spend some time with him as<br />
he was concerned about high temperature<br />
operations while the rest <strong>of</strong> our boys got<br />
together <strong>in</strong> the Wardroom.<br />
I agreed to share our ga<strong>in</strong>ed knowledge with<br />
him provided he reciprocated to give me solutions to<br />
our problems. He agreed to let me know whatever he<br />
knew and share his expertise with me. We settled<br />
down <strong>in</strong> his cab<strong>in</strong> for pre-lunch dr<strong>in</strong>ks and started our<br />
discussions. He obviously wanted to know how he<br />
could reduce the eng<strong>in</strong>e counts <strong>in</strong> each sorties <strong>in</strong><br />
Indian climatic conditions. He told me that his<br />
airplanes were fall<strong>in</strong>g due for eng<strong>in</strong>e change at five<br />
times the rate compar<strong>in</strong>g with colder climates <strong>of</strong><br />
Europe.<br />
I gave him the procedure which we followed. He was<br />
obviously pleased that we had mastered fly<strong>in</strong>g Harriers<br />
<strong>in</strong> hot weather. It was my turn to ask him if he could<br />
brief me on relative recovery procedure. He was very<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d to do that and made it look so simple that I was<br />
eager to <strong>in</strong>troduce it to our ship dur<strong>in</strong>g our next sail<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The RN and IN, could have got the know how from<br />
BAE for both our problems but BAE <strong>of</strong>fered the<br />
solutions for hard cash which RN and IN were reluctant<br />
to pay. Between two squadron commanders, we<br />
<strong>in</strong>troduced very important procedures for our Navies<br />
by hav<strong>in</strong>g a casual pre-lunch dr<strong>in</strong>k and saved hard<br />
cash for our services.<br />
Although I was confident to get crack<strong>in</strong>g with the trials<br />
for relative recoveries, I had a long discussion with my<br />
Senior Pilot and thereafter, with the whole squadron.<br />
Once we ironed out our procedures to be followed, I<br />
56<br />
briefed the Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> our carrier and requested him to<br />
plan out the trials on our next sail<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Needless to say, the Capta<strong>in</strong> was surprised at my<br />
read<strong>in</strong>ess especially when I was so reluctant to do<br />
so only dur<strong>in</strong>g my last sail<strong>in</strong>g. When he heard me<br />
out completely, he was happy to let us try out the<br />
concept and put up our recommendations about it.<br />
Incidentally, the Seak<strong>in</strong>gs also did not carry out<br />
any relative recoveries s<strong>in</strong>ce Alizes and K<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
were recovered by turn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the w<strong>in</strong>d; Alize<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g the tail hook aircraft. Seak<strong>in</strong>g and Harrier<br />
mix however could have been do<strong>in</strong>g relative<br />
recoveries but no one had demanded that except<br />
for our Capta<strong>in</strong>. I must thank him for do<strong>in</strong>g so<br />
otherwise, we could have delayed these trials<br />
even further or, we may not have undertaken<br />
relative recoveries at all.<br />
We sailed out with<strong>in</strong> a day and went <strong>of</strong>f Goa. Although,<br />
I was ready and wanted to do the first relative<br />
recovery, I still had some l<strong>in</strong>ger<strong>in</strong>g questions. The<br />
major concern <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>e was that I was not sure how I<br />
will react to the carrier movement when I made<br />
approach from the beam or from the quarters.<br />
Although, I was told by my RN counterpart that I<br />
should ignore the carrier movement all together, it<br />
appeared more difficult than his description; at least, I<br />
thought so.
My second major concern was regard<strong>in</strong>g the hover at<br />
45 degree and fac<strong>in</strong>g over the deck and onto the blue<br />
water. I was apprehensive that I might get distracted<br />
with the apparent motion <strong>of</strong> the water and do<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>appropriate dur<strong>in</strong>g hover.<br />
With all the doubts <strong>in</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d but, with absolute<br />
assurance from my counterpart <strong>in</strong> the Royal Navy, I<br />
was still determ<strong>in</strong>ed to go ahead with the trials. The<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> gave his bless<strong>in</strong>gs and wished us happy<br />
relative recoveries.<br />
The weather was little wet as it was mid-July 1986 <strong>of</strong>f<br />
the West Coast. Capta<strong>in</strong>, possibly with the<br />
consultations <strong>of</strong> the Chief, decided to launch me and<br />
recover me on the reciprocal course first. His idea was<br />
to stop the ship and give me practically zero w<strong>in</strong>d so<br />
that I should not have any problem to face cross w<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
What he did not realise was that the stationery ship,<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g monsoons, would be roll<strong>in</strong>g and pitch<strong>in</strong>g much<br />
more than if she was underway. I got launched for the<br />
first trial with m<strong>in</strong>imum fuel so that I did not have to<br />
wait around too much as the primary aim was to see if<br />
we could do relative recoveries.<br />
Land<strong>in</strong>g on reciprocal course was noth<strong>in</strong>g much other<br />
than the fact that the ship looked different and I saw<br />
the forecastle and the island on the port side rather<br />
than on the starboard side. But still, it made me carry<br />
out a longer approach. I landed on the catapult track<br />
and cleared the area without any undue exhilaration or<br />
doubts about what we had done. This was not a<br />
relative recovery but a step closer to it after all, every<br />
one especially the command, had to be confident<br />
about the cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g trials and we had to do it safely.<br />
With<strong>in</strong> one week, we sailed aga<strong>in</strong> for work up. This<br />
time we had earmarked relative recovery trials as our<br />
foremost exercise. We worked out the approach<br />
angles with Commander Air and with the Direction<br />
Team. We also decided that either I or the Senior Pilot<br />
would rema<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the FLYCO for last m<strong>in</strong>ute advice.<br />
57<br />
The first recovery was planned to be from Port Quarter.<br />
Accord<strong>in</strong>gly, the ship created the w<strong>in</strong>d from Starboard<br />
Bow and steadied up on a fly<strong>in</strong>g course. I reported<br />
overhead at about 45 degrees to the ship’s course and<br />
turned onto the downw<strong>in</strong>d leg <strong>of</strong> the circuit. As I saw<br />
different perspective <strong>of</strong> the ship, my tendency was<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> to make a longer circuit. That is precisely what<br />
happened and I had a much longer approach than we<br />
normally did. This was <strong>in</strong> my view the first po<strong>in</strong>t to bear<br />
<strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d while carry<strong>in</strong>g out relative recoveries to avoid<br />
stretch<strong>in</strong>g the circuit and not to land up on a longer<br />
approach.<br />
Although, I delayed select<strong>in</strong>g the nozzles to hover stop<br />
still, my approach turned out to be slightly dragg<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and was not crisp as we normally did. The whole <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Port side <strong>of</strong> the ship was visible which made me feel<br />
that the ship was closer than it actually was. The<br />
second th<strong>in</strong>g which was distract<strong>in</strong>g me was the<br />
movement <strong>of</strong> personnel below the flight deck as<br />
everyone was keen to witness the new way <strong>of</strong> Harrier<br />
recoveries. Lastly, it was the ship’s movement itself<br />
which was a serious distraction and I had strong urge<br />
to go round and ask for <strong>in</strong>to the w<strong>in</strong>d recovery.<br />
I was down to 150’ by now and my aircraft had not<br />
drifted as I thought it would do. The CDI marker was<br />
steady on the same spot on the deck where I had first<br />
put it. The motion <strong>of</strong> the ship therefore, was not the<br />
problem however the strong feel<strong>in</strong>g to correct the drift<br />
would take a few days to get used to. I arrived over the<br />
flight deck at an angle and consciously avoided to look<br />
ahead as it was very distract<strong>in</strong>g to look over onto the<br />
water. Instead, look<strong>in</strong>g at the island to hover was much<br />
easier and practical. After a brief hover, I landed on<br />
spot six or seven. I don’t remember which one I was<br />
given.<br />
After touch down, I did not want to let go <strong>of</strong> the brakes<br />
as the aircraft was po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g onto an unusual angle. I<br />
could see only water ahead <strong>of</strong> me and practically no<br />
deck due to the nose <strong>of</strong> the Harrier. The director
assured me that it was OK to follow his directions and<br />
go onto my park<strong>in</strong>g spot. Our first cross deck recovery<br />
had been successfully completed.<br />
With<strong>in</strong> the next few days, we recovered the aircraft<br />
from all angles however, few approach angles were<br />
considered unnecessary/unsuitable due to follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
reasons;<br />
• FLYCO was not happy if we approached from<br />
starboard quarter or starboard bow s<strong>in</strong>ce the FLYCO<br />
staff could not see us clearly as the aircraft<br />
approached for land<strong>in</strong>g;<br />
• The deck was cluttered up with safety services,<br />
tractors and other stuff on the starboard side and;<br />
• The ski jump also hampered approach on the<br />
starboard side if we wanted to land ahead <strong>of</strong> the<br />
island.<br />
Keep<strong>in</strong>g all the above po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> view, it was decided<br />
that the ship still could recover us, with very m<strong>in</strong>or<br />
adjustments <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>tended course, from right ahead<br />
to right astern i.e. with<strong>in</strong> a 180 degree arc as<br />
approached from the Port side.<br />
The whole squadron had a go at it and with<strong>in</strong> two days<br />
the relative recovery method was as familiar as the<br />
astern approach. We also made the Seak<strong>in</strong>gs to follow<br />
suit and they promptly obliged to follow us <strong>in</strong> carry<strong>in</strong>g<br />
out relative recoveries. Much needed freedom to the<br />
command was f<strong>in</strong>ally at their discretion.<br />
My Senior Pilot, electro<strong>nic</strong> savvy as he has been, also<br />
found out that we could actually land <strong>of</strong>f the CCA<br />
approaches even while recover<strong>in</strong>g from any angle. All<br />
we had to do was to adjust the Radar cursor onto the<br />
new fly<strong>in</strong>g course and we could guide <strong>in</strong> the aircraft <strong>of</strong>f<br />
the CCA. Our Direction Officer and all the CCA<br />
controllers mastered their skills too to recover us from<br />
all angles.<br />
58<br />
The only approach aid which was miss<strong>in</strong>g on f<strong>in</strong>als<br />
was the Meat-ball and HAPI. Due to this limitation, we<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued to carry out night fly<strong>in</strong>g by turn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
w<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g our subsequent embarkations, the relative<br />
recovery proved to be extremely helpful as we<br />
recovered Harriers and Seak<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> rapidly<br />
deteriorat<strong>in</strong>g weather conditions. The aircraft<br />
recovery would have been very challeng<strong>in</strong>g if this<br />
method <strong>of</strong> recover<strong>in</strong>g aircraft was not mastered by<br />
the squadron.<br />
We also <strong>in</strong>troduced another exercise which became a<br />
great help to our handlers-we started to taxi backwards<br />
and could spot Harriers with<strong>in</strong> few <strong>in</strong>ches <strong>of</strong> each<br />
aircraft thus cutt<strong>in</strong>g down the turn around time for<br />
subsequent sorties. Back taxi is only possible on deck<br />
due to FOD concerns ashore.<br />
We also made it a standard procedure to<br />
recover/launch aircraft from anchorage and from<br />
along side. Imag<strong>in</strong>e the happ<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>of</strong> the ship’s<br />
command when an aircraft could be launched without<br />
sail<strong>in</strong>g out, without gett<strong>in</strong>g cumbersome mach<strong>in</strong>ery<br />
fired up and without even affect<strong>in</strong>g the ship’s<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>tenance rout<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
billhothi@yahoo.com
Rem<strong>in</strong>iscence <strong>of</strong> Air Traffic Controller<br />
If I remember correctly, the date was 28th April 1981 (the<br />
last fly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a Seahawk <strong>in</strong> the Indian Navy, except <strong>in</strong><br />
December ‘83 another sortie to welcome the Sea<br />
Harriers). It was a Wednesday. I happened to be the<br />
forenoon DATCO <strong>of</strong> Dabolim Air Station. As usual after<br />
the morn<strong>in</strong>g brief<strong>in</strong>g at 0730 at ADR, I was back at the<br />
ATC build<strong>in</strong>g to climb the tower which is 106 feet above<br />
the ground (where normally the non-duty staff won’t<br />
prefer to climb). I personally <strong>in</strong>formed SATCO, the then Lt<br />
Cdr Jagmohan S<strong>in</strong>gh (later he retired as a Commander<br />
and settled <strong>in</strong> Canada) to provide a reliever, as I was<br />
slightly uncomfortable with an allergy <strong>of</strong> sneez<strong>in</strong>g (which<br />
later on developed <strong>in</strong>to a chro<strong>nic</strong> asthma and is still<br />
persist<strong>in</strong>g). He replied, ‘’ Go on top the reliever will come<br />
to you <strong>in</strong> due course <strong>of</strong> time”. I obeyed that with strict<br />
regimentals and assumed duty on the top floor.<br />
At about 0805 hrs, two Kiran aircraft <strong>in</strong> formation taxied<br />
out, and got airborne for a dummy dive at Bogmolo beach<br />
which is on the left side <strong>of</strong> the runway. Therefore the<br />
normal left hand circuit was not allowed and right hand<br />
circuit was <strong>in</strong> force dur<strong>in</strong>g dummy dive, which had been<br />
briefed about dur<strong>in</strong>g the mass brief<strong>in</strong>g. After a gap <strong>of</strong> ten<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes I received an RT call - Dabolim 22, i.e. Cdr BS<br />
Hothi, request taxi <strong>in</strong> a Seahawk for air-test which was<br />
allowed by me. The aircraft entered the R/W- 26 for<br />
take<strong>of</strong>f and permission given.<br />
At 0905 the aircraft was airborne, I answered “22 airborne<br />
turn right. Climb 5000 feet O/H for test flight”. Reply from<br />
22 was, “Rojo turn<strong>in</strong>g right- my fire warn<strong>in</strong>g light on”.<br />
Immediately I got up from my chair and looked up at the<br />
aircraft which was at 1000 feet high over the Headland<br />
(near Vasco town). I cleared the aircraft for a right hand<br />
circuit for immediate land<strong>in</strong>g. I made sure that the runway<br />
was clear for an immediate land<strong>in</strong>g. At the same time the<br />
then Lt KK Kutty (retired as a Commander and settled at<br />
Palakkad) arrived at my back to relieve me which was not<br />
59<br />
Lt Cdr Mathew Joseph (Retd)<br />
possible then because <strong>of</strong> the emergency situation. My<br />
right hand thumb on the emergency siren alert<strong>in</strong>g all<br />
safety services, look<strong>in</strong>g at the aircraft found huge fumes<br />
<strong>of</strong> black smoke emitt<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong> the aircraft. On see<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
aircraft I was about to pipe which I did not do realis<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
he may eject on receiv<strong>in</strong>g the message. I prayed to<br />
Almighty God, hold<strong>in</strong>g the mike <strong>in</strong> my hand, noth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
should happen (my m<strong>in</strong>d visualised that the ejection will<br />
not take place properly due to low height and the aircraft<br />
will crash <strong>in</strong> the thickly populated Vasco town). I allowed<br />
the aircraft to call ‘f<strong>in</strong>als’ after which I observed the pilot<br />
perform<strong>in</strong>g a tight circuit for land<strong>in</strong>g with the cont<strong>in</strong>uous<br />
emission <strong>of</strong> smoke. I took a deep breath and piped the<br />
aircraft to land. Aircraft touched down on the ground<br />
with<strong>in</strong> a few seconds. I was relieved <strong>of</strong> my tension and<br />
piped “22- touched down safely- smoke observed- crash<br />
tender beh<strong>in</strong>d you”. On hear<strong>in</strong>g my conversation I could<br />
see that Lt Cdr Hothi runn<strong>in</strong>g away from the aircraft<br />
towards 333 Squadron.<br />
I am still surprised how he managed to stop the aircraft<br />
with<strong>in</strong> a distance <strong>of</strong> 2500 feet and switched <strong>of</strong>f the eng<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Safety services came <strong>in</strong>to action throw<strong>in</strong>g foam under the<br />
command <strong>of</strong> the then Commander (Air) Cdr YM Bhide. At<br />
the same time I as a DATCO term<strong>in</strong>ated the dummy dives<br />
<strong>of</strong> Kirans and asked to climb 6500 feet and anchor at 30<br />
NM, north-east Dabolim and establish commu<strong>nic</strong>ation<br />
with Belgaum airport, if any diversion was required and to<br />
conserve fuel and their endurance conf<strong>in</strong>ed to 35<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes. The salvage team cleared the aircraft out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
runway with<strong>in</strong> a span <strong>of</strong> 20 m<strong>in</strong>utes and made the runway<br />
available for the Kirans to land safely by 0935 hrs.<br />
On <strong>in</strong>vestigations by the Board <strong>of</strong> Inquiry revealed that 64<br />
<strong>in</strong> number bolts <strong>of</strong> the ma<strong>in</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>e had sheared <strong>of</strong>f from<br />
the eng<strong>in</strong>e caus<strong>in</strong>g fumes emission through the exhaust<br />
pipe. If I had piped about smoke emission from the<br />
aircraft, the pilot immediately would have ejected and his
safety, loss <strong>of</strong> aircraft, many lives and damage to public<br />
property would have resulted. All <strong>of</strong> these were averted<br />
by thorough pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism, presence <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d,<br />
experience and courage displayed by Lt Cdr Hothi.<br />
One more <strong>in</strong>cident comes to my m<strong>in</strong>d which <strong>in</strong>volved Lt<br />
Cdr Hothi and Cdr Arun Prakash (later he became CNS<br />
and retired, settled down at Goa). It happened <strong>in</strong> end July<br />
or early August <strong>of</strong> 1981 <strong>in</strong> an afternoon where aga<strong>in</strong> I was<br />
DATCO. The duty commenced 1330 hrs and whereas I<br />
closed up 15 m<strong>in</strong>utes early. I was told that two Kiran aircraft<br />
were airborne from Coch<strong>in</strong> to Dabolim after be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
detached at Coch<strong>in</strong>. The leader <strong>of</strong> the formation was Cdr.<br />
Arun Prakash and second aircraft was flown by Lt Cdr<br />
Hothi. The ETA was 1350 hrs. Aircraft were ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
flight level <strong>of</strong> 17500 feet. At 1330 hrs weather report<br />
revealed a moderate shower expected to pass over the<br />
station with<strong>in</strong> 10 m<strong>in</strong>utes, reduc<strong>in</strong>g visibility to 1000 meters<br />
with w<strong>in</strong>d gust<strong>in</strong>g at 20- 25 kts. The same was conveyed to<br />
Commander (Air) Cdr YM Bhide as well as the aircraft.<br />
The formation was fly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> VMC and requested for<br />
descend clearance at 1340 hrs. At the same time the<br />
shower was over the station and the ATC was only<br />
equipped with a t<strong>in</strong>y Russian CRT Homer. Monitor<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
conversation Commander (Air) <strong>in</strong>formed DATCO on<br />
<strong>in</strong>tercom- not to allow aircraft to descend and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />
height, which <strong>in</strong> turn was passed on to the aircraft. The<br />
formation reported O/H at 17500 feet and their endurance<br />
was reduced to 25 m<strong>in</strong>utes. In the meantime the leader<br />
Cdr. Arun Prakash on RT contacted Commander (Air) -<br />
“Sir, is the weather that bad O/H?” Commander (Air) did<br />
60<br />
not reply. Perhaps the anxiety <strong>of</strong> the pilots must have<br />
<strong>in</strong>creased, so were hesitat<strong>in</strong>g for a descend clearance. I<br />
was well aware as sitt<strong>in</strong>g on the top <strong>of</strong> the tower at 106<br />
feet above the ground level, the shower will pass over the<br />
station with<strong>in</strong> few m<strong>in</strong>utes and the visibility at the western<br />
side over the sea had already <strong>in</strong>creased. Commander<br />
(Air) still did not allow the aircraft to descend and DATCO<br />
was <strong>in</strong> a dilemma on controll<strong>in</strong>g the aircraft.<br />
After a gap <strong>of</strong> few m<strong>in</strong>utes the leader requested DATCO<br />
to give him Hom<strong>in</strong>g and Control descend through cloud<br />
(QGH) which I readily accepted, ignor<strong>in</strong>g Commander<br />
(Air)’s <strong>in</strong>tercom <strong>in</strong>structions. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the QGH I asked the<br />
number two to detach from the leader and leader to steer<br />
2750 which was the out bound track <strong>of</strong> the safety lane<br />
and asked him to descend to 12000 feet which was his<br />
turn<strong>in</strong>g altitude to the <strong>in</strong>bound head<strong>in</strong>g 0800. I was pretty<br />
sure when the aircraft reaches height <strong>of</strong> 8000- 7000 feet<br />
the pilot would sight the runway as the shower was<br />
clear<strong>in</strong>g the runway at that moment. After a gap <strong>of</strong> 15<br />
seconds number two was also asked to follow the same<br />
track and both aircraft sighted the runway and landed<br />
safely at 1402 hrs.<br />
The above situation was dealt with by DATCO with the<br />
help <strong>of</strong> a t<strong>in</strong>y Russian CRT Homer and non- availability <strong>of</strong><br />
navigational aids at that time. At the fag end <strong>of</strong> my life and<br />
with great pr<strong>of</strong>essional pride, I recount these <strong>in</strong>cidents<br />
and those brave <strong>of</strong>ficers. May the God Almighty give them<br />
good health and long life.<br />
ltcdrmathew@gmail.com
The dictionary def<strong>in</strong>es “Camaraderie” as “Goodwill and<br />
lighthearted rapport between or among friends;<br />
comradeship.” Personally, I feel this def<strong>in</strong>ition does not<br />
do justice to the camaraderie that exists <strong>in</strong> the Navy, at<br />
least as far as my experience goes! I th<strong>in</strong>k one could<br />
easily co<strong>in</strong> a slogan and say, “If you want to experience<br />
camaraderie, Come jo<strong>in</strong> the friendly Indian Navy!”<br />
I was born <strong>in</strong> INS Shivaji as my father then Lt VS<br />
Arunachalam was serv<strong>in</strong>g there. My mother, Kamala,<br />
was from a rural background and was quite petrified<br />
when my father <strong>in</strong>troduced her to the Navy. She could<br />
only converse <strong>in</strong> Tamil and was <strong>in</strong> awe <strong>of</strong> the new<br />
surround<strong>in</strong>gs and was apprehensive about<br />
adjustments… but she did not have to wait very long.<br />
People around her accepted her and she grew from<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g a reticent and diffident young lady to a confident<br />
and bold person. She soon mastered H<strong>in</strong>di and English<br />
with the help <strong>of</strong> my father and friends <strong>in</strong> the navy and<br />
pleasantly surprised people at home when she visited<br />
them. Her talent as a viol<strong>in</strong>ist and s<strong>in</strong>ger was brought to<br />
the fore thanks to NOWA (as NWWA was then known<br />
as) and she was <strong>in</strong> great demand! This is what<br />
camaraderie did for her!<br />
I grew up <strong>in</strong> this environment <strong>of</strong> bonhomie and hence<br />
have thrived <strong>in</strong> this very congenial atmosphere. Inspite<br />
<strong>of</strong> the numerous transfers I still managed to do well <strong>in</strong><br />
school, because the naval atmosphere always helped<br />
me to settle down quickly. It also taught me to adapt to<br />
changes and make new friends. So it was obvious that<br />
when it came to marriage, I was bent upon marry<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
Naval Officer much to the chagr<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> my parents! Life, I<br />
felt, was not just about lucre but the mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> life<br />
sublimates with good friends and camaraderie which is<br />
abundant <strong>in</strong> the navy. My parents were on the lookout<br />
for good matches but before they could <strong>in</strong>tervene, I met<br />
my future husband, Lt Rajan <strong>in</strong> INS Valsura and <strong>in</strong> true<br />
Of Friendship it is good to S<strong>in</strong>g...<br />
63<br />
Mrs Manju Gupta (nee Manju Rajan)<br />
H<strong>in</strong>di film style told my parents that if at all I marry, it<br />
would have to be this young naval <strong>of</strong>ficer. My father was<br />
appalled with my histrio<strong>nic</strong>s as he chose to label it! Soon<br />
he saw reason and succumbed and I was on cloud n<strong>in</strong>e!<br />
I got married <strong>in</strong> 1971 and we had a lovely marriage which<br />
lasted for 18 years when fate dealt a cruel blow and<br />
Commodore KMS Rajan passed away. Even at that time<br />
it was the people around me, my friends, who boosted<br />
my morale and kept my spirits up. I had reached a culde-sac,<br />
as far as my life was concerned but new<br />
avenues opened as help came from all quarters and the<br />
channels <strong>of</strong> commu<strong>nic</strong>ation went a long way <strong>in</strong> shap<strong>in</strong>g<br />
my attitude. My association with the Navy never ceased<br />
and even today I consider that my only home! Even<br />
though it is more than two decades s<strong>in</strong>ce I was actively<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the Navy, my camaraderie with people like<br />
Rear Admiral Ramsay, Rear Admiral V Shanker, Vice<br />
Admiral Cheema and their spouses and a host <strong>of</strong> others<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ues and has helped me to cope with all the ups<br />
and downs <strong>in</strong> life. It is difficult to describe <strong>in</strong> words how<br />
all these wonderful people have impacted my life. I<br />
remarried <strong>in</strong> 1995 and was apprehensive as to how my<br />
present husband, Rajiv Gupta would be accepted. I was<br />
pleasantly surprised to see how warmly he was<br />
welcomed and how happy my Naval friends were for me!<br />
This def<strong>in</strong>itely takes friendship to a higher level.<br />
I remember, a few years ago, Vice Admiral J D’Silva was<br />
head<strong>in</strong>g the Eastern Naval Command; my school<br />
children were go<strong>in</strong>g on an excursion and I wanted them<br />
to visit a Naval Ship and a Submar<strong>in</strong>e and so I wrote to<br />
him. Even though we were not very well acqua<strong>in</strong>ted, he<br />
did fondly remember my late husband, and promptly<br />
wrote back to me and said that all arrangements for the<br />
kids’ visit would be made. This was also an <strong>in</strong>stance<br />
when my faith <strong>in</strong> the camaraderie <strong>in</strong> the Navy was<br />
reaffirmed and I had tears <strong>of</strong> gratitude <strong>in</strong> my eyes.
I now live <strong>in</strong> Secunderabad and am head<strong>in</strong>g a school<br />
which fortunately is situated <strong>in</strong> the Cantonment area and<br />
so it is a real pleasure to keep <strong>in</strong> touch with the<br />
Services, especially the Navy, as many naval wives are<br />
a part <strong>of</strong> my teach<strong>in</strong>g staff and they br<strong>in</strong>g so much <strong>of</strong><br />
Camaraderie is associated more with ‘comrades <strong>in</strong> arms’,<br />
relat<strong>in</strong>g to fellow soldiers. True, camaraderie is not<br />
restricted to the Armed Forces alone it exists amongst<br />
any group <strong>of</strong> associates function<strong>in</strong>g under a set <strong>of</strong> rules,<br />
more importantly, under difficulties.<br />
Camaraderie spr<strong>in</strong>gs from hav<strong>in</strong>g common ‘enemies’, not<br />
necessarily military enemies. School and college kids<br />
have the dreaded enemies like Pr<strong>in</strong>cipal, teacher, exams,<br />
extra classes and so on; crim<strong>in</strong>als have the police and<br />
law enforc<strong>in</strong>g agencies; the Opposition has the perceived<br />
‘<strong>in</strong>effective, corrupt, take it all type’ <strong>of</strong> the Government <strong>in</strong><br />
power; cadets on tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ships have the bellow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
course <strong>of</strong>ficer and the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Chief GI, and so on.<br />
Essentially, for comrades to be thick as thieves, an<br />
element <strong>of</strong> common hardship is a must <strong>in</strong>gredient.<br />
Naturally therefore, camaraderie <strong>in</strong> the Armed Forces is<br />
more noticeable because besides hav<strong>in</strong>g a common<br />
enemy dur<strong>in</strong>g war, there is at all times, even or more so<br />
<strong>in</strong> peace, the permanent enemy - the enemy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
focussed, well mean<strong>in</strong>g but ruthless authority above that<br />
is charged with the sacred responsibility <strong>of</strong> keep<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
fight<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>e mentally and physically honed and<br />
sharpened. The powder has to be kept dry at any cost.<br />
It is with a bit <strong>of</strong> humour, bit <strong>of</strong> light heartedness, that a<br />
gang tries to ease the pa<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> hardships. Though practical<br />
jokes are aimed at colleagues that will evoke the best<br />
reactions, there is little to prove that such targets become<br />
‘distant’. In fact, the laughter and mirth over a dr<strong>in</strong>k<br />
64<br />
good cheer with them. All <strong>in</strong> all, my experience has<br />
been great and if I was given a choice, I would like to be<br />
reborn as a naval brat!<br />
manjugupta@hotmail.com<br />
Camaraderie<br />
Rear Admiral SK Das (Retd)<br />
thereafter, seals the camaraderie further.<br />
One’s service or job career may cover a few decades,<br />
however it is the light hearted <strong>in</strong>cidents one remembers<br />
and cherishes more.<br />
As young Midshipmen, the ‘FIFI’ was the symbol <strong>of</strong><br />
ultimate achievement, sublime feel<strong>in</strong>g. This curvaceous<br />
clay model, skimpily attired, was the coveted and<br />
safeguarded possession <strong>of</strong> whichever Gun Room she<br />
adorned. Swimm<strong>in</strong>g across channels, climb<strong>in</strong>g up the<br />
cable, through the hawse pipe, squeez<strong>in</strong>g access through<br />
port holes or by masquerad<strong>in</strong>g as casual labour, you<br />
name it, all avenues were tried <strong>in</strong> an attempt to ‘kidnap’<br />
Fifi to your own ship. You got caught the irate defenders<br />
got the ship’s barber to shave an airstrip across your<br />
head!<br />
I am not aware if Fifi still rules or she has been laid to rest<br />
- <strong>in</strong> the hearts <strong>of</strong> so many <strong>of</strong> us from yester years.<br />
The Coursemates bond<strong>in</strong>g has always been strong,<br />
perhaps stronger on retirement. The regular reunions <strong>of</strong><br />
retired courses at the NDA or IMA bear testimony to this.<br />
It may also be because we retired foggies have little else<br />
to do.<br />
A particular Divisional Officer (name unimportant), when<br />
we were do<strong>in</strong>g the B & D course at Venduruthy, way back<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1960-61, seemed the appropriate candidate for a<br />
practical joke. Agarbatti stick <strong>of</strong> appropriate length was
tied to the wick <strong>of</strong> a cha<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> cracker bombs, and placed<br />
under his bed at ‘lights out’. After the calculated m<strong>in</strong>utes<br />
passed, the cracker got lit and there was a staccato <strong>of</strong><br />
mach<strong>in</strong>e gun fire from below his bed, smoke all around.<br />
“What the b… hell,” he bellowed and looked around at the<br />
bed rooms <strong>of</strong> the Sub Lts on course, but could only hear<br />
snores <strong>of</strong> deep slumber, eyes just split open, mouths<br />
gagged to not burst out laugh<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
For our Liberty ashore, it was alternate days for Port and<br />
Starboard watches. Our Pocket allowances were a<br />
meagre Rs 30/- per month. Didn’t matter too much, <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
the liberty was excused for some misbehaviour. Once,<br />
three <strong>of</strong> us went ashore for a movie at EROS. After the<br />
movie, we noticed a new sweetmeat shop, ‘Mishtaan’<br />
next to the movie hall. Tempt<strong>in</strong>g! Went ahead and had<br />
just two pieces each, not realis<strong>in</strong>g that the outrageous<br />
pric<strong>in</strong>g was way-way beyond our means. We scraped<br />
through all our worldly possessions to pay for it and<br />
walked back to Lion Gate. Back <strong>in</strong> the Gun Room, we just<br />
couldn’t accept that only we had to suffer this. So, with<strong>in</strong><br />
earshot <strong>of</strong> a colleague (preferred to be a loner at liberty)<br />
we discussed with great fervour <strong>of</strong> what a discovery it<br />
was, that we couldn’t believe that we could have had 6 to<br />
8 pieces each, and still paid less than Rs 5/- per head.<br />
“Mishtaan below EROS is now our favourite liberty haunt,<br />
wait<strong>in</strong>g to rush there on our next Liberty” we echoed with<br />
cheer. The next day was this guy’s liberty ashore. The<br />
rest you can imag<strong>in</strong>e, though I do recall he returned on<br />
board with his trousers <strong>in</strong>tact.<br />
We were at Agrani for some field and weapons tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g.<br />
With us was a tall, strapp<strong>in</strong>g Sardar, straight from the land<br />
<strong>of</strong> the five rivers. In Agrani there was a squash court, with<br />
open wire mesh ro<strong>of</strong>. “Wow! What a pleasure play<strong>in</strong>g<br />
squash, beneath the blue sky” we told this giant. “Come<br />
see,” we said and three <strong>of</strong> us <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g him went <strong>in</strong>. He<br />
looked up at the sky with outstretched hands, “Fantastic”<br />
when he heard the door shut on him and bolted from<br />
outside. Rage, anger, plead<strong>in</strong>g all <strong>of</strong> no avail! He growled<br />
and growled, but who had the guts to open the door on<br />
this outraged tiger? Almost an hour later, I quietly<br />
65<br />
unbolted the door and bolted away to just nowhere.<br />
Giants are normally very k<strong>in</strong>d hearted they cool <strong>of</strong>f faster<br />
than gett<strong>in</strong>g enraged. Thank God for small mercies!<br />
There was also a very small but meticulous Sardar course<br />
mate. He prided <strong>in</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g the sh<strong>in</strong>iest boots, perfectly tied<br />
turban, but above all, his moustache, long and black,<br />
cheesed <strong>in</strong> a neat loop on each side with ample ‘fixo’ was<br />
admirable. One night as he lay asleep on the quarterdeck,<br />
with only a few stars through clouds as witness, a small<br />
pair <strong>of</strong> scissors knocked the loop from only one side. Next<br />
morn<strong>in</strong>g it so happened that just about nobody happened<br />
to be go<strong>in</strong>g the same way or cross<strong>in</strong>g as he. Cruel, but not<br />
so <strong>in</strong>tended! He still knows that each <strong>of</strong> us would stand by<br />
him <strong>in</strong> the face <strong>of</strong> the enemy.<br />
As Sub Lts, or even younger, one was perpetually hungry.<br />
Food packets from home or from visit<strong>in</strong>g relatives were<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> joy. Yes, it was shared, but not necessarily with<br />
everyone, really not enough to go all around. A colleague,<br />
whilst we were at Valsura for Electrical tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, received<br />
a <strong>nic</strong>e look<strong>in</strong>g parcel, the aroma a tell tale. He went<br />
quietly and locked it <strong>in</strong> his M.E.S. cupboard, and denied<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g received anyth<strong>in</strong>g, “just some books and cloth<strong>in</strong>g!”<br />
While all <strong>of</strong> us were out from the dormitory, at games, few<br />
<strong>of</strong> us crept back and physically shifted his cupboard down<br />
the l<strong>in</strong>e plac<strong>in</strong>g another cupboard <strong>in</strong> its place (they all look<br />
alike). On return from games, it was fun watch<strong>in</strong>g him<br />
try<strong>in</strong>g to unlock the wrong cupboard. Some <strong>of</strong> us tried to<br />
help him with the lock, quietly slipp<strong>in</strong>g his key to someone<br />
else’s to open his real locker down the l<strong>in</strong>e, tak<strong>in</strong>g out the<br />
packet and <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g sweets to everyone, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g him. He<br />
was unsure whether to own up that they were his sweets<br />
or somebody else’s.<br />
These and many more! In later years, while bend<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
elbow at some bar, it is these and not some highly<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional <strong>in</strong>cidents that evoke the feel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> nostalgia,<br />
the feel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> camaraderie. “We have been through thick<br />
and th<strong>in</strong>, TOGETHER”. We are the best!<br />
admiraldas@hotmail.com
miss<strong>in</strong>g the Tra<strong>in</strong><br />
It was way back <strong>in</strong> 1958 when I was posted as<br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer <strong>of</strong> SPC 3112, as a Sub Lt, based<br />
at Vizag. I was selected to represent the Eastern Naval<br />
Command <strong>in</strong> Hockey at the Naval Championship be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
held <strong>in</strong> Mumbai. On completion <strong>of</strong> the championship we<br />
were to leave for Vizag and enter the tra<strong>in</strong> at Mumbai VT<br />
at 1900 hrs. A friend and I decided to go to Chembur<br />
(suburb <strong>of</strong> Mumbai) to meet an old friend as we had time<br />
on our hands. We were put up at the Vasant Sagar<br />
Mess on ‘A’ road. On return from Chembur, which we did<br />
by scooter, we had problems. First we ran out <strong>of</strong> petrol<br />
and had to push the scooter a good 1 Km. Then near<br />
Dadar we got a flat tyre. I knew I would never make it <strong>in</strong><br />
time to the tra<strong>in</strong>, so I rang up Lt Ravi Tickoo who was<br />
our Officer-<strong>in</strong>-Charge (on retirement he became a<br />
shipp<strong>in</strong>g magnate and owner <strong>of</strong> Globtek). He was very<br />
calm and told me “Johnny don’t worry I’ll take your<br />
baggage and hold back the tra<strong>in</strong> for up to 15 m<strong>in</strong>utes”. I<br />
jumped <strong>in</strong>to a cab and rushed to the VT station. To my<br />
surprise on arrival at the platform I was met by the<br />
Station Super<strong>in</strong>tendent and his staff and escorted to my<br />
compartment. Of course Lt Ravi Tickoo was relieved to<br />
see me and the tra<strong>in</strong> departed. Later Ravi Tickoo told<br />
me that he had told the Station Super<strong>in</strong>tendent that I<br />
was carry<strong>in</strong>g some secret documents <strong>of</strong> national<br />
importance which had to be delivered at Deolali (an<br />
Army cantonment en route) most urgently and so the<br />
Station Supdt had agreed to delay the tra<strong>in</strong> by 15<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes!!<br />
Gharial at sea<br />
I was <strong>in</strong> command <strong>of</strong> INS Gharial <strong>in</strong> 1969 by<br />
co<strong>in</strong>cidence aga<strong>in</strong> based <strong>in</strong> Vizag. We did frequent<br />
sail<strong>in</strong>gs to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and on this<br />
trip <strong>in</strong> question we were carry<strong>in</strong>g supplies from the ma<strong>in</strong><br />
land. Also on board were some chickens escorted by a<br />
few Army Jawans. Near<strong>in</strong>g the islands we were hit by a<br />
66<br />
Close Encounters<br />
Cmde JP Carneiro (Retd)<br />
cyclone <strong>of</strong> great ferocity. The ship was tossed around<br />
like a cork and my Coxswa<strong>in</strong> and I were among the few<br />
on board not sea sick. He was very skeptical and looked<br />
worried. The ship was now roll<strong>in</strong>g and pitch<strong>in</strong>g and with<br />
every “buffet<strong>in</strong>g” the ship would shudder. On one such<br />
shudder he couldn’t help utter<strong>in</strong>g “Saab aaj jahaz doob<br />
jayage”. Anyway we somehow managed to weather the<br />
storm and when the sea grew calm he tells me “Saab<br />
aaj chicken khayega”. I accepted the <strong>of</strong>fer and <strong>in</strong> a short<br />
time he turned up with a well roasted chicken. I asked<br />
him where he had got the chicken and he said it was<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the chickens belong<strong>in</strong>g to the Army escort and he<br />
was able to p<strong>in</strong>ch two birds. Later I heard that these<br />
were prize birds be<strong>in</strong>g taken to the Islands for breed<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
I reported this to late Capt Dhareshwar, NOIC and he<br />
was very understat<strong>in</strong>g and said that he would handle the<br />
Army.<br />
Defence services adviser<br />
Yet another <strong>in</strong>cident was when I was Defence Services<br />
Adviser <strong>in</strong> Sri Lanka <strong>in</strong> 1978 and had come to India on<br />
an assignment. I was return<strong>in</strong>g to Colombo via<br />
Trivandrum. The Sub Area Commander at Trivandrum-<br />
Col. Hoon who was with me <strong>in</strong> the academy as a cadet<br />
gave me an Army jonga to go from the Railway station<br />
(I had just arrived from Bangalore by tra<strong>in</strong>) to the airport.<br />
Halfway to the airport I found a crowd <strong>of</strong> people who<br />
were stopp<strong>in</strong>g all vehicles and man handl<strong>in</strong>g occupants.<br />
As I was dressed <strong>in</strong> suit and tie and the driver <strong>of</strong> the<br />
jonga was <strong>in</strong> uniform they left us and attacked the<br />
vehicle beh<strong>in</strong>d. Traffic had come to a standstill. The mob<br />
was gett<strong>in</strong>g violent and unpredictable and beat<strong>in</strong>g up<br />
people at random. Time was runn<strong>in</strong>g out and so I<br />
decided to take my luggage and f<strong>in</strong>d my way to the<br />
airport by some other means. I got out from the side <strong>of</strong><br />
the vehicle with my baggage quietly and entered the first<br />
compound and knocked at the door <strong>of</strong> the house and<br />
told them <strong>of</strong> my predicament. They let me use their
phone. I rang the Sub Area Commander and asked him<br />
to <strong>in</strong>form the airport. I left the house <strong>of</strong> these good<br />
Samaritans by the back door, walked some distance on<br />
the back road and soon found an auto which took me to<br />
the airport. Passengers were already emplan<strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
staff however rushed me through and I got on the flight.<br />
Later I learnt that there was enmity between two political<br />
parties and one party had “chopped <strong>of</strong>f” the head <strong>of</strong> the<br />
oppos<strong>in</strong>g party member caus<strong>in</strong>g this mob violence.<br />
In the war <strong>of</strong> 1965 the Navy was caught with its pants<br />
down. As was our usual custom the Fleet left Bombay<br />
prior to monsoons to operate <strong>in</strong> the calmer waters <strong>of</strong> the<br />
East Coast, so when th<strong>in</strong>gs hotted up we had to rush<br />
back to Bombay, and MYSORE just managed to leave<br />
Calcutta before be<strong>in</strong>g caught by the BORE tides.<br />
The Fleet ships operational at the time were MYSORE,<br />
16 FS and 14 FS. At that time the 14 FS were pure Anti<br />
Submar<strong>in</strong>e ships and the 16 FS were our gun ships. So<br />
our war orders were that <strong>in</strong> the event <strong>of</strong> a gun action,<br />
operation MURGA would be ordered, when F14 was to<br />
get his Squadron (three ships) out <strong>of</strong> the way and station<br />
these on the disengaged quarter <strong>of</strong> MYSORE.<br />
On one sortie when we were operat<strong>in</strong>g South <strong>of</strong> Gujarat<br />
Coast with the usual ships on the screen giv<strong>in</strong>g anti<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e cover to MYSORE very early <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
much before dawn, there was a cry from BEAS (on the<br />
screen) that “ENEMY bear<strong>in</strong>g XYZ degrees ABC miles”.<br />
At once battle stations and MURGA were ordered,<br />
whereupon F14 positioned his Squadron on the<br />
disengaged Port Quarter <strong>of</strong> MYSORE.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g done this, I (F14) then went out <strong>of</strong> the bridge to<br />
the w<strong>in</strong>gs and sat on the replenishment stool <strong>in</strong> the open<br />
67<br />
In Retrospect<br />
Today we live with our memories and God <strong>in</strong> His wisdom<br />
gave us m<strong>in</strong>ds to capture and recall so much that<br />
gladden our hearts and rem<strong>in</strong>d us <strong>of</strong> them good old<br />
days. We are never alone for we have memories to<br />
keep us company <strong>in</strong> our rock<strong>in</strong>g chair days.<br />
carneirojohn@hotmail.com<br />
1965 War-A Very Close Encounter<br />
to watch the FUN. Dawn was now just break<strong>in</strong>g and I<br />
ordered tea, hardly had I done this, when we heard gun<br />
shots “PHUT PHUT”. The first couple <strong>of</strong> bullets fell short<br />
<strong>of</strong> MYSORE then another “PHUT PHUT” got even<br />
closer to MYSORE. I remember turn<strong>in</strong>g around to my<br />
No. 1 who was near me and say<strong>in</strong>g “BABUR (the<br />
Pakistan Cruiser) is shoot<strong>in</strong>g well today”<br />
A few seconds later came the order from MYSORE<br />
“CEASE FIRE” “CEASE FIRE”. It turned out that BEAS<br />
on the screen got his Ops Room PPI <strong>in</strong> a twist-it had<br />
slipped by over 180 degrees, and was report<strong>in</strong>g<br />
MYSORE as the enemy and fir<strong>in</strong>g at her. The Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
BEAS at the time was a Long “G” <strong>of</strong>ficer and he never<br />
lived that one down.<br />
The pr<strong>in</strong>cipal players <strong>in</strong> this sortie were:-<br />
Flag - Rear Admiral BA Samson.<br />
MYSORE - Capta<strong>in</strong> DR Mehta.<br />
BRAHMAPUTRA (F16) Capta<strong>in</strong> Kirpal S<strong>in</strong>gh.<br />
BEAS - Commander G Dasgupta.<br />
KHUKRI - (F14) Capta<strong>in</strong> RKS Ghandhi.<br />
KUTHAR - Commander BD Law.<br />
KIRPAN - Commander DS Pa<strong>in</strong>tal.<br />
dolph<strong>in</strong>apt@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong><br />
Vice Admiral RKS Ghandhi (Retd)
Naval three dimensional warfare and encounters, as we<br />
all know, take place at a respectable distance! Earlier,<br />
guns, torpedoes, Depth Charges, hedge hogs and now<br />
additionally missiles, rockets etc. achieve their targets by<br />
just the press<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a button after due scann<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
appreciation <strong>of</strong> different electro<strong>nic</strong> sensors <strong>in</strong> the comfort<br />
<strong>of</strong> an air conditioned Operations Room. However, for<br />
naval personnel the excitement <strong>of</strong> close encounters is a<br />
possibility dur<strong>in</strong>g operations <strong>of</strong> amphibian, anti-piracy,<br />
anti smuggl<strong>in</strong>g/poach<strong>in</strong>g and anti terrorism nature.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g my service <strong>in</strong> the Navy and Merchant Navy I too<br />
had my share <strong>of</strong> risky encounters, ashore, afloat and <strong>of</strong><br />
different sorts. Motivational force was either as required<br />
for sav<strong>in</strong>g a fellow human be<strong>in</strong>g, just discharg<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
difficult task or act<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> self defence.<br />
In 1963, besides be<strong>in</strong>g a Divisional Officer at ‘Angre’, I<br />
was also appo<strong>in</strong>ted as the Secretary <strong>of</strong> ‘Vasant Sagar’<br />
Mess located on the Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive and Manager <strong>of</strong> newly<br />
constructed Sailor’s Home. Life was busy, <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and eventful.<br />
Usually after supper <strong>in</strong> the Mess, we came out for a stroll<br />
on the sea front. It was unusually nippy for a Mumbai<br />
December night. Sea breeze was strong and surpris<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
there were only a few people on the Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive<br />
opposite Natraj Hotel. Time was around 9.00 p.m. and it<br />
was a moonless night. A naval colleague and I crossed<br />
the Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive on foot and decided to board a double<br />
Decker ‘C’ route bus for a pleasant sea front ride to<br />
Chowpaty and later to <strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong> our favourite ‘Kulfi<br />
Phaluda’ and ‘Banarsi Pan’.<br />
My mate and I stood <strong>in</strong> the bus queue with a few<br />
passengers for barely a m<strong>in</strong>ute. Suddenly an old man<br />
came runn<strong>in</strong>g towards us, shout<strong>in</strong>g for help on be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
chased by some ruffians. Simultaneously the bus arrived<br />
Close Encounters - hand to hand<br />
68<br />
Cdr RM Verma (Retd)<br />
and with<strong>in</strong> a flash, sens<strong>in</strong>g trouble, all the passengers<br />
and my mate boarded the bus. The conductor with<br />
unusual alacrity rang the go ahead bell and the bus sped<br />
away towards Chowpaty.<br />
My focus shifted <strong>in</strong>stantly and entirely on the old man <strong>in</strong><br />
distress whom I immediately sheltered beh<strong>in</strong>d my back.<br />
The thought <strong>of</strong> bus ride on Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive to be followed<br />
by ‘Kulfi’ and ‘Pan’, evaporated very fast. The bus was at<br />
a distance <strong>of</strong> about 200 meters. My vic<strong>in</strong>ity was totally<br />
deserted on the right and left. The Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive had<br />
about 3 feet high hedge <strong>in</strong> the middle and overhead<br />
neon lights. The old man mumbled that he was a horse<br />
cart driver (four wheeled ‘Victoria’ with two horses) and<br />
these thugs were try<strong>in</strong>g to rob him <strong>of</strong> his day’s earn<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
The cart was stationary on the opposite side. The<br />
gangster’s big knife was be<strong>in</strong>g flashed menac<strong>in</strong>gly <strong>in</strong> the<br />
middle <strong>of</strong> the road.<br />
I girded my lo<strong>in</strong>s and was ready for the encounter. How<br />
I wished that I had carried my seaman knife or even the<br />
Swiss one. Notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g, I felt strong with my bare<br />
hands and <strong>of</strong> course the celestial power back<strong>in</strong>g up the<br />
right cause.<br />
The gangster rushed towards me flash<strong>in</strong>g his fairly long<br />
knife. I was <strong>in</strong> a defensive position, totally prepared for<br />
an <strong>of</strong>fensive thrust. The Victoria (Tonga walla) driver<br />
bolted from beh<strong>in</strong>d my back and rushed to his cart<br />
parked on the opposite side. In a jiffy he and his ‘rath’<br />
flew past with two white gallop<strong>in</strong>g horses signal<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
start <strong>of</strong> ‘Mahabharta’.<br />
Now I was the only target for the robber. He narrowed<br />
down his focus on my left wrist, carry<strong>in</strong>g a Rolex watch<br />
and my protrud<strong>in</strong>g left leg side pocket carry<strong>in</strong>g a purse.<br />
His ma<strong>in</strong> aim be<strong>in</strong>g the robbery, the knife was hoisted<br />
above <strong>in</strong> his right hand. With his left hand and full body
force, he pounced on my bulg<strong>in</strong>g pocket. He did not<br />
realise that I was a left hander who was thoroughly<br />
seasoned with boat pull<strong>in</strong>g, s<strong>in</strong>gle games <strong>of</strong> tennis and<br />
left arm bowl<strong>in</strong>g. In a flash he thrust his free hand <strong>in</strong> my<br />
pocket. Like a wrench my left hand grasped his steal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
hand. My free right hand grabbed his wrist carry<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
dagger. It was time for one-two-six and big push! In the<br />
ensu<strong>in</strong>g grapple the rascal fell flat on the ground with his<br />
dagger fly<strong>in</strong>g towards the hedge. This was too much <strong>of</strong><br />
an <strong>in</strong>sult for the other members <strong>of</strong> the gang who were, so<br />
far, ly<strong>in</strong>g low on the other side <strong>of</strong> the hedge. Bark<strong>in</strong>g foul<br />
war cries they all regrouped and formed a horse shoe<br />
screen and started advanc<strong>in</strong>g towards me with daggers<br />
drawn and a clear cut goal to kill me <strong>in</strong> revenge. I felt like<br />
a lone ‘Kabaddi’ player but fully charged! A quick<br />
reappraisal was done. My aim <strong>of</strong> protect<strong>in</strong>g the asylum<br />
seeker had been achieved. In addition I was unarmed<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g still acted bravely <strong>in</strong> self defence.<br />
A glance to the left caught the same desert<strong>in</strong>g bus<br />
head<strong>in</strong>g towards Chowpaty but appreciably slowed<br />
down. I sensed, this was my only chance. The gang was<br />
clos<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> rapidly and I mustered all my dodg<strong>in</strong>g skills<br />
with nautical zig-zag superimposed! With one f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
deceptive move, I steered clear <strong>of</strong> the fast mount<strong>in</strong>g<br />
danger and spr<strong>in</strong>ted towards the bus. The scamps soon<br />
realized that, they were unmatched to my fight<strong>in</strong>g skills<br />
and gave up as a bad job.<br />
Next day on the breakfast table, I curiously glanced<br />
through the Times <strong>of</strong> India. The story on the front page<br />
read ‘Man Stabbed on the Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive, robbed <strong>of</strong> his<br />
watch and purse’. The names and ages <strong>of</strong> six nabbed<br />
crim<strong>in</strong>als appeared <strong>in</strong> the news item. The victim was safe<br />
<strong>in</strong> the hospital. All the crim<strong>in</strong>als belonged to a particular<br />
community <strong>of</strong> Central Mumbai.<br />
At Charleston USA: In 1980, a similar episode happened<br />
outside the port <strong>of</strong> Charleston on the east coast <strong>of</strong> USA<br />
I was capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> a merchant navy bulk carrier. While<br />
return<strong>in</strong>g to my ship after an even<strong>in</strong>g walk, I was<br />
confronted by a black American who demanded my<br />
69<br />
purse. Once bitten is twice shy. After the Mar<strong>in</strong>e Drive<br />
<strong>in</strong>cident, I always made it a po<strong>in</strong>t to carry a button<br />
actuated knife <strong>in</strong> my pocket and wear no watch on my<br />
wrist. I put my hand <strong>in</strong> my trouser pocket and feigned<br />
br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g out the purse. But <strong>in</strong> a flash I actuated my button<br />
pressed knife. The guy was shaken by my surprise move<br />
and fled away!<br />
Nearly 50 years have rolled on. The civil society is still<br />
passive on matters which do not directly concern them.<br />
There are some stray <strong>in</strong>cidents <strong>of</strong> lynch<strong>in</strong>g and mob<br />
retaliation. People should not take law <strong>in</strong> their own hands<br />
irrespective <strong>of</strong> our <strong>in</strong>efficient police and judiciary. Age <strong>of</strong><br />
chivalry must dawn aga<strong>in</strong> and a fellow human be<strong>in</strong>g or<br />
for that matter an animal <strong>in</strong> distress must be helped at<br />
any cost.<br />
rajromaverma@hotmail.com<br />
Unknown soldier<br />
Cmde RS Malia (Retd)<br />
Trumpets, blast <strong>of</strong> bugles sound, wreaths <strong>of</strong> flowers<br />
Very <strong>of</strong>ten to honour you.<br />
One looks at you recognizes you -<br />
A Soldier, who laid his life<br />
For the nation.<br />
We don’t know your orig<strong>in</strong><br />
But pride and determ<strong>in</strong>ed brave approach<br />
Reflected <strong>in</strong> your eyes when you were alive.<br />
You gave your life thus keep<strong>in</strong>g our tomorrow safe<br />
Your brave deeds <strong>in</strong>spire your old comrades and<br />
Nation bows to you<br />
Wish I could talk to you <strong>in</strong> person<br />
But stones don’t talk<br />
Still, your face answers every question<br />
Live on you stone magnet<br />
Thus give us courage<br />
And recharge our loyalty to Nation<br />
You represent a great sent<strong>in</strong>el<br />
Live on our son!<br />
37, Sunita Cuff Parade, Colaba, Mumbai-400025
Over the years <strong>in</strong> the Navy - I must have come across<br />
a huge number <strong>of</strong> patients. I still remember some <strong>of</strong><br />
them vividly because <strong>of</strong> some unusual presentation. I<br />
venture to depict some <strong>of</strong> them.<br />
Instant idea that saved the situation:<br />
This, a Cdr., an <strong>of</strong>ficer from INS Garuda was <strong>in</strong> the ICU<br />
for management <strong>of</strong> withdrawal symptom. After a few<br />
days - heavy sedatives were withdrawn and I planned<br />
to transfer him to de-addiction centre at Air Force<br />
Hospital, Bangalore. On the morn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
his transfer by a Naval Aircraft - there<br />
was extreme chaos <strong>in</strong> the ICU. I<br />
rushed to the ICU - to gather that<br />
patient refuses to go to<br />
Bangalore and sitt<strong>in</strong>g on the<br />
bed <strong>in</strong> his hospital rig. All <strong>of</strong><br />
my requests went <strong>in</strong> va<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Pilots were gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
restless and I had to do<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g. With<strong>in</strong> a few<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes with the help <strong>of</strong><br />
my Medical Assistant - I<br />
managed an empty bottle <strong>of</strong><br />
XXX Rum and filled up with<br />
Coca Cola and wrapped the bottle with a newspaper. I<br />
was alone with the patient and promised him the bottle<br />
if he listened to me. He grabbed the wrapped bottle, as<br />
soon as he saw the label. I had not seen such a<br />
satisfied man <strong>in</strong> an ICU <strong>in</strong> my life. He promised to use<br />
it only at Bangalore. The aircraft left an hour late and<br />
<strong>in</strong> the even<strong>in</strong>g I got a call from the psychiatrist at<br />
Bangalore about his uneventful admission <strong>in</strong> the ward.<br />
an extremely upset admiral reluctant to get<br />
admitted:<br />
INHS Kalyani - was <strong>in</strong>side the base. Hospital had just<br />
acquired a modern ICU and equipped with some<br />
70<br />
Humour <strong>in</strong> Hospital<br />
Surg Cmde Ranjit Das (Retd)<br />
cardiac <strong>in</strong>struments donated by NOWA. It was a hot<br />
and humid afternoon. Admiral <strong>of</strong> the Fleet enters my<br />
t<strong>in</strong>y consultation room with his Flag. The Fleet had just<br />
come back from an exercise and the Fleet Commander<br />
was not feel<strong>in</strong>g bright. After a brief but very quick<br />
assessment, I asked for an ECG. With little persuasion<br />
he agreed to undress for the ECG. Go<strong>in</strong>g through the<br />
trac<strong>in</strong>gs - I had no choice but to put him <strong>in</strong> ICU. While<br />
the Admiral was dress<strong>in</strong>g up on the bed to get down -<br />
I went to him - know<strong>in</strong>g fully well - the task was not<br />
easy to disclose to Fleet Commander to stay <strong>in</strong> the<br />
hospital. I took all courage and timidly<br />
apologized to my <strong>in</strong>ability to<br />
let him go home. Initially he<br />
was furious and literally<br />
wanted to get out <strong>of</strong> the bed<br />
and go home. After a second<br />
thought he called the Flag<br />
and expressed his <strong>in</strong>tention<br />
to listen to my advice. He<br />
wanted to climb down and<br />
walk to the ICU. I told him this<br />
time firmly, ‘Sir, once the<br />
diagnosis is confirmed you<br />
will be taken to ICU on<br />
stretcher only!’ After a stormy week his cli<strong>nic</strong>al status<br />
settled down and <strong>in</strong> due course he was sent on sick<br />
leave.<br />
Years later - we met at Bombay when I was Senior<br />
Adviser at INHS Asv<strong>in</strong>i. He still remembered that hot<br />
and humid day <strong>in</strong> Vizag and had a big laugh.<br />
Transcendental meditation and Practice <strong>in</strong> ward:<br />
Transcendental meditation and practice <strong>of</strong> pranayam<br />
were popular at Naval Park, Vizag at that time. One<br />
Flag Officer - was kept <strong>in</strong> the Officers’ Ward for<br />
irregular heart beats - which was detected dur<strong>in</strong>g
Annual Medical. He was a very quiet and calm person<br />
devot<strong>in</strong>g time to meditation even <strong>in</strong> the ward. I used to<br />
visit the Officers’ Ward first before go<strong>in</strong>g to other<br />
wards. Very <strong>of</strong>ten I found him do<strong>in</strong>g his yogasan on the<br />
bed when I had to wait with the sister - till he called me<br />
to exam<strong>in</strong>e him. It was a worthy scene <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Officers’ Ward, the patient practic<strong>in</strong>g<br />
meditation and the poor doctor is<br />
wait<strong>in</strong>g till he called you by the left hand<br />
and right hand thumb still clos<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
right nostril. He would ask me to<br />
feel the pulse - while still do<strong>in</strong>g<br />
breath<strong>in</strong>g exercise. Sometimes -<br />
I used to encourage him by<br />
tell<strong>in</strong>g - ‘Sir, pulse is regular<br />
(though it was <strong>of</strong>ten not).<br />
There used to be a satisfy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
smile over his face. That<br />
probably relieved his tension.<br />
However, with little<br />
medication available <strong>in</strong> those<br />
days - he became stabilized<br />
and he went home. This <strong>in</strong>cidence happened much<br />
before the present Ramdev Cult - which is established<br />
now as a complementary management <strong>of</strong> many heart<br />
problems.<br />
a s<strong>in</strong>cere patient:<br />
This young Cdr from dockyard <strong>in</strong> his late thirties was<br />
on sick leave after his discharge from hospital. He<br />
decided to stay <strong>in</strong> his Naval Park House dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Sick Leave. As usual I advised him on medic<strong>in</strong>es, diets<br />
and regular long walk. This <strong>of</strong>ficer was extremely<br />
regular <strong>in</strong> his daily walk as I could see him very <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
from my 60, Naval Park house balcony.<br />
One even<strong>in</strong>g it was ra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g heavily with very high<br />
w<strong>in</strong>ds - and I found - Cdr on his fast walk completely<br />
drenched with his umbrella flaps blow<strong>in</strong>g upwards. I<br />
tried to draw his attention ask<strong>in</strong>g him to go home but<br />
he missed. He cont<strong>in</strong>ued his ritual and I knew the<br />
71<br />
consequences. He landed next day at my<br />
consultation room with runn<strong>in</strong>g nose and<br />
uncontrolled sneez<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
But, a good patient as he was and followed<br />
the doctor’s order - l<strong>in</strong>e by l<strong>in</strong>e -<br />
he recovered well and later<br />
started his 2nd <strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Merchant Navy - which <strong>in</strong>volved<br />
climb<strong>in</strong>g six to seven decks several<br />
times a day.<br />
Frustration <strong>of</strong> the medical<br />
Division:<br />
A senior sailor’s wife was brought to INHS Asv<strong>in</strong>i at<br />
midnight with history <strong>of</strong> consum<strong>in</strong>g liquid Tik-20. This is<br />
used to kill bed bugs - and hence<br />
easily available <strong>in</strong> grocery<br />
shops. Earlier, the fatalities<br />
were high. After a very hectic<br />
week she recovered well and<br />
the Medical Div. was relieved. I<br />
decided to discharge her and told the sister to prepare<br />
the discharge paper. As is the custom I told her <strong>in</strong><br />
H<strong>in</strong>di, “Bahenji - you will go home today. But do not try<br />
to repeat this <strong>in</strong> future. You have already noticed the<br />
plight <strong>of</strong> the doctors dur<strong>in</strong>g these days. You survived<br />
probably you consumed half a bottle”. I did not realize<br />
that I made a mistake. She gave a funny concealed<br />
smile and replied <strong>in</strong> H<strong>in</strong>di, ‘Doctor Saab - I will not<br />
disturb the doctors <strong>in</strong> future - like this - putt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
everybody <strong>in</strong> plight. I know the full dose now”.<br />
The whole Medical Div. beh<strong>in</strong>d me was stunned to<br />
hear this. I looked at her face and broke the silence by<br />
turn<strong>in</strong>g to the sister and told sister, “Cancel her<br />
discharge. Refer her to the psychiatric ward today”.<br />
The Medical Division proceeded to the next patient!<br />
Ashirbad, BD297, Bidan Nagar-1 Salt Lake city,<br />
Kolkata - 700064
Encounters With A Sea Dog And Dogs In The Navy<br />
Sea Dog is a commonly used mar<strong>in</strong>er’s term to describe<br />
an old and very experienced sailor. In the last 37 years<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Navy I have come across many sailors who really<br />
fitted this term like a glove. They were well and truly at<br />
home whilst the ship was at sea and were like a fish out<br />
<strong>of</strong> water once she returned to anchorage or tied up<br />
alongside. There were very few th<strong>in</strong>gs which surprised<br />
them. One such sailor was the ship’s Master Chief<br />
Bosun’s mate with 33 odd years <strong>of</strong> service on board my<br />
old ship Magar <strong>in</strong> 1974 which did ‘Buffalo Runs’<br />
between Vizag and the A&N Islands. He did not bat an<br />
eyelid when told to get the tank space ready to carry 250<br />
odd buffalos. With dogged determ<strong>in</strong>ation, he got it ready<br />
<strong>in</strong> no time. He made it look as if ‘animal husbandry’ was<br />
as simple as ‘ship’s husbandry’. Further, he was from<br />
the then Quarter Master branch and was truly thrilled to<br />
see an entry about birth and death <strong>in</strong> the ship’s log (<strong>of</strong><br />
buffalo’s calf <strong>of</strong> course) for the first time <strong>in</strong> his naval life.<br />
Dog as a Stowaway, is a rarity anywhere and more so <strong>in</strong><br />
Indian Navy! However, I have had a first hand<br />
experience at Vizag <strong>of</strong> such a stowaway. As a young<br />
TAS Officer <strong>of</strong> a Kamorta Class ship we sailed for ASW<br />
rocket fir<strong>in</strong>g trials. Three hours after leav<strong>in</strong>g harbour, the<br />
trials commenced and the aft launchers were fired first.<br />
The laid down safety measures were taken and the port<br />
aft launcher fired two rockets. The fir<strong>in</strong>g was quite noisy<br />
and was heard all over the ship. On completion, the<br />
concerned launcher crew came on the deck to check<br />
and there was a sudden commotion on the quarter<br />
deck. The crew appeared to be chas<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
which wasn’t apparent from the bridge. I went down to<br />
<strong>in</strong>vestigate and to my amusement realized that it was a<br />
terrified black coloured mongrel that they were after.<br />
They managed to collar it before it jumped over the side.<br />
On return to harbour couple <strong>of</strong> hours later it was sent<br />
ashore. How it came on board, and how it managed to<br />
rema<strong>in</strong> without be<strong>in</strong>g seen by anyone till the rockets<br />
72<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> NV Sarathy (Retd)<br />
were fired rema<strong>in</strong>ed a mystery. I could only surmise that<br />
the runt must have crossed the brow dur<strong>in</strong>g the middle<br />
watch and unnoticed by the duty QM went to sleep<br />
under the torpedo tube mount on the upper deck and<br />
was violently woken up by the rocket fir<strong>in</strong>g noise. It must<br />
have been his lucky day s<strong>in</strong>ce he missed becom<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
‘hot dog’ by cat’s whiskers and <strong>in</strong> the barga<strong>in</strong> had a day<br />
at sea. May be he was <strong>nic</strong>knamed ‘sea dog’ by his<br />
can<strong>in</strong>e friends <strong>in</strong> ND (V).<br />
Dog as a passenger is also quite uncommon <strong>in</strong> our<br />
Navy. Well, as a Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> a Coch<strong>in</strong> based Inshore<br />
M<strong>in</strong>e Sweeper I had to play host to the then C-<strong>in</strong>-C,<br />
South’s labrador retriever dur<strong>in</strong>g the ship’s passage<br />
from Goa to Coch<strong>in</strong>. S<strong>in</strong>ce I was not a dog owner, I was<br />
very apprehensive on the labrador’s sea keep<strong>in</strong>g<br />
qualities, its temperament etc. I need not have worried<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce the labrador came with the Admiral’s Flag<br />
Lieutenant. For a ship with only two <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
me, the Flag Lt’s presence was a boon. He stood a<br />
couple <strong>of</strong> watches and it did <strong>in</strong>clude a Dog Watch. I<br />
remember tell<strong>in</strong>g the Flag Lt <strong>in</strong> jest that I didn’t m<strong>in</strong>d him<br />
and the labrador shar<strong>in</strong>g the Dog Watch. The labrador<br />
however rema<strong>in</strong>ed absolutely quiet as a mouse dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the 36 hours passage and did not stir out from his place<br />
on the open bridge. Except for dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water he didn’t<br />
eat even a morsel. By the time we commenced enter<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Coch<strong>in</strong> Harbour, he was well and truly back to his<br />
normal labrador self. On ty<strong>in</strong>g up along side he was the<br />
first one to leap ashore on terra firma with an<br />
enthusiastic farewell wo<strong>of</strong>.<br />
Dog <strong>in</strong> an Office, is not an every day affair, but it’s not<br />
uncommon either. One such <strong>in</strong>cident occurred when I<br />
was posted as FASWO <strong>in</strong> Eastern Fleet on completion<br />
<strong>of</strong> my Staff College at Well<strong>in</strong>gton. It was ‘Close<br />
encounter’ with a pomeranian, alleged to be a very<br />
friendly breed. A day after I jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Fleet Office I was
to call on the FOCEF <strong>in</strong> Dress No.2’s. Along with me<br />
were three others, all fresh from DSSC. The first to go<br />
was the FNO and after spend<strong>in</strong>g about 10 m<strong>in</strong>utes with<br />
the boss he came out and warned us to watch out for<br />
the pomeranian <strong>in</strong>side. FGO and FCO f<strong>in</strong>ished their call<br />
and said noth<strong>in</strong>g about the dog. It was my turn next. The<br />
FOCEF was sitt<strong>in</strong>g on his ornate table and asked me to<br />
sit down and we got talk<strong>in</strong>g. I suddenly felt a gentle nip<br />
on my ankle and when I looked down I saw a bundle <strong>of</strong><br />
fur star<strong>in</strong>g at me with a bemused look. The eye contact<br />
seemed enough for it to put its paws on my leg and start<br />
sniff<strong>in</strong>g me. This made me squirm <strong>in</strong> my chair. The Fleet<br />
Commander noticed my uneas<strong>in</strong>ess and told me not to<br />
worry and said that the pomeranian was his, very<br />
friendly and meant no harm. I wasn’t very sure whether<br />
the pomeranian was listen<strong>in</strong>g to him because it only got<br />
bolder and looked ready to jump on to my No.2’s clad<br />
lap. Look<strong>in</strong>g at the alarmed look on my face, the FOCEF<br />
BRaVaDO<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g Cadets tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g at Jo<strong>in</strong>t Services W<strong>in</strong>g Dehra<br />
Dun, one <strong>of</strong> our batch mates had a knack <strong>of</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
punished for mischief frequently, Hence his number<br />
for do<strong>in</strong>g extra drills <strong>in</strong>variably appeared <strong>in</strong> the list<br />
displayed on the notice board. After a few weeks, he<br />
started tak<strong>in</strong>g punishments for granted by report<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for extra drills without look<strong>in</strong>g at the notice board.<br />
With the passage <strong>of</strong> time, as luck would have it, his<br />
name did not appear <strong>in</strong> the list <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fenders s<strong>in</strong>ce he<br />
had completed his punishments. Never the less he<br />
reported for punishment <strong>in</strong> time as usual,<br />
consequently, the JCO <strong>in</strong>-charge, not f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
name <strong>in</strong> the list, ordered him to fall out and march <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
There upon the cadet requested the JCO to let him do<br />
the extra drill and adjust that aga<strong>in</strong>st future<br />
punishment.<br />
73<br />
bent down and told the pomeranian to get lost and it did!<br />
I had a feel<strong>in</strong>g that it sniggered at me before scoot<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f<br />
from below the table and thereafter rema<strong>in</strong>ed out <strong>of</strong> my<br />
sight. I met the FNO outside; he took one look at my<br />
face and gave me the ‘I told you so look’. I didn’t<br />
encounter the FOCEF’s Dog thereafter dur<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
FASWO tenure <strong>in</strong> the Fleet Office.<br />
I am not a dog owner even though they are known as<br />
the man’s best friend. It may be because they don’t talk<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d your back, a sign <strong>of</strong> a good friend and they<br />
rema<strong>in</strong> with you through thick and th<strong>in</strong>. Inspite <strong>of</strong> above<br />
close encounters, I have not been tempted to own one.<br />
As a mar<strong>in</strong>er I have been quite happy to have an<br />
aquarium <strong>in</strong>stead. The fish are also our good friends,<br />
the most undemand<strong>in</strong>g variety.<br />
nvs53@rediffmail.com<br />
Humour In Uniform Cdr VK Mohan (Retd)<br />
NOT gUILTY<br />
While on board INS Tir, one <strong>of</strong> the Cadets used to break<br />
the D<strong>in</strong>ghy’s mast every now and then, while br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g it<br />
alongside after sail<strong>in</strong>g. One afternoon he was l<strong>in</strong>ed up<br />
before the Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Officer who said, “I have been<br />
repeatedly advis<strong>in</strong>g you about the correct approach<br />
while br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g the boat alongside but you don’t seem to<br />
understand. I th<strong>in</strong>k there is either someth<strong>in</strong>g wrong with<br />
you or with me.” The Cadet smartly but respectfully<br />
replied,” There is noth<strong>in</strong>g wrong with me sir.”<br />
Portable fitt<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g Naval Stores class at INS Hamla, the Instructor<br />
asked one <strong>of</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong>ees to give an example <strong>of</strong> portable<br />
fitt<strong>in</strong>gs. The tra<strong>in</strong>ee promptly replied “Dentures used by<br />
naval personnel, Sir!”<br />
cdrmohan@gmail.com
The capability <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers to have one too many dr<strong>in</strong>ks is<br />
well known (a dim<strong>in</strong>ish<strong>in</strong>g breed these days). But seldom<br />
ever a dr<strong>in</strong>ker with the worst reputation would have been<br />
served his dr<strong>in</strong>ks so well. So this <strong>of</strong>ficer before he retired<br />
for the night ordered for ‘Garam Paani’ with Hands Call to<br />
the duty Steward. As they say <strong>in</strong> the Armed forces orders<br />
<strong>of</strong> superior <strong>of</strong>ficers should not be questioned. But<br />
sometimes the enthusiasm and zeal to execute the<br />
orders overrides sane reason<strong>in</strong>g. The duty Steward<br />
readily nodded his head, though <strong>in</strong> Wardroom circles this<br />
Steward was famous for mix<strong>in</strong>g up orders and his ‘LIFO<br />
syndrome’ (Last In First Out). So imag<strong>in</strong>e to horror and<br />
surprise <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficer when the Steward woke the <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
up with Hands Call with a glass <strong>of</strong> ‘rum paani!!’<br />
Another day another time another <strong>of</strong>ficer and another<br />
Steward and history repeats itself. The <strong>of</strong>ficer decided to<br />
give a break to the duty Cook and what better way to<br />
break the monotony <strong>of</strong> the ship’s food with Maggie<br />
A man called home to his wife and said, “Honey I have<br />
been asked to go fish<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>in</strong> Canada with my boss and<br />
several <strong>of</strong> his friends. We’ll be gone for a week. This is<br />
a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I’ve<br />
been want<strong>in</strong>g, so could you please pack enough clothes<br />
for a week and set out my rod and fish<strong>in</strong>g box, we’re<br />
leav<strong>in</strong>g from the <strong>of</strong>fice and I will sw<strong>in</strong>g by the house to<br />
pick my th<strong>in</strong>gs up”. “Oh! Please pack my new blue silk<br />
pajamas”.<br />
The wife th<strong>in</strong>ks this sounds a bit fishy but be<strong>in</strong>g the good<br />
wife she is, did exactly what her husband asked. The<br />
follow<strong>in</strong>g weekend he came home a little tired but<br />
74<br />
Hear<strong>in</strong>g A.I.D.S<br />
(probably the greatest <strong>in</strong>vention after the food processor<br />
or was it before). The two m<strong>in</strong>utes preparation that goes<br />
<strong>in</strong>to mak<strong>in</strong>g a Maggie truly def<strong>in</strong>es the chef’s skill and<br />
gives Maggie a personal touch. The <strong>of</strong>ficer gave<br />
directions to Steward on garnish<strong>in</strong>g required and<br />
mentioned to add ‘muttor’ (peas). The Steward nodded<br />
with a tw<strong>in</strong>kle <strong>in</strong> his eye as if he had read the <strong>of</strong>ficer’s<br />
<strong>in</strong>nermost thoughts and proceeded to the galley. The<br />
read<strong>in</strong>ess report on the Maggie was made by the Steward<br />
<strong>in</strong> five m<strong>in</strong>utes (the mandatory two m<strong>in</strong>utes is always<br />
exceeded and the issue has been taken up with Nestle<br />
time and aga<strong>in</strong>). The beam<strong>in</strong>g Steward with immense<br />
pride <strong>of</strong> a pro-chef presented the <strong>of</strong>ficer with ‘Mutton<br />
Maggie’! To this day nobody <strong>in</strong> the ship was able to figure<br />
out how the Steward managed mutton on a Tuesday (a<br />
Veg. day) but the recipe if forwarded for Maggie contest<br />
will surely beat other recipes hands down.<br />
mathew_g_abraham@rediffmail.com<br />
otherwise look<strong>in</strong>g good.<br />
Lt Cdr GA Mathew<br />
In Lighter Ve<strong>in</strong> Vice Admiral Har<strong>in</strong>der S<strong>in</strong>gh (Retd)<br />
The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught<br />
many fish? He said, “Yes! Lots <strong>of</strong> salmon, some bluegill,<br />
and a few swordfish! But why didn’t you pack my new<br />
blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?”<br />
You’ll love the answer...<br />
The wife replied, “I did. They’re <strong>in</strong> your fish<strong>in</strong>g box....!”<br />
admiralhar<strong>in</strong>der@gmail.com
In the good old days, midshipmen spent a year at sea<br />
and not six months as is the practice today. Of this,<br />
the first six months were spent on the cruiser, three to<br />
four <strong>in</strong> small ships and then reassembly <strong>in</strong> the cruiser<br />
followed by the Seamanship Board. Thus it was that<br />
on the first day <strong>of</strong> January 1959, 30 newly promoted<br />
midshipmen <strong>of</strong> the 14th NDA Course climbed aboard<br />
the Mysore ly<strong>in</strong>g at CB1 (Cruiser Buoy 1-is it still<br />
there?) <strong>in</strong> Bombay harbour, hav<strong>in</strong>g taken passage <strong>in</strong><br />
the old reliable, MV Elsie, from Challenor Steps <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Naval Dockyard. We were soon shown our place,<br />
literally, one deck below, <strong>in</strong> Chest Flats no larger than<br />
12 feet by 12 feet where we stowed all our worldly<br />
belong<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> one s<strong>in</strong>gle locker each. Around the<br />
corner was the Gun Room which could seat a dozen<br />
at a time while just outside the door <strong>of</strong> the Chest Flats<br />
sat the ship’s Keyboard Sentry, with all important<br />
keys hang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a locked cupboard! In these luxurious<br />
lodg<strong>in</strong>gs, truly so given the conditions <strong>in</strong> the Cadet<br />
Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Ship from which we had come, we began to<br />
learn to become <strong>of</strong>ficers and gentlemen. Our Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
Officer said that we would do this ‘observ<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g’ this methodology had been good enough for<br />
him (he scored brilliantly while a midshipman with the<br />
Royal Navy) and it should be good enough for us.<br />
Mysore sailed the next day and our tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g-by<br />
observ<strong>in</strong>g and learn<strong>in</strong>g-had begun. We were gone<br />
from home port a good three months for what was<br />
called Spr<strong>in</strong>gex, for Spr<strong>in</strong>g Exercises. Sometime <strong>in</strong><br />
June, we were shifted <strong>in</strong> batches <strong>of</strong> three to the small<br />
ships and sailed for Summerex or Summer Exercises.<br />
Mysore did a six week spell <strong>of</strong> refit and repair. The<br />
next batch <strong>of</strong> midshipmen, <strong>of</strong> the 15th NDA Course,<br />
was, therefore, embarked <strong>in</strong> the cruiser Delhi.<br />
Sometime <strong>in</strong> early September, we returned to<br />
Mysore. Thus it was that, <strong>in</strong> mid September 1959,<br />
both cruisers lay moored head and stern to the buoys<br />
75<br />
Remember<strong>in</strong>g FIFI<br />
Vice Admiral PS Das (Retd)<br />
<strong>in</strong> Coch<strong>in</strong>, one beh<strong>in</strong>d the other, midshipmen <strong>of</strong> 14th<br />
and 15th Courses aboard. Raids by midshipmen to<br />
ships <strong>of</strong> the Fleet, to take away mementos, later<br />
traded for good scotch, were part <strong>of</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
process.<br />
Pride <strong>of</strong> place <strong>in</strong> Mysore’s Gun Room was occupied<br />
by its reign<strong>in</strong>g deity-FIFI. About a foot and a half tall<br />
and a foot across, it was a beauty <strong>in</strong> white polished<br />
stone, sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the traditional Lotus asana, smil<strong>in</strong>g<br />
serenely, its modesty protected by a strategically<br />
placed piece <strong>of</strong> red ribbon. It had been presented<br />
some years ago to a much more senior batch <strong>of</strong><br />
midshipmen by their counterparts <strong>in</strong> the Thai Navy<br />
and had adorned our Gun Room ever s<strong>in</strong>ce. Because<br />
its prized nature was readily understood, it was kept<br />
<strong>in</strong> a glass enclosed box, under lock and key. Every<br />
day, it provided sustenance to hungry eyes and many<br />
were the stories, embellished with every tell<strong>in</strong>g, told<br />
to those who came to the Gun Room as guests.<br />
The Fleet Pull<strong>in</strong>g Regatta, always a hotly contested<br />
affair, was raced on Saturday. We were to spend the<br />
weekend <strong>in</strong> Coch<strong>in</strong> and sail for Bombay on Monday.<br />
After the hectic rout<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> the Regatta, there was a<br />
general air <strong>of</strong> lassitude that prevailed <strong>in</strong> all ships. The<br />
Admiral and Flag Capta<strong>in</strong> had retired <strong>in</strong> good time<br />
and the gangway staff <strong>in</strong> Mysore were only half<br />
awake, if not half asleep. At around 0200 hrs a motor<br />
cutter drifted with the ebb tide to our starboard aft<br />
gangway, ly<strong>in</strong>g unattended. Three balaclava clad<br />
persons, later identified as midshipmen <strong>of</strong> the 15th<br />
Course from Delhi, armed with hockey sticks raced<br />
up the accommodation ladder and then down to the<br />
deck below. Before the Keyboard Sentry could even<br />
open his mouth they had burst <strong>in</strong>to the Gun Room<br />
where some dozen odd 14th Course denizens lay<br />
snor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> different states <strong>of</strong> undress. Their rude
awaken<strong>in</strong>g was not timely enough. Even as hockey<br />
sticks were waved menac<strong>in</strong>gly, the glass case was<br />
shattered and FIFI removed from it. In a moment she<br />
had been flung down the porthole and caught<br />
expertly by someone <strong>in</strong> the Cutter below which had<br />
secured there just for this purpose. The statue was<br />
followed by one <strong>of</strong> the ‘terrorists’ who wiggled himself<br />
through the porthole and jumped <strong>in</strong>to the channel; he<br />
was also picked up by the boat which sped away. The<br />
rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g two <strong>in</strong>vaders were manhandled and p<strong>in</strong>ned<br />
to the deck. Smil<strong>in</strong>gly broadly, they showed no<br />
remorse, triumphant that the mission had been<br />
achieved. Soon, help came <strong>in</strong> the form <strong>of</strong> the Officer<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Watch and others, summoned to the scene <strong>of</strong><br />
the crime by the Keyboard Sentry. The MAA and<br />
Chief GI were awakened and the duo marched <strong>of</strong>f to<br />
spend the rest <strong>of</strong> the night <strong>in</strong> the solitary <strong>of</strong> the cells.<br />
Sleep had deserted us as we sat curs<strong>in</strong>g the 15th<br />
Course marauders and bemoan<strong>in</strong>g our loss.<br />
Matters went up a notch higher <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g as the<br />
Commander berated us for our <strong>in</strong>eptitude. The two<br />
‘prisoners’ were brought on to the QD and the ship’s<br />
barber sent for. One by one he divested them <strong>of</strong> their<br />
locks. Some dabs <strong>of</strong> black pa<strong>in</strong>t were put on their<br />
foreheads, almost like marks <strong>of</strong> Zorro. This did not<br />
dampen their spirits any. They were then put <strong>in</strong><br />
Mysore’s motor whaler and sent to Delhi where they<br />
were received with cheers that could be heard across<br />
the channel; a welcome befitt<strong>in</strong>g return<strong>in</strong>g Roman<br />
conquerors. Silence reigned <strong>in</strong> Mysore’s Gun Room,<br />
Believe it or not!<br />
76<br />
even <strong>in</strong> the Wardroom. We could almost sense the<br />
sniggers <strong>in</strong> other ships <strong>of</strong> the Fleet.<br />
FIFI never returned to Mysore. Some years down the<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e, she seems to have disappeared altogether, both<br />
physically and from memory. We also left Mysore <strong>in</strong><br />
December to put on our s<strong>in</strong>gle gold stripes and<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g been a midshipman was only nostalgia. But<br />
the <strong>in</strong>cident, whenever recalled, and it always is<br />
whenever some <strong>of</strong> us 14th Course get together,<br />
typifies what life as a midshipman was and the fun<br />
that went with it apart from ‘observ<strong>in</strong>g and learn<strong>in</strong>g’.<br />
One wonders if the snotties <strong>of</strong> today have either the<br />
time or the <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ation for these seem<strong>in</strong>gly silly th<strong>in</strong>gs!<br />
PS: Names <strong>of</strong> the ‘dramatis personae’ have been<br />
held back lest they add spice to their otherwise<br />
salubrious retired life!<br />
The barber who did duty on that day <strong>in</strong> September<br />
1959, Riaz Mohammed, cont<strong>in</strong>ued to rema<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
Mysore. He was there when I came <strong>in</strong> 1962 as Flag<br />
Lieutenant. He was still there <strong>in</strong> 1967 when I was<br />
SCO <strong>of</strong> the ship and even <strong>in</strong> 1973 when I lodged<br />
there as FCO. He was later taken away to Rajput and<br />
tended my scalp when I commanded that ship <strong>in</strong><br />
1984. He was still there <strong>in</strong> 1990 when I flew my flag<br />
on that lovely ship. I was present at his funeral later<br />
that year. RIP Riaz Mohammed.<br />
premvirdas@hotmail.com<br />
NDA had a Hunt Club called Khadakvasla & Poona Hounds. The Master <strong>of</strong> the Hunt was the Commandant Gen<br />
Ranbir Bakshi, MC and I a Huntsman, along with Major Entee - both attired <strong>in</strong> Red coats and armed with Horns.<br />
Fox hunt<strong>in</strong>g orig<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>in</strong> the 16th century - banned <strong>in</strong> Scotland <strong>in</strong> 2002 and two years later <strong>in</strong> England & Wales.<br />
Its criticism has been couched <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> social class. Oscar Wilde <strong>in</strong> his play ‘Woman <strong>of</strong> no importance’ referred<br />
to English Country Gentlemen gallop<strong>in</strong>g after a fox as “the unspeakable <strong>in</strong> full pursuit <strong>of</strong> the uneatable”.<br />
Contributed by Commodore Kunte, ‘F’Squadron Cdr 1965-67<br />
mukundb5@hotmail.com
When I assumed command <strong>of</strong> INS Delhi <strong>in</strong> Dec<br />
2001, I was overawed to be tak<strong>in</strong>g over a ship that<br />
had acquired an enviable reputation <strong>in</strong> the short<br />
period s<strong>in</strong>ce her commission<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> the footsteps<br />
<strong>of</strong> her illustrious predecessor. Stepp<strong>in</strong>g on board<br />
brought back many nostalgic memories <strong>of</strong> the first<br />
Delhi, a Leander Class Cruiser and the Indian<br />
Navy’s first major warship and flagship for many<br />
years post-<strong>in</strong>dependence. We had many stories<br />
from our Deputy Commandant at the Academy,<br />
Admiral (then Cmde) Ronnie Periera, who had<br />
come to the Academy right after command<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
f<strong>in</strong>e ship. She was a legend <strong>of</strong> whose exploits we<br />
heard over our first few years <strong>in</strong> the Navy,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g her role <strong>in</strong> the famous WW II Battle <strong>of</strong><br />
the River Plate.<br />
After pass<strong>in</strong>g out from the NDA <strong>in</strong> Jun 1972, we jo<strong>in</strong>ed INS<br />
Tir as cadets, the year the First Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Squadron was<br />
formed with INS Delhi as the senior Ship. My first<br />
experience <strong>of</strong> the old INS Delhi was not until early 1973 by<br />
which time I was a Midshipman on board the Kistna. Her<br />
prom<strong>in</strong>ent s<strong>in</strong>gle stack became a familiar sight for all <strong>of</strong> us<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the long days at sea, where the day <strong>in</strong>variably<br />
began with Jackstay, when we all received our welcome<br />
‘Daily Bread’, hot from INS Delhi’s bakery, the serial aptly<br />
named ‘Exercise Breadman’! At home <strong>in</strong> Coch<strong>in</strong> harbour<br />
too, she was a familiar sight at the trots. The highlight <strong>of</strong><br />
our Junior Midshipmen’s time (we were the last course to<br />
do a full year as Mids) was our visit to East Africa, where<br />
Delhi led the Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Squadron to Mombassa, Zanzibar<br />
and Dar-e-Salaam. The grand old ship made a great<br />
impact at every port, especially at Dar-e-Salaam where<br />
large crowds gathered at the narrow harbour entrance<br />
close to the town to welcome us. Anchored <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>ner<br />
harbour she dom<strong>in</strong>ated the city <strong>of</strong> Dar-e-Salaam. Little did<br />
I imag<strong>in</strong>e that almost thirty years on I would have the<br />
honour <strong>of</strong> command<strong>in</strong>g her successor.<br />
77<br />
The Spirit Of Delhi<br />
Cmde Rajeev Sawhney (Retd)<br />
My first encounter with the Delhi <strong>in</strong> her new ‘avatar’ was<br />
at sea <strong>of</strong>f Vizag <strong>in</strong> Nov 1997 whilst <strong>in</strong> command <strong>of</strong><br />
V<strong>in</strong>dhyagiri. She was on the East Coast under the<br />
command <strong>of</strong> an old friend and colleague, Anup S<strong>in</strong>gh,<br />
after a triumphant debut at the Langkawi Defence<br />
Exhibition, where she had dazzled the world navies, soon<br />
after commission<strong>in</strong>g. We had been nom<strong>in</strong>ated to<br />
rendezvous Delhi at sea and welcome the pride <strong>of</strong> the<br />
navy to the Eastern Command. Although one had seen<br />
her whilst she had been build<strong>in</strong>g at the Mazgaon Docks,<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g had prepared me for the breathtak<strong>in</strong>g sight <strong>of</strong> the<br />
majestic but sleek Delhi at sea, fitted out with all her<br />
powerful weaponry, a match for anyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> her class.<br />
See<strong>in</strong>g her menac<strong>in</strong>g silhouette scyth<strong>in</strong>g through the<br />
waves at high speed, approach<strong>in</strong>g for replenishment was<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed awesome.<br />
Three years as Director Naval Operations had earlier<br />
seen me closely associated with Delhi, the Navy’s ‘Flag<br />
Bearer’, both at home for every dist<strong>in</strong>guished visitor and<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g overseas deployments. Every trip saw her return<br />
covered with approbation, a fitt<strong>in</strong>g symbol <strong>of</strong> India’s<br />
prowess at warship design and construction hav<strong>in</strong>g come<br />
<strong>of</strong> age. Her deployment East <strong>in</strong> 2000, was memorable for<br />
the Eastern Fleet’s encounter with Super Typhoon<br />
“Saomai” which kept us <strong>in</strong> the ‘War Room’ at Naval<br />
Headquarters on our toes. When they f<strong>in</strong>ally entered<br />
Shanghai, the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese were awestruck at how well the<br />
Indian Flotilla, <strong>in</strong>cidentally composed <strong>of</strong> only Indian built<br />
ships, had weathered the storm. Mysore and Mumbai<br />
also commissioned dur<strong>in</strong>g this period, but Delhi reta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
her prime status <strong>in</strong> the Fleet, fitt<strong>in</strong>g for the lead ship <strong>of</strong> the<br />
class. I was understandably delighted when told that I<br />
was to command the Delhi, more so when I learnt that<br />
other than be<strong>in</strong>g fully operationally <strong>in</strong>tegrated with the<br />
Fleet she was currently not only the best ship but also the<br />
“Cock <strong>of</strong> the Fleet”. Liv<strong>in</strong>g up to these standards would be<br />
a major challenge.
I assumed command <strong>in</strong> December 2001 with Delhi hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
just entered an SR after a long operational period. With<br />
the <strong>in</strong>itiation <strong>of</strong> Parakram, the next couple <strong>of</strong> months saw<br />
us work furiously to quickly get back to sea and resume<br />
our rightful place <strong>in</strong> the van <strong>of</strong> the Fleet.<br />
The annual Pull<strong>in</strong>g Regatta came up <strong>in</strong> January 2002 with<br />
Delhi’s tremendous record <strong>of</strong> not only be<strong>in</strong>g the current<br />
holder but also <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g been a strong contender at every<br />
regatta ever s<strong>in</strong>ce commission<strong>in</strong>g. This was obviously a<br />
legacy <strong>of</strong> the old Delhi who had made a name for herself<br />
not only <strong>in</strong> the IN but also dur<strong>in</strong>g the annual Jetex regularly<br />
held at Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee <strong>in</strong> the 50s & 60s. The 2002 event saw<br />
the ‘Spirit’ <strong>of</strong> the ‘Legend’ emerge once aga<strong>in</strong> and the<br />
heats saw all the seven teams qualify. The f<strong>in</strong>al day soon<br />
became a seesaw battle between Viraat and Delhi leav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
all others far beh<strong>in</strong>d and prior to the last race Viraat was<br />
narrowly <strong>in</strong> the lead. Delhi, not only needed to w<strong>in</strong> the last<br />
‘Best Whaler’ race but have a three-position lead over<br />
Viraat to go ahead. This was one <strong>of</strong> the tensest moments<br />
that I have experienced and notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g my cool<br />
exterior my heart was thump<strong>in</strong>g. As it turned out, our best<br />
whaler did us proud by not only w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g the race but<br />
beat<strong>in</strong>g Viraat to a distant third result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> both teams<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g tied overall. It was then Delhi’s greater number <strong>of</strong><br />
w<strong>in</strong>s that decided the issue and we came up w<strong>in</strong>ners<br />
reta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the ‘Cock’, truly a triumphant moment. In five<br />
years <strong>of</strong> commission the ship had now won the coveted<br />
trophy thrice, a record that amply proved that she had<br />
<strong>in</strong>herited her predecessor’s ‘fight<strong>in</strong>g spirit’.<br />
Our first major out<strong>in</strong>g was as the flagship lead<strong>in</strong>g the Fleet<br />
for an operational deployment <strong>in</strong> March 2001. The Fleet<br />
Commander was amazed to see the spirit <strong>of</strong> the ship’s<br />
crew which worked day and night at sea to get the ship<br />
ready as a battle worthy unit as we had sailed with<strong>in</strong> a<br />
couple <strong>of</strong> days post undock<strong>in</strong>g. We got ready <strong>in</strong> good time<br />
keep<strong>in</strong>g with Delhi’s motto ‘Ek Do Teen Char, Delhi<br />
Hamesha Taiyyar’. The crew was ready for action, well<br />
aware that should the need arise, Delhi would be at the<br />
forefront <strong>of</strong> any Fleet action. Their <strong>in</strong>domitable spirit<br />
humbled me with the realisation that I was responsible for<br />
78<br />
such a f<strong>in</strong>e body <strong>of</strong> men. The ‘Spirit <strong>of</strong> Delhi’ had been<br />
re<strong>in</strong>forced by the experience and now we knew that we<br />
were really ready to meet any challenge.<br />
‘Operation Endur<strong>in</strong>g Freedom’ be<strong>in</strong>g underway saw the<br />
North Arabian Sea and the Gulf crawl<strong>in</strong>g with coalition<br />
warships. The Western Fleet presence dur<strong>in</strong>g this<br />
deployment was an appropriate display <strong>of</strong> our <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong><br />
the region. The awe <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g sight <strong>of</strong> Viraat accompanied<br />
by Delhi, Mysore, Shakti and V<strong>in</strong>dhyagiri steam<strong>in</strong>g up the<br />
Straits <strong>of</strong> Hormuz <strong>in</strong>to the Gulf would have sent a clear<br />
signal.<br />
Parakram was one <strong>of</strong> the major challenges that we<br />
experienced dur<strong>in</strong>g this commission. Ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the ship<br />
<strong>in</strong> a high degree <strong>of</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>ed read<strong>in</strong>ess required<br />
considerable effort both to get the systems combat ready<br />
as also to br<strong>in</strong>g the crew up to the highest state <strong>of</strong> workup.<br />
The prolonged deployment also saw the Fleet bond<br />
together as well-oiled parts <strong>of</strong> a whole, ready to fulfil their<br />
mission whenever called upon to do so. This manifested<br />
<strong>in</strong> a brilliant performance by the Fleet dur<strong>in</strong>g the ORI later<br />
that year.<br />
Our nom<strong>in</strong>ation as the OTC for the fourth Indo - US jo<strong>in</strong>t<br />
exercise Malabar, be<strong>in</strong>g resumed after a gap <strong>of</strong> five years<br />
was <strong>in</strong>deed an honour as the Fleet Commander himself<br />
had led all the previous Malabars. The Indian Flotilla<br />
comprised Delhi, Gomati, Aditya and Shishumar whereas<br />
the US side had USS Chancellorsville, a ‘Ticonderoga,’<br />
with USS Foster, a ‘Spruance’ <strong>in</strong> company. The exercises<br />
which saw us cover the entire gamut <strong>of</strong> maritime<br />
operations were an excellent experience for all the units<br />
that participated. The culm<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g ‘Encounterex’ serials<br />
saw us form ‘mixed’ units with each group leav<strong>in</strong>g no stone<br />
unturned <strong>in</strong> try<strong>in</strong>g to outwit the other, the IN units performed<br />
brilliantly and kept the flag <strong>of</strong> the Navy fly<strong>in</strong>g high.<br />
The regular fuell<strong>in</strong>g serials with Aditya, which had recently<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Western Fleet, became memorable <strong>in</strong> that<br />
somehow the two ships always seemed to have problems<br />
‘mat<strong>in</strong>g’. Thus every time Delhi and Aditya were planned
to replenish, their penchant for land<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>in</strong> embarrass<strong>in</strong>g<br />
situations would come to the fore. One such was dur<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
passage to Kochi at the height <strong>of</strong> the monsoon. Whilst<br />
engaged <strong>in</strong> night replenishment Aditya had a problem<br />
recover<strong>in</strong>g her gear whilst disengag<strong>in</strong>g. Both ships found<br />
themselves firmly stuck together <strong>in</strong> foul weather, struggl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to f<strong>in</strong>d a way to disengage. Try<strong>in</strong>g to focus on ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
station <strong>in</strong> heavy showers and strong w<strong>in</strong>ds with ra<strong>in</strong>water<br />
trickl<strong>in</strong>g down under one’s collar, while the tankers crew<br />
attempted to wrestle the gear back on board, was a hairrais<strong>in</strong>g<br />
experience. When we f<strong>in</strong>ally disengaged the two<br />
ships had been connected for almost four hours and Delhi<br />
spr<strong>in</strong>ted back to her station with a discernible sigh <strong>of</strong> relief<br />
among all on board!!<br />
The fifteen months I spent on board seemed to pass <strong>in</strong> a<br />
flash and before I realised it was time to rel<strong>in</strong>quish<br />
Navy is a true <strong>in</strong>ternational service; it is because most<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten than not it operates beyond 12 nautical miles <strong>of</strong><br />
the coast and hence <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational waters called the<br />
high seas. Our counterparts from the Army and the Air<br />
Force rarely leave the country whereas we do it on an<br />
everyday basis; <strong>in</strong> almost every sail<strong>in</strong>g we leave the<br />
territorial limits <strong>of</strong> the country. I was conscious <strong>of</strong> it <strong>in</strong><br />
my very first sail<strong>in</strong>g as a cadet on the cruiser Delhi. At<br />
sea, when I looked around, it filled me with a strange<br />
thrill that the waters around me connected me as<br />
much to foreign lands as to India.<br />
Still, there is noth<strong>in</strong>g like actually go<strong>in</strong>g abroad; one <strong>of</strong><br />
the fr<strong>in</strong>ge benefits <strong>of</strong> jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the Navy. I remember the<br />
then Capta<strong>in</strong> Nayyar, CO <strong>of</strong> Delhi, address<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
ship’s company before enter<strong>in</strong>g the port <strong>of</strong> Aden; my<br />
first foreign port. He said each one <strong>of</strong> us were the<br />
ambassadors <strong>of</strong> our great nation ashore and were<br />
expected to conduct ourselves likewise. I thought to<br />
79<br />
command. As I addressed the ships company,<br />
congratulat<strong>in</strong>g them on a magnificent performance dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the commission, I was rem<strong>in</strong>ded that this brought to an<br />
end my f<strong>in</strong>al days at sea. It was with a sense <strong>of</strong> pride that<br />
I left the mighty Delhi, I was certa<strong>in</strong> that together with the<br />
wonderful crew I had been given the privilege to<br />
command, we had ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed the tradition <strong>of</strong> this immortal<br />
legend which would live on forever <strong>in</strong> our memories. The<br />
entire commission brought out the tenaciousness and<br />
fight<strong>in</strong>g spirit <strong>of</strong> the ship’s crew. Whether it was at sea<br />
prepar<strong>in</strong>g her for battle or <strong>in</strong> harbour, every endeavour<br />
saw them overcome all odds and sh<strong>in</strong>e. At each step I was<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>ded <strong>of</strong> her heritage and conv<strong>in</strong>ced <strong>of</strong> the belief that<br />
the naval custom <strong>of</strong> renam<strong>in</strong>g a ship also saw the tradition<br />
and spirit <strong>of</strong> one be<strong>in</strong>g passed on to the successor.<br />
rajeevsawhney@gmail.com<br />
Foreign Jaunts<br />
Cmde RPS Ravi (Retd)<br />
myself: ‘What great luck to be called “Your Excellency”<br />
at the age <strong>of</strong> twenty-one’. Some <strong>of</strong> us accompanied<br />
the CO for luncheon at the Governor’s residence and<br />
felt like true ambassadors <strong>in</strong>deed.<br />
Our next cruise was to the port <strong>of</strong> Sabang <strong>in</strong><br />
Indonesia. It was about 20 kms or so from the city <strong>of</strong><br />
Balawan. This was where we imag<strong>in</strong>ed the fun to be.<br />
But, the problem that confronted us was how to reach<br />
there. With our meagre resources we could not have<br />
hired a cab and we were not familiar with the bus<br />
routes. As we came out <strong>of</strong> the port we spotted a<br />
‘tempo’ driven by a Sardar. We thumbed a ride. As we<br />
sat with him <strong>in</strong> the front seats he got <strong>in</strong>to a<br />
conversation with us about the ship. We showed <strong>of</strong>f to<br />
him how the ship was fitted with the very latest <strong>in</strong><br />
warfare and comfort. He was particularly keen to know<br />
about the conditions <strong>in</strong> the Eng<strong>in</strong>e Room. We told him<br />
that our Eng<strong>in</strong>e Room had the latest <strong>in</strong> air-conditioned
luxury and had controls and sensors to match a l<strong>in</strong>er.<br />
After three quarter <strong>of</strong> an hour’s journey he dropped us<br />
at Belawan with the part<strong>in</strong>g shot, “Great to know about<br />
your modern ship, Sirs; you did not recognize me, I<br />
am LME A S<strong>in</strong>gh from your ship. This ‘tempo’ belongs<br />
to my brother here <strong>in</strong> Belawan. How about com<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
the Eng<strong>in</strong>e Room sometimes and do<strong>in</strong>g a watch with<br />
me?” For the next few months we avoided A S<strong>in</strong>gh on<br />
board as if he were a leper.<br />
On Ganga, I remember our CO’s address before<br />
enter<strong>in</strong>g the Ethiopian (now Eritrean) port <strong>of</strong><br />
Massawa. After rem<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g us about our<br />
ambassadorial duties he embarked on another<br />
subject. He said foreign visits were also occasions to<br />
build up databanks. He said whilst we were not<br />
expected to actively <strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong> any <strong>in</strong>telligence<br />
gather<strong>in</strong>g, but, many a times, <strong>in</strong>formation could come<br />
to us <strong>in</strong> most unexpected manner. To illustrate the<br />
po<strong>in</strong>t he told us about the time when Indians were<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g overtures towards the Germans to procure<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es from them and wanted more <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
about them. He said he had gone to have a haircut at<br />
a saloon <strong>in</strong> Bonn and there, whilst wait<strong>in</strong>g for his turn,<br />
he was leaf<strong>in</strong>g through the magaz<strong>in</strong>es. Lo and behold<br />
he found all the <strong>in</strong>formation about the submar<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong><br />
an article <strong>in</strong> a local magaz<strong>in</strong>e. That even<strong>in</strong>g, after we<br />
entered Massawa, we must have caused a<br />
small flutter <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational -<br />
relations, for, the entire Ganga<br />
wardroom landed up at the local<br />
saloon for a haircut.<br />
On Himgiri we had gone<br />
on a foreign visit to the<br />
Black Sea Soviet (now<br />
Ukranian) port <strong>of</strong> Odessa. In<br />
foreign ports, sailors<br />
generally go out <strong>in</strong> uniform<br />
whereas the <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>in</strong> civvies.<br />
But, so great was the<br />
fasc<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> the Soviet belles<br />
80<br />
with uniform that we found that the sailors managed<br />
to make friends with the prettiest <strong>of</strong> them. As if that<br />
was not enough, to add <strong>in</strong>sult to <strong>in</strong>jury, on the<br />
second day <strong>of</strong> our stay when a reception was held<br />
on board, one <strong>of</strong> the ladies enquired <strong>of</strong> us as to why<br />
there was no <strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>in</strong> the reception. It was difficult<br />
to get to the bottom <strong>of</strong> this because <strong>of</strong> language<br />
barrier and it took us sometime to unravel the<br />
mystery. Apparently, a day earlier one <strong>of</strong> the Petty<br />
Officers <strong>in</strong> uniform ashore, when asked as to why<br />
was there a dist<strong>in</strong>ction between some <strong>of</strong> us go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
out for ‘liberty’ (shore leave) <strong>in</strong> uniform and others <strong>in</strong><br />
civvies, had <strong>in</strong>formed them that only they, the<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers, with an anchor or two on their sleeves,<br />
were the only ones “permitted” to go out <strong>in</strong> uniform.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g our trip to Athens we were ambl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Constitution Square when a k<strong>in</strong>d man came to us and<br />
asked if we were Indian. He said that he admired<br />
Indians and would like us to have dr<strong>in</strong>ks <strong>in</strong> the<br />
company <strong>of</strong> his fair-sex friends. The dr<strong>in</strong>ks were <strong>nic</strong>e<br />
and the girls were <strong>nic</strong>er still. We talked about our great<br />
nations, our history and heritage, Taj Mahal, Delhi etc<br />
(amongst other th<strong>in</strong>gs, that is) and really enjoyed<br />
ourselves. We were under-tra<strong>in</strong>ee Act<strong>in</strong>g Sub<br />
Lieutenants on board. We were conv<strong>in</strong>ced that we<br />
were smarter, wittier, more <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g company; else,<br />
why would the girls be attracted to<br />
us as compared to our more<br />
senior colleagues from<br />
Himgiri? In our<br />
megalomaniac trance<br />
we did not know that<br />
the man who had <strong>in</strong>vited<br />
us had quietly vanished<br />
and so had our seniors.<br />
Later, we were asked to<br />
pay an exorbitant bill for the<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>ks, and we had to part<br />
with our entire foreign<br />
allowance and more. We<br />
were the suckers who had
fallen for the obvious ploy. When we returned on<br />
board we were ‘ceremoniously’ received with all the<br />
seniors l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the gangway and go<strong>in</strong>g through the<br />
motions <strong>of</strong> a mock side-pipe.<br />
Such hoaxes and sw<strong>in</strong>dles dur<strong>in</strong>g foreign jaunts are<br />
worth remember<strong>in</strong>g. Dur<strong>in</strong>g one such trip we landed<br />
up at Colombo. In order to shop there we had to first<br />
convert our Indian Rupee <strong>in</strong>to local currency. Just as<br />
it happened <strong>in</strong> Athens, a k<strong>in</strong>d hearted<br />
gentleman came and asked us to put<br />
our money <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual envelopes<br />
that he had brought, write the<br />
names and amounts on the<br />
sealed envelopes and then<br />
he’d go and get the requisite<br />
local currency. He took<br />
the envelopes from us<br />
only to make a list<br />
and then handed<br />
these back to us. We<br />
held on to these<br />
whilst he went on his<br />
errand. As time<br />
passed and he did<br />
not return we<br />
reassured ourselves<br />
by feel<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
e n v e l o p e s<br />
conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g our<br />
money. However, when<br />
he did not return even after one<br />
hour <strong>of</strong> wait we opened the<br />
envelopes and found that<br />
<strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> our hard-earned<br />
money these<br />
conta<strong>in</strong>ed newspaper<br />
strips. In the even<strong>in</strong>g we narrated this <strong>in</strong>cident, over<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>ks, to other <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>in</strong> the Wardroom and they<br />
made fun <strong>of</strong> us for be<strong>in</strong>g duped. The next day the lot<br />
to whom we had told the story also lost their money<br />
<strong>in</strong> like manner.<br />
81<br />
But, <strong>of</strong> all the <strong>in</strong>cidents dur<strong>in</strong>g foreign trips, this one<br />
takes the cake. Whilst walk<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the ports,<br />
know<strong>in</strong>g that the locals would not know Punjabi, one<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer would accost the lovely damsels with the<br />
naughty Punjabi l<strong>in</strong>e: “D... ke thane jaana?” (Are you<br />
will<strong>in</strong>g or should I take you to Thane, that is, Police<br />
Station?). The damsels, not understand<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
question or its import would just smile and walk away<br />
and all <strong>of</strong> us would burst <strong>in</strong> cackles. However, when<br />
he asked this <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful<br />
<strong>of</strong> the girls, she confronted him<br />
with, “Thane jaana”. He did<br />
not know where to look. That<br />
even<strong>in</strong>g we had a reception<br />
on board and she happened<br />
to be the daughter <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Indian (and Punjabi) First<br />
Secretary. Our flamboyant<br />
Punjabi <strong>of</strong>ficer did the Mister<br />
India trick (many years<br />
before the movie was<br />
released) and tried to<br />
become <strong>in</strong>visible dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the party.<br />
Foreign trips or port<br />
calls or overseas<br />
deployments are<br />
great ones to<br />
showcase Indian<br />
technology, culture,<br />
greatness etc. These are<br />
occasions to make bridges <strong>of</strong><br />
friendship across the oceans.<br />
However, what one<br />
remembers most about them<br />
are such snippets. I am sure<br />
these, if compiled, would make a great book <strong>of</strong><br />
anecdotes. I am will<strong>in</strong>g to compile one should you<br />
send your stories to me!.<br />
rpsravi@gmail.com.
As always, the submar<strong>in</strong>e left harbour <strong>in</strong> the small<br />
hours, while the city slept. A huge, om<strong>in</strong>ous shadow <strong>in</strong><br />
the dark, she moved silently but for the fa<strong>in</strong>t hiss <strong>of</strong> the<br />
water aga<strong>in</strong>st her sides. At five thousand tons, she was<br />
the largest warship <strong>in</strong> the Indian Navy after the<br />
carriers. The young Capta<strong>in</strong> on the bridge had done<br />
this dozens <strong>of</strong> times, but tak<strong>in</strong>g this formidable vessel<br />
out through the narrow channel was still excit<strong>in</strong>g, with<br />
a potential surprise lurk<strong>in</strong>g at every bend.<br />
Slowly the submar<strong>in</strong>e made its way out <strong>of</strong> the harbour<br />
and set course for the div<strong>in</strong>g area. Today they were<br />
leav<strong>in</strong>g on an extended surveillance patrol <strong>of</strong> the Bay<br />
islands under simulated war conditions, as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
essential and never-end<strong>in</strong>g process <strong>of</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
presence <strong>in</strong> one’s own waters.<br />
Before that, however, there was a game to be played.<br />
Units <strong>of</strong> the Fleet were return<strong>in</strong>g from deployment <strong>in</strong><br />
the south, and Headquarters had decided that the<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e would <strong>in</strong>tercept them <strong>in</strong> a staged encounter<br />
and carry out a mock attack before detach<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
proceed on her ma<strong>in</strong> mission. The ships would be<br />
closer <strong>in</strong> to the shore and the submar<strong>in</strong>e further out,<br />
listen<strong>in</strong>g out for them aga<strong>in</strong>st the backdrop <strong>of</strong> shallowwater<br />
noises. The <strong>in</strong>terception area was some miles to<br />
seaward <strong>of</strong> an estuary, and recent ra<strong>in</strong>s would have<br />
made the seawater density variable, caus<strong>in</strong>g trimm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
problems. Not ideal waters for a large nuke, thought<br />
the Capta<strong>in</strong>, but there<strong>in</strong> lay the challenge. In addition,<br />
his crew would enjoy the thrill <strong>of</strong> the hunt.<br />
“Bridge - twenty m<strong>in</strong>utes to div<strong>in</strong>g area!” came the<br />
report from the charthouse. “Right - <strong>in</strong>form the<br />
Commander, please”. The order was still be<strong>in</strong>g relayed<br />
when the Capta<strong>in</strong> reached the control room, just as the<br />
Commander ordered “div<strong>in</strong>g stations.” The Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<br />
Officer was already there.<br />
Cacophony Below the Sea<br />
82<br />
Vice Admiral RN Ganesh (Retd)<br />
“We’ll catch a quick trim, then we need to crack on<br />
some speed; our <strong>in</strong>itial position is about twenty miles<br />
south <strong>of</strong> here.”<br />
The first dive after leav<strong>in</strong>g harbour was always a ‘trim’<br />
dive - a slow, deliberate dive done <strong>in</strong> stages to make<br />
any adjustments necessary to the Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer’s<br />
calculated trim.<br />
“Div<strong>in</strong>g stations correct, sir,” reported the Commander.<br />
The Capta<strong>in</strong> nodded at the Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer. They had<br />
worked together as a close-knit team for a year now,<br />
and there was no need for unnecessary words. “Flood<br />
end groups” ordered the Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer. The div<strong>in</strong>g<br />
panel operator switched the end group ballast tank<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> vents to “open”. There was a muffled roar as<br />
hundreds <strong>of</strong> tons <strong>of</strong> seawater flooded the end groups<br />
<strong>of</strong> tanks. The submar<strong>in</strong>e sank perceptibly beneath their<br />
feet; she now rode on the buoyancy <strong>of</strong> the centre<br />
group tanks alone. While the Commander ordered<br />
“Inspect compartments” and received the reports from<br />
them, the Capta<strong>in</strong> studied the trim and depth gauges<br />
and the <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ometer, look<strong>in</strong>g for the first po<strong>in</strong>ters to<br />
any major problems <strong>in</strong> the trim. There were none.<br />
“Submar<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>spected and correct - ready to go down.”<br />
reported the Commander. “Permission to flood the<br />
centre group, sir” asked the Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer This time<br />
the roar <strong>of</strong> the water flood<strong>in</strong>g the tanks was louder<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce the tanks were around the hull right outside the<br />
control room.<br />
“Trim her at 40 meters for four knots - we’ll be do<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
lot <strong>of</strong> listen<strong>in</strong>g.” The Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer nodded. The<br />
trimm<strong>in</strong>g operation was over soon, and as planned,<br />
they <strong>in</strong>creased speed to fifteen knots. It felt good to be<br />
able to order higher speeds and not worry about the<br />
battery, thought the Capta<strong>in</strong>. “We may expect contact<br />
with the ‘enemy’ between an hour and two hours from
now,” reported the NO. The Capta<strong>in</strong> left the control<br />
room leav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>structions to carry out a sonar search <strong>of</strong><br />
the area and call him when anyth<strong>in</strong>g was heard.<br />
They reached their designated position twenty m<strong>in</strong>utes<br />
early. An hour passed, and then there was a knock at<br />
his cab<strong>in</strong> door. It was the Sonar Officer. “There’s a<br />
small problem, sir”, he said; Pilot says they should be<br />
with<strong>in</strong> twenty miles <strong>of</strong> us to the south, but the sonar is<br />
unable to hear anyth<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
“Unable to hear?” repeated the Capta<strong>in</strong>.<br />
“The entire southern sector - that’s where NO says<br />
they’ll probably come from - is blanked with noise. We<br />
can’t hear anyth<strong>in</strong>g through it.”<br />
This was bad news. If the sonar malfunctioned, it could<br />
take hours to locate and rectify the fault. Even the ma<strong>in</strong><br />
mission could be <strong>in</strong> jeopardy if dockyard help became<br />
necessary. “Get the Commander and the Electrical<br />
Officer to the charthouse. We need to discuss this.<br />
Who’s on the sonar?”<br />
“Master Chief Attar, sir” was the answer. The Capta<strong>in</strong><br />
was reassured. Attar was the best sonar Chief <strong>in</strong> the<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e arm, as far as he was concerned. He went<br />
across to the ‘sound room’, which was just abaft the<br />
control room. The Sonar Chief wished him ‘Jai H<strong>in</strong>d”,<br />
and silently handed him the headphones. The Capta<strong>in</strong><br />
had spent many an hour <strong>in</strong> the sound room gett<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
ears tuned to the sounds <strong>of</strong> ships’ propellers - called<br />
‘hydrophone effect’ or ‘HE’ for short. On this occasion<br />
all he heard was the noise - it was a cont<strong>in</strong>uous<br />
crackl<strong>in</strong>g, with an occasional popp<strong>in</strong>g sound as made<br />
by a fire <strong>of</strong> dry, res<strong>in</strong>ous wood. The noise blanked the<br />
entire southern sector - it would be impossible to hear<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g through that racket, even if the ships passed<br />
close by.<br />
They held a council <strong>in</strong> the charthouse. “No problems<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the pre-patrol checks yesterday?” asked the<br />
83<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong>, though he knew that all sensors had been<br />
reported checked and correct. The Electrical Officer<br />
confirmed this.<br />
“Can you say whether the noise is external or a system<br />
fault?”<br />
“I would say external” <strong>in</strong>terposed the Commander. We<br />
made two n<strong>in</strong>ety-degree turns after <strong>in</strong>itially hear<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
noise, but the true bear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> sector didn’t change.”<br />
The Capta<strong>in</strong> nodded <strong>in</strong> agreement.<br />
Time was tick<strong>in</strong>g away. The submar<strong>in</strong>e would never<br />
live it down if the fleet ships sailed past undetected.<br />
Many years earlier, the Fleet Commander, a bluff,<br />
laco<strong>nic</strong> man with a sardo<strong>nic</strong> sense <strong>of</strong> humour, had<br />
been the Capta<strong>in</strong>’s Divisional Officer <strong>in</strong> Kharakvasla.<br />
He would have a th<strong>in</strong>g or two to say about the<br />
marvellous capabilities <strong>of</strong> nuclear submar<strong>in</strong>es when<br />
they next met, thought the Capta<strong>in</strong> wryly.<br />
He went back to the sound room. The Chief Sonar<br />
operator handed him the headphones and said with<br />
conviction: “It’s bio-noise, sir.” The Capta<strong>in</strong> agreed.<br />
Landsmen, he mused, thought <strong>of</strong> the ocean depths as<br />
dark and silent. In fact, there was a cacophony <strong>of</strong> noise<br />
down there that could drive submar<strong>in</strong>e sonarmen to<br />
distraction - whales with their long, soulful moans,<br />
dolph<strong>in</strong>s with their click<strong>in</strong>g and whistl<strong>in</strong>g, and a host <strong>of</strong><br />
other noisy creatures, not to mention the ambient<br />
noise <strong>of</strong> the sea itself. They had a whole taped reel <strong>of</strong><br />
these sounds but he had never heard this k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> noise<br />
before - certa<strong>in</strong>ly never anyth<strong>in</strong>g near this loudness.<br />
“Can’t we go around” asked the Sonar Officer.<br />
“No - we can’t leave the area. Maybe the noise will<br />
stop after some time.”<br />
“Sir....” The Sonar Chief hesitated. “We can try one<br />
high power transmission <strong>in</strong> that sector. It may have<br />
some effect.”
“Good idea!” The Capta<strong>in</strong> got up, slapped the Sonar<br />
Chief on the shoulder, and left for the control room,<br />
visibly excited.<br />
Although the submar<strong>in</strong>e had a powerful active sonar, a<br />
transmission could compromise its stealth and was<br />
only used after carefully weigh<strong>in</strong>g the balance <strong>of</strong><br />
tactical advantage. However, on this occasion there<br />
was noth<strong>in</strong>g to lose. And if it worked it was well worth<br />
the tactical ‘risk’.<br />
Soon the order came from the control room. “Sound<br />
Room, Control - standby s<strong>in</strong>gle pulse, high power,<br />
centre bear<strong>in</strong>g 200.”<br />
“Sound room roger, stand by s<strong>in</strong>gle pulse, high power,<br />
centre bear<strong>in</strong>g 200.”<br />
The Capta<strong>in</strong> went back to the sound room, the<br />
Electrical Officer close on his heels. ‘Let’s hear it,<br />
Master Sa’ab”. One <strong>of</strong> the sonarmen switched on the<br />
loudspeaker for them. The noise was as loud as<br />
before. “Sound room ready for s<strong>in</strong>gle pulse, high<br />
power, centre bear<strong>in</strong>g 200” reported the Sonar Chief.<br />
“Transmit” came the order. The second operator<br />
flipped up the guard cover and pressed the red button.<br />
They could hear the pulse as it left the ship.<br />
More than a m<strong>in</strong>ute passed. And suddenly it was as if<br />
somebody had turned <strong>of</strong>f a switch. One moment there<br />
was that overpower<strong>in</strong>g crackl<strong>in</strong>g noise, and the next -<br />
total silence. The Capta<strong>in</strong> shook the Sonar Chief’s<br />
hand and said “Well done, Master Sa’ab!”, and went<br />
back to the control room. Hardly had he sat <strong>in</strong> his<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong>’s chair that the report came <strong>in</strong>, the deliberately<br />
expressionless voice <strong>of</strong> the Sonar Chief:<br />
“Control room - group HE on bear<strong>in</strong>g 175, classified<br />
warships.”<br />
The atmosphere <strong>in</strong> the control room was electrified.<br />
The Commander took the mike <strong>in</strong> hand: “D’ye hear<br />
84<br />
there! This is the Commander. The sonar team has<br />
detected ‘enemy’ ships <strong>in</strong> sector south. A big shabash<br />
to them. Action stations - torpedo attack!”<br />
“Game on!” said the navigator, as he bent over the<br />
attack plot.<br />
We never pumped our fists <strong>in</strong> those days.<br />
Post Script: This story is based on a real experience <strong>in</strong><br />
INS Chakra <strong>in</strong> 1988. The noise was generated by the<br />
denizens <strong>of</strong> large shrimp beds <strong>in</strong> the general area <strong>of</strong><br />
Kak<strong>in</strong>ada. From later read<strong>in</strong>g I learned that the culprit<br />
was the snapp<strong>in</strong>g shrimp, which thrives <strong>in</strong> tropical<br />
waters near the coast. A one and a half-<strong>in</strong>ch<br />
crustacean almost foiled a 5000-ton nuclear<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e!<br />
rnganesh@rediffmail.com<br />
ship or Quarter<br />
Number<br />
Cmde RK Dass (Retd)<br />
The SDB series built <strong>in</strong> the late 1970s at<br />
GRSE, Calcutta were christened with Numbers<br />
T 51 onwards <strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> the usual names<br />
given to the Indian naval ships. In 1980, I was<br />
serv<strong>in</strong>g on board T 51 which was based at<br />
Bombay. I was stay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Navy Nagar and one<br />
particular even<strong>in</strong>g feel<strong>in</strong>g little unwell, went to<br />
Ashw<strong>in</strong>i. I went to the duty LMA to get myself<br />
registered and get the chit made to be seen by<br />
the DMO. I gave my name and <strong>of</strong>ficial number<br />
to the LMA and on enquiry from him which<br />
ship, I replied “T 51”. In response the duty LMA<br />
promptly asked “Sir, I want the ship’s name<br />
and not the quarter number”.<br />
raj<strong>in</strong>derdass-ambala11@hotmail.com
I was do<strong>in</strong>g my time <strong>in</strong> NDA when I was appo<strong>in</strong>ted <strong>in</strong><br />
command <strong>of</strong> Nipat <strong>of</strong> the ‘Operation Trishul’ fame, <strong>in</strong><br />
Dec 1973 and she had not sailed any <strong>in</strong> the previous<br />
year. After the then sacrosanct COQC, I took over<br />
command on 3 Mar 1974 and dur<strong>in</strong>g this gap <strong>of</strong><br />
three months the XO, Lt (later Commodore) Arun<br />
Madan was <strong>of</strong>ficiat<strong>in</strong>g as the CO.<br />
I was slated to be tested by fire immediately, as the<br />
ship was sail<strong>in</strong>g for the first PMF by the Squadron,<br />
post 1971 Ops, on the follow<strong>in</strong>g day, thankfully, as<br />
the standby ship. As there was no time I could not<br />
have sailed or worked up the ship. My requests to<br />
K25, Cmde RP Bhalla for tak<strong>in</strong>g over command<br />
before completion <strong>of</strong> COQC and a sea out<strong>in</strong>g were<br />
dismissed outright. I was told that I was just a<br />
standby ship and it was only a formality. Eng<strong>in</strong>es <strong>of</strong><br />
205 boats had an extremely limited eng<strong>in</strong>e life<br />
between first overhaul <strong>of</strong> just 600 hrs, no overhaul<br />
facilities had been set up <strong>in</strong> India and most <strong>of</strong> the<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>e hours had been exhausted dur<strong>in</strong>g the 1971<br />
war. My eng<strong>in</strong>e hour allowance for the year was a<br />
generous 100 hrs <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g time for enter<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
leav<strong>in</strong>g harbour, so we did our best to maximize by<br />
motor<strong>in</strong>g on one eng<strong>in</strong>e whenever possible and we<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten drifted at sea.<br />
On tak<strong>in</strong>g over and after the customary calls we<br />
settled down to plann<strong>in</strong>g the sortie and carry<strong>in</strong>g out<br />
harbour and sea drills. At the end <strong>of</strong> the hectic day,<br />
I believed that we were generally ready and we<br />
should be able to put a decent foot forward. As<br />
scheduled we sailed out quite uneventfully but when<br />
<strong>in</strong> the PMF area, we had a problem with the MK 31<br />
panel for the P15 missile, rul<strong>in</strong>g out the possibility <strong>of</strong><br />
its fir<strong>in</strong>g. We <strong>in</strong>formed K25 and started look<strong>in</strong>g at<br />
options and we thought <strong>of</strong> switch<strong>in</strong>g Panels but the<br />
same had never been attempted earlier. We sought<br />
INS Nipat - Baptism by PMFs<br />
85<br />
approval from K25 but none came as ‘we were just<br />
a stand by ship’.<br />
INS Vijeta with Lt Cdr (later IG, Coast Guard) NS<br />
(M<strong>in</strong>na) Achreja as CO and Lt (later Vice Adm)<br />
Pradip Kaushiva as XO were, directed to launch its<br />
missile. The missile launched beautifully but ditched<br />
about a couple <strong>of</strong> cables ahead <strong>of</strong> that ship and<br />
became the first SSM misfire <strong>in</strong> IN. The missile<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>e had not started. I immediately sounded<br />
action stations and without wait<strong>in</strong>g for approval (it<br />
never came), we set about chang<strong>in</strong>g the launch<br />
panel. Sure enough we got orders to prepare to<br />
launch our missile and <strong>in</strong>dicate when we will be<br />
ready, we requested for 45 m<strong>in</strong>. The OTC<br />
(FOCWEF) was not aware <strong>of</strong> our problems. We<br />
successfully, launched the missile which hit its<br />
target, on my and my ship’s very first, post refit<br />
sail<strong>in</strong>g, without any prior work up. I am sure we were<br />
blessed.<br />
Epilogue. Many years later, <strong>in</strong> 1988, I was <strong>in</strong><br />
command <strong>of</strong> Rajput and we put out to sea for the<br />
first ever under water launch <strong>of</strong> a missile by Chakra<br />
and my very own ex-Nipat was the target. Chakra<br />
(Capt (later Vice Adm) RN Ganesh) scored a direct<br />
hit but <strong>in</strong>destructible ‘Nipat’ would not go down,<br />
despite all the hits from the heavy caliber guns that<br />
were subsequently ra<strong>in</strong>ed on her. Rajput was then<br />
directed to s<strong>in</strong>k ex-Nipat and I had the (mis)fortune<br />
<strong>of</strong> s<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g my first command with volleys from 30mm<br />
guns. It was satisfy<strong>in</strong>g to complete the task and yet<br />
it left a lump <strong>in</strong> my throat. May all those who sail <strong>in</strong><br />
Nipat have good fortune and success always and<br />
every time.<br />
admiralhar<strong>in</strong>der@gmail.com<br />
Vice Admiral Har<strong>in</strong>der S<strong>in</strong>gh (Retd)
In the first half <strong>of</strong> 1971, ships <strong>of</strong> the Western Fleet,<br />
entered Coch<strong>in</strong>, after a fortnight at sea. As a young Sub-<br />
Lieutenant, I was the Navigat<strong>in</strong>g Officer <strong>of</strong> the frigate INS<br />
Kirpan, and remember how we rushed <strong>of</strong>f to the SNC<br />
Mess, to attend a d<strong>in</strong>ner function. The even<strong>in</strong>g was a<br />
great success, with tales be<strong>in</strong>g exchanged, good<br />
natured jokes be<strong>in</strong>g shared and toasts be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
raised by sailors back from the sea.<br />
Around midnight, we were asked to get<br />
back to our ships and “sail with dispatch”<br />
for Colombo, as our Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister had<br />
responded to a request for<br />
help from Sri Lanka, to<br />
prevent arms be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
smuggled <strong>in</strong> to help<br />
<strong>in</strong>surgency by the S<strong>in</strong>hala<br />
nationalist JVT (Janatha<br />
Vimukthi Peramuna). All the<br />
units cast <strong>of</strong>f before sunrise, and<br />
anchored <strong>of</strong>f Colombo harbour,<br />
the next day. Our hosts were<br />
very happy to meet us,<br />
and old friendships<br />
were quickly renewed<br />
over a few dr<strong>in</strong>ks, with<br />
the Sri Lankans, clearly<br />
show<strong>in</strong>g their fondness<br />
for “Rum & Coke”!<br />
At Colombo INS Kirpan embarked a<br />
couple <strong>of</strong> Sri Lankan Navy Petty<br />
Officers, (to help <strong>in</strong> our <strong>in</strong>terrogation <strong>of</strong><br />
any suspicious local fish<strong>in</strong>g boats) and<br />
sailed to patrol our given sector on the<br />
southern and south eastern part <strong>of</strong> the island. Tensions<br />
were high as unconfirmed reports had come <strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> foreign<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es possibly land<strong>in</strong>g arms <strong>in</strong>to the island. We<br />
began stopp<strong>in</strong>g near small Sri Lankan fish<strong>in</strong>g boats, and<br />
Paratha & Poori Diplomacy<br />
86<br />
Vice Admiral AK S<strong>in</strong>gh (Retd)<br />
the Sri Lankan sailors would question them, and we<br />
would let them <strong>of</strong>f, after a quick visual check. This<br />
mundane activity did not impress a young naval <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
(from the Middle East), who was borne for sea tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. I<br />
remember, he was my Assistant OOW, and told me “Sir, I<br />
don’t understand this system <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>spect<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fish<strong>in</strong>g boats. In my country, we would<br />
have simply opened fire, shot everyone<br />
and sunk the boats. This way, you can<br />
ensure that no weapons will ever come <strong>in</strong>!” I<br />
am not sure how far he rose<br />
<strong>in</strong> his Navy later, but we<br />
had to keep an eye on<br />
him for the next fortnight<br />
that we were on patrol!<br />
In 1989, as the first<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> SM <strong>of</strong> the newly<br />
formed 11th Submar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Squadron compris<strong>in</strong>g four Kilo<br />
class submar<strong>in</strong>es, I was just<br />
beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to get to grips with<br />
my new operational job,<br />
when I was ordered to<br />
go to Sri Lanka. On 23<br />
April 1989, an IAF AN-<br />
32 aircraft dropped me<br />
at the Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee military airport.<br />
I took over my new duty, which<br />
carried the rather pompous title <strong>of</strong><br />
INCOM (T) or “Indian Navy<br />
Commander Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee”. As an<br />
Indian Navy Capta<strong>in</strong>, I found myself<br />
<strong>in</strong> unfamiliar territory and on an<br />
unfamiliar mission.<br />
I was part <strong>of</strong> the IPKF, which comprised the Indian Army,<br />
Indian Navy and IAF. The situation was rather grim, with
the IPKF fight<strong>in</strong>g the LTTE, and also under attack by the<br />
JVP or the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. Indeed, as<br />
Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee port was under constant threat from the<br />
LTTE and JVP activists, with bomb blasts and IEDs tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
almost a daily toll <strong>of</strong> Indians and Sri Lankans alike.<br />
Practically the entire IN detachment, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g myself,<br />
went around our 24x7 chores <strong>of</strong> water front and coastal<br />
patroll<strong>in</strong>g, liais<strong>in</strong>g, meet<strong>in</strong>gs etc with loaded weapons <strong>in</strong><br />
our hands. The overall IN presence <strong>in</strong> Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee<br />
comprised a few dozen hardwork<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficers and sailors<br />
who, along with their Army and Air Force counterparts, did<br />
their best to keep the Indian flag fly<strong>in</strong>g high, <strong>in</strong> very<br />
troubled waters.<br />
Even though over 90 percent <strong>of</strong> the Sri Lankan Navy<br />
personnel had been tra<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> India, and were very well<br />
disposed towards us, the tension <strong>in</strong> the air was palpable,<br />
with almost everyone mov<strong>in</strong>g around with loaded<br />
firearms. Our detachment was located next to the Sri<br />
Lankan naval base, and when I called on the Sri Lankan<br />
Commander East, Commodore W Fernando, I<br />
discovered a friendly <strong>of</strong>ficer, who had done all his tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> India. I <strong>in</strong>vited him for “Rum and D<strong>in</strong>ner”, which was a<br />
great success and became a weekly event, with the<br />
Commodore send<strong>in</strong>g me a crate <strong>of</strong> coca cola just before<br />
his arrival! Commodre Fernando took great <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong><br />
Parathas and Pooris. Very soon, the fame <strong>of</strong> our cooks<br />
reached the Sri Lankan Naval Headquarters, Colombo<br />
and the Sri Lankan Navy Chief sent a team <strong>of</strong> his Navy<br />
cooks to learn how to make various Indian dishes,<br />
specially parathas and pooris!”<br />
The ice was slowly break<strong>in</strong>g after the “Paratha and Poori”<br />
diplomacy, but then a particularly nasty IED killed a few<br />
Army troops nearby, and tensions went up aga<strong>in</strong>. Nobody<br />
was sure if this <strong>in</strong>cident was the handiwork <strong>of</strong> the LTTE or<br />
the JVP, or any other unknown group. At this juncture,<br />
with th<strong>in</strong>gs gett<strong>in</strong>g from bad to worse, I suggested to the<br />
COMEAST, that we could play a cricket match on the<br />
com<strong>in</strong>g Sunday. He readily agreed, and arranged for the<br />
gear and a post match lunch.<br />
87<br />
With just three days to go for the match, I had a very<br />
difficult time try<strong>in</strong>g to pick up 11 players who could play a<br />
reasonable game <strong>of</strong> cricket, F<strong>in</strong>ally, a team <strong>of</strong> 11 (with no<br />
substitutes available) was selected, and a small tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
session at the nets, resulted <strong>in</strong> a couple <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>juries. It was<br />
then decided not to practice anymore, to avoid any more<br />
<strong>in</strong>juries, and also to ensure that sufficient men were also<br />
available for boat patrols and sentry duties. After all, the<br />
aim was to play cricket to reduce tensions, and it was<br />
important that 11 fit players took the field on Sunday.<br />
The Sri Lankan Navy, with a local pool <strong>of</strong> a few hundred<br />
men, took the match seriously, with daily net practice. As<br />
I watched the Sri Lankans practice <strong>in</strong> real earnest, I<br />
wondered if I had made a huge mistake!<br />
After discussions the match tim<strong>in</strong>gs were fixed from 9.30<br />
AM to 12.30 PM, followed by a lunch to be hosted by the<br />
Sri Lankan Navy. Elementary calculations <strong>of</strong> “over rate vs<br />
time available” revealed a 20 over (each side) game and<br />
thus, unknow<strong>in</strong>gly, “unrecorded history” was made, many<br />
years before the world thought <strong>of</strong> T-20!<br />
Security for the cricket match was very tight, given a<br />
series <strong>of</strong> bomb blasts the day before and an IED go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f<br />
about a km from our tents. After a sleepless night <strong>of</strong> vigil,<br />
our team went to play a good game. I remember as a<br />
capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> our cricket team, I was driven to the ground<br />
with a loaded service pistol, which I handed over to one<br />
<strong>of</strong> my subord<strong>in</strong>ates, just before go<strong>in</strong>g out to toss.<br />
We played our hearts out, but lost narrowly to a far<br />
superior team. Our gracious hosts served a fabulous<br />
lunch (which <strong>in</strong>cluded Parathas and Pooris, along with<br />
some fantastic local cuis<strong>in</strong>e), and good relations were<br />
firmly <strong>in</strong> place after that. Both sides could now confidently<br />
focus on the daily terrorist threat.<br />
After my return to India, I learnt that Commodore W<br />
Fernando, the Sri Lankan, COMEAST, was promoted to<br />
Rear Admiral and had taken over as the Sri Lankan Navy<br />
Chief. Sadly, he was later assass<strong>in</strong>ated by a motorcycle-
orne suicide bomber, whilst driv<strong>in</strong>g to his <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>in</strong><br />
Colombo.<br />
Lord Well<strong>in</strong>gton after his victory over Napoleon <strong>in</strong> 1815<br />
reportedly said, “The battle <strong>of</strong> Waterloo was won on the<br />
play<strong>in</strong>g fields <strong>of</strong> Eton”. Another historian records that<br />
many years later, while pass<strong>in</strong>g an Eton cricket game,<br />
Well<strong>in</strong>gton remarked, “There grows the stuff that won<br />
Waterloo”. Obviously, Well<strong>in</strong>gton was referr<strong>in</strong>g to qualities<br />
<strong>of</strong> ‘leadership and espirit de corps’, which cricket<br />
<strong>in</strong>culcated <strong>in</strong> the future military leaders <strong>of</strong> that era.<br />
Cricket is no longer a gentlemen’s game. Money sp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />
modern cricket has spawned a new breed <strong>of</strong><br />
entrepreneurs, <strong>in</strong> cricket crazy India. Also, it would be<br />
ridiculous to compare the famous battle <strong>of</strong> Waterloo<br />
(1815), with the rather <strong>in</strong>significant and unrecorded<br />
Tr<strong>in</strong>comalee T-20 cricket match <strong>of</strong> 1989, but it is worth<br />
record<strong>in</strong>g that, <strong>in</strong> those difficult times, a few unknown<br />
With age, most human bloomers are remedied after a<br />
substantial amount <strong>of</strong> ‘huff<strong>in</strong>g and puff<strong>in</strong>g,’ <strong>of</strong>ten leav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
one wonder<strong>in</strong>g at the end <strong>of</strong> it all, whether it was worth<br />
it. That was not the case with command <strong>of</strong> INS Viraat.<br />
There was unwritten logic that sometimes emerged<br />
from the musty chro<strong>nic</strong>les <strong>in</strong> the archives and<br />
sometimes penned by the ‘Providential Helmsman’ that<br />
always saved the day. So it was no surprise that like<br />
clockwork, after 28 ± 1 days (<strong>in</strong>ternational datel<strong>in</strong>e,<br />
what?!) there must be a fire or a flood <strong>in</strong>cident or any<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the many hair-rais<strong>in</strong>g episodes that serves to<br />
chill the sp<strong>in</strong>e. Why? Because HQ1’s much thumbed<br />
Incident Register statistically said so! The remedy lay <strong>in</strong><br />
tighten<strong>in</strong>g the screws <strong>of</strong> the ‘Fire Busters,’ a select<br />
team that I had created to sally forth and boldly put out<br />
fires that no man had ext<strong>in</strong>guished before! And the<br />
hazard prevention teams, from day 23 onwards-QED.<br />
88<br />
Indians had done their duty <strong>in</strong> Sri Lanka,<br />
In December 2004, as the Director General, Indian Coast<br />
Guard, I was <strong>in</strong>vited by the Sri Lankan Navy Chief to<br />
Colombo to participate <strong>in</strong> the first ever exercises <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ships, aircraft and helicopters <strong>of</strong> Indian Coast Guard and<br />
ships <strong>of</strong> the Sri Lankan Navy. The visit was a great<br />
success, and I remember embark<strong>in</strong>g on our Flagship the<br />
top Defence Officials <strong>of</strong> Sri Lanka and then our High<br />
Commissioner, Mrs Nirupuma Rao for a day at sea. Later,<br />
whilst return<strong>in</strong>g to Colombo, I hosted a lunch on board the<br />
Flagship. Hav<strong>in</strong>g visited Sri Lanka before, I had ensured<br />
that the ship was not taken by surprise, when the Sri<br />
Lankan VIPs decl<strong>in</strong>ed the beer but opted for a glass <strong>of</strong><br />
“Rum & Coke”. Indian Rum, they declared, “was the best<br />
<strong>in</strong> the world”!<br />
kumars<strong>in</strong>ghster@gmail.com<br />
The Double Bottoms Officer<br />
Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar (Retd)<br />
Also, the best times for plann<strong>in</strong>g the cast-<strong>of</strong>fs or to<br />
launch any auspicious event was out <strong>of</strong> ‘Rahu Kalam’<br />
(remember the Rahu Kalam Sherry?) the w<strong>in</strong>ds would<br />
be favourable, the tidal stream would gently nudge the<br />
<strong>in</strong>ner bough <strong>in</strong>to pilotage waters, the tugs would be on<br />
time, the after-back-spr<strong>in</strong>g would be tended with<br />
consummate ease; the exertion never failed to elicit a<br />
resound<strong>in</strong>g Bravo Zulu! So, the first and second<br />
Messiahs were an unwritten logic and Providence-a<br />
secret that all Capta<strong>in</strong>s knew well.<br />
So what happened dur<strong>in</strong>g replenishment at sea, on 27th<br />
April, 1996? The approach to the Tanker was perfect;<br />
hoses were connected up <strong>in</strong> tim<strong>in</strong>gs that would have<br />
made some destroyers blush and pump<strong>in</strong>g commenced<br />
post haste. The long vigil on the starboard w<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
com<strong>in</strong>g to an end as the Navigator’s Yeoman recorded
a 1800 tonnes FFO and 400 tonnes AVCAT (Aviation<br />
Category fuel) received. The two ‘Stop Pump<strong>in</strong>g’ boards<br />
were be<strong>in</strong>g readied when an urgent call came <strong>in</strong>. I had<br />
noted a similar tonal urgency <strong>in</strong> 1973 dur<strong>in</strong>g my first<br />
command <strong>of</strong> INS Panaji, when the Regulat<strong>in</strong>g Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<br />
Officer reported, “Saar, eng<strong>in</strong>e room me<strong>in</strong> Flora<br />
Founta<strong>in</strong> chal rahi hai!” Déjà vu? Crack<strong>in</strong>g with emotion,<br />
a distended voice reported that there had been<br />
considerable spillage <strong>of</strong> AVCAT <strong>in</strong> the hangar. My first<br />
two orders burst out <strong>in</strong> rapid succession: “Smother the<br />
AVCAT and Stop Pump<strong>in</strong>g.” The emergency parties<br />
were quick <strong>of</strong>f the mark and we disengaged with equal<br />
alacrity. The Cdr (E) hav<strong>in</strong>g raced up eight decks<br />
reported, amidst frenetic yogic gasps, that there had<br />
been a major SNAFU, <strong>in</strong> AVCAT tank management<br />
which had resulted <strong>in</strong> two breather pipes over flow<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
a m<strong>in</strong>ute and a half. Some <strong>of</strong> us will recall that it was the<br />
skill and avidity with which fuel had to be juggled <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
89 tanks through manual operation <strong>of</strong> a m<strong>in</strong>d-boggl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
set <strong>of</strong> valves, that controlled balanced and regulated the<br />
<strong>in</strong>take <strong>of</strong> fuels com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> at about 7 tonnes a m<strong>in</strong>ute. A<br />
bit like play<strong>in</strong>g a reed flute with 11 vents!<br />
There it was, about 7 tonnes <strong>of</strong> AVCAT slopp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
312’X56’ hangar which through some splendid action<br />
supervised by the XO, Cdr (E) and the NBCDI, was<br />
neutralized and washed <strong>in</strong>to the scuppers. No damage<br />
done except a nerve-rack<strong>in</strong>g period <strong>of</strong> high anxiety-this<br />
was the natural lot <strong>of</strong> the Capta<strong>in</strong>, for even on tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
over the Viraat, the traditional baton was accompanied<br />
by an economy-sized bottle <strong>of</strong> Alka-Seltzer!<br />
Now began the enquiry that culm<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>in</strong> the Double<br />
Bottoms Officer, Lt N, be<strong>in</strong>g arraigned before me. The<br />
Cdr(E) had already spewed his wrath and heaven<br />
knows what unimag<strong>in</strong>able hell fires had been <strong>in</strong>flicted<br />
on him-like say, a watch spent on top <strong>of</strong> the boiler with<strong>in</strong><br />
a hands’ reach from the Pilot valves-ambient<br />
temperature 75°C.<br />
The DBO on board an Aircraft Carrier is, for the most<br />
part, a jolly enough <strong>of</strong>ficer, but <strong>in</strong> overalls he becomes<br />
89<br />
an odd mole-like creature; more at home <strong>in</strong> darkness,<br />
amidst closet<strong>in</strong>g fuel tanks weav<strong>in</strong>g his way through a<br />
labyr<strong>in</strong>th <strong>of</strong> pipes, ducts, valves and pumps. The<br />
aromas he exuded were from the Jurassic Age-Viraat<br />
still used fossil fuels! His responsibilities were onerous,<br />
from operations and ma<strong>in</strong>tenance <strong>of</strong> all double bottom<br />
and w<strong>in</strong>g tanks together with their associated systems<br />
for FFO, diesel, AVCAT, sullage, fire ma<strong>in</strong>, ballast and<br />
fresh water to the RAS <strong>of</strong>ficer on valve controls. In short,<br />
he was a harried man.<br />
Lt N, it came to pass, was charged, and all the damn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
evidence lay bare before him. The Senior Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<br />
imputed unpardonable <strong>in</strong>competence. Lt N with a voice<br />
that could only have come from atop a funeral bier,<br />
pleaded guilty. Hear<strong>in</strong>g it for the umpteenth time Cdr<br />
(E)’s face became more and more animated. If one<br />
could hear fulm<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g silence then I th<strong>in</strong>k he was tell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
me to drown him <strong>in</strong> the bilges and run hot skewers<br />
through him, just to make sure.<br />
Command is a peculiar th<strong>in</strong>g, how <strong>of</strong>ten we played at<br />
judge, jury and executioner, need hardly be recounted;<br />
but the need was to <strong>in</strong>sure aga<strong>in</strong>st an <strong>in</strong>cident <strong>of</strong> this<br />
nature-one that had had calamitous portents. I looked<br />
long and hard <strong>in</strong>to Lt N’s eyes. His eyes were fixed<br />
somewhere <strong>in</strong> the middle distance. I was rem<strong>in</strong>ded <strong>of</strong><br />
that climactic scene from Dickens’ Tale <strong>of</strong> Two Cities-<br />
Sydney Carton hav<strong>in</strong>g switched roles with Charles<br />
Darnay tak<strong>in</strong>g the f<strong>in</strong>al steps towards the guillot<strong>in</strong>e-I<br />
could swear that Lt. N’s look was the same and yet, the<br />
man had endangered the ship. Sentenc<strong>in</strong>g time-we<br />
already had two messiahs, nay two saviours; perhaps it<br />
was time for the third, certa<strong>in</strong>ly the ship deserved it.<br />
“Yes, Lt N, punished you will be-I condemn you to<br />
complete the commission as the ship’s Double Bottoms<br />
Officer.”<br />
We never aga<strong>in</strong> had a problem <strong>of</strong> fuel spills, Viraat’s<br />
Third Messiah ensured it.<br />
snigir@gmail.com
Indian Navy-Maritime Reconnaissance/Anti Submar<strong>in</strong>e Warfare<br />
Most maritime nations <strong>in</strong> the world entrust all tasks <strong>of</strong><br />
war-fare over the oceans, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g shore based anti<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e operations, to their Navies. The United<br />
K<strong>in</strong>gdom is one <strong>of</strong> the few exceptions. Coastal<br />
command <strong>of</strong> the RAF does these tasks.<br />
While Britannia no longer rules the waves as it did some<br />
60 years ago, large maritime nations like India had to<br />
look ahead to the future roles <strong>of</strong> its respective services.<br />
The Navy felt that it was imperative that shore based<br />
MR & ASW roles be taken from the Indian Air Force and<br />
assigned to the Indian Navy.<br />
In the Chiefs <strong>of</strong> Staff Committee meet<strong>in</strong>g which was held<br />
sometime <strong>in</strong> 1966 under the Chairmanship <strong>of</strong> late Gen. J<br />
N Chaudhary, he had op<strong>in</strong>ed, that while there was merit<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Navy’s case, the decision could be postponed till a<br />
new aircraft for this role was <strong>in</strong>ducted. In early 1972 the<br />
Directorate <strong>of</strong> Naval Air Staff (I was DNAS) produced a<br />
paper justify<strong>in</strong>g the Navy’s position. After the 1971 war,<br />
Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, had given the USSR,<br />
Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister, Mr. Kosyg<strong>in</strong>, a shopp<strong>in</strong>g list where one <strong>of</strong><br />
the demands India made on the USSR was the Berieve<br />
12 amphibian ASW aircraft. The Navy felt that the Air<br />
Force would be happy and the role to perform MR/ASW<br />
tasks would be taken over by the Navy.<br />
In August <strong>of</strong> 1972 the then VCNS, Vice Admiral J<br />
Cursetji led a delegation to Moscow to negotiate for<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the new acquisitions. I, along with three more<br />
from aviation branch was <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the team because<br />
<strong>of</strong> our <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> Berieve 12, amphibian ASW aircraft.<br />
While VCNS and the others <strong>in</strong> his team were busy with<br />
the Russian counter- parts for ship acquisitions. I was<br />
asked to negotiate with the USSR team which was there<br />
specifically for the Berieve 12. I asked the <strong>of</strong>ficer who<br />
was lead<strong>in</strong>g the USSR team when we were go<strong>in</strong>g to be<br />
90<br />
Admiral RH Tahiliani (Retd)<br />
shown the aircraft. He replied that we would be shown<br />
the aircraft after the contract is signed. I asked him how<br />
he was sure that the contract would be signed without<br />
us see<strong>in</strong>g the aircraft. I added that when I buy a car I like<br />
to first drive it. He said he buys a car after look<strong>in</strong>g at the<br />
catalogue. I said I am different. I have to drive the car<br />
before buy<strong>in</strong>g it.<br />
To cut a long story short, I suggested to the VCNS that I<br />
and my three other members <strong>in</strong> the aviation team, should<br />
go back to India early, to show our unhapp<strong>in</strong>ess. VCNS<br />
agreed. At the last m<strong>in</strong>ute he said that I should stay back<br />
and the others could go back. The Russians would<br />
produce a protocol <strong>of</strong> my deliberations with them for<br />
signature. S<strong>in</strong>ce I was the only one who knew what had<br />
transpired between us, it was important that I be around.<br />
As soon as three members <strong>of</strong> my team had boarded the<br />
return flight, the Russians agreed to show us the Aircraft.<br />
We were flown to Sevastopol near the Black Sea to see<br />
the aircraft. A hurriedly pa<strong>in</strong>ted Berieve 12 was parked at<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> the runway. I, along with the non-aviation<br />
members had a close look. We asked a lot <strong>of</strong> questions<br />
about its capability <strong>in</strong> the ASW role. The participation <strong>of</strong><br />
a TAS specialist was a great help. We were conv<strong>in</strong>ced<br />
that we would be buy<strong>in</strong>g a pup <strong>in</strong> Berieve 12.<br />
We made a comprehensive report about this aircraft and<br />
rejected the Russian <strong>of</strong>fer that they will give us the<br />
Berieve 12. There was some hesitation <strong>in</strong> Naval<br />
Headquarter whether we were do<strong>in</strong>g the right th<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
However we were emboldened by the fact that PC Lall<br />
who was the then Chief <strong>of</strong> Air Staff had similarly rejected<br />
an <strong>of</strong>fer by the Russians <strong>of</strong> an aircraft which had<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>ally been asked for <strong>in</strong> Indira Gandhi’s list.<br />
The Russians hav<strong>in</strong>g found that we have not accepted<br />
their <strong>of</strong>fer, they came forward to <strong>of</strong>fer us the IL 38. This<br />
time only an Air Force team went to evaluate the aircraft.
Their report dealt only with the fly<strong>in</strong>g part. They had no<br />
competence to evaluate the aircraft <strong>in</strong> its operational<br />
role. We <strong>in</strong>sisted that the aircraft should be owned and<br />
operated by the Navy. The Government then appo<strong>in</strong>ted<br />
a two member team led by the Cab<strong>in</strong>et Secretary, Mr.<br />
Pandey and the Defence Secretary, Mr. Gov<strong>in</strong>d Nara<strong>in</strong><br />
to hear the arguments <strong>of</strong> both sides. I recall that I used<br />
to go and brief, the Chief <strong>of</strong> Naval Staff, Admiral S.N.<br />
Kohli, about why the Navy alone should own and<br />
operate this aircraft? We were on firm ground because<br />
the report we made about the <strong>in</strong>adequacy <strong>of</strong> Berieve 12<br />
<strong>in</strong> the ASW role for this aircraft were fully highlighted.<br />
The Air Force had only commented on the fly<strong>in</strong>g<br />
characteristics <strong>of</strong> the IL-38. We had exam<strong>in</strong>ed the role<br />
for not only maritime reconnaissance but also for ASW<br />
role. The then ACNS (P&P) Rear Admiral Vivian<br />
Barboza, took one <strong>of</strong> these copies <strong>of</strong> the report and<br />
showed them to the Committee headed by Mr. Pandey.<br />
This conv<strong>in</strong>ced the Government, that the lL-38 should<br />
be owned and operated by the Indian Navy.<br />
In January 1975 I had moved to do my NDC course. The<br />
then Defence Secretary who was part <strong>of</strong> the team that<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ed the Navy and the Air Force claims gave me<br />
the good news that Government had decided that the<br />
Navy was the right service to own and operate the IL-38.<br />
After NDC I went <strong>in</strong> Command <strong>of</strong> Vikrant, Gen TP<br />
Ra<strong>in</strong>a, the then Chairman Chiefs <strong>of</strong> Staff Committee<br />
spent a day on board. He told me that the Air Chief, Air<br />
Chief Marshal Moolgaokar had <strong>of</strong>fered the MR Super<br />
Constellation Squadron to the Navy s<strong>in</strong>ce the Navy was<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g to own and operate IL-38. I said that we should<br />
accept the <strong>of</strong>fer without any hesitation. Gen. Ra<strong>in</strong>a<br />
asked how our pilots will manage with multi-eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
aircraft when <strong>in</strong> the Navy they would have been fly<strong>in</strong>g<br />
only s<strong>in</strong>gle-eng<strong>in</strong>e aeroplanes. My rejo<strong>in</strong>der was that<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gle eng<strong>in</strong>e fighter pilots from the Air Force have no<br />
difficulty, after a conversion, on permanent absorption<br />
with Air India fly<strong>in</strong>g multi-eng<strong>in</strong>e aircraft. The Indian<br />
Navy happily accepted the challenge and the Super<br />
Constellations were transferred to the Navy. We put an<br />
91<br />
outstand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficer, Commander Ravi Dhir <strong>in</strong> command<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Super Constellation squadron. The Air Force had<br />
agreed that their Air crew and ma<strong>in</strong>tenance crew would<br />
be with the Navy for six months and longer if required.<br />
Our pilots had not had adequate experience <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>strument fly<strong>in</strong>g. The Navy asked that the Air Force<br />
personnel cont<strong>in</strong>ue after the first six months.<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> this first six month period however, the Air<br />
Force suddenly withdrew all their personnel from Goa.<br />
The Air Force hoped that our endeavour would collapse.<br />
Noth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> this sort happened. Our air crew and the first<br />
and second l<strong>in</strong>e ma<strong>in</strong>tenance crews coped with the<br />
problem. Happily for us, third and fourth l<strong>in</strong>e<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>tenance were be<strong>in</strong>g done by Air India and <strong>in</strong>stead<br />
<strong>of</strong> CDA (Air Force) send<strong>in</strong>g a cheque to Air India for this<br />
service, CDA (Navy) started pay<strong>in</strong>g this amount. In<br />
addition to Commander Ravi Dhir, the Navy had taken<br />
the precaution <strong>of</strong> send<strong>in</strong>g pilots like Bhide and Arun<br />
Prakash (who later became Chief <strong>of</strong> Naval Staff) to fly<br />
Super Connies and that ensured that the process was a<br />
thunder<strong>in</strong>g success.<br />
Some years later <strong>in</strong> early 1981, I happened to be fly<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
Bombay (I was DCNS then). In the same IAC aircraft was<br />
Air Chief Marshal PC Lal who was fly<strong>in</strong>g to Goa for a<br />
Board meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the RBI. He asked me if he could be<br />
shown IL-38 aircraft. I promptly rang up Subir Paul who<br />
was FOGA and asked him to meet PC Lal, seek his<br />
convenience and show him everyth<strong>in</strong>g about the IL-38.<br />
PC Lal was most impressed and <strong>in</strong> his thank you letter to<br />
Subir Paul said words to the effect that he was happy that<br />
the Navy had got this role; it should have got it earlier.<br />
A copy <strong>of</strong> this letter was circulated by us to MOD and the<br />
Air HQs. The issue was settled for all time to come. The<br />
Navy today operates the TU-142 which is bigger than<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g which is flown by the Indian Air Force <strong>in</strong> an<br />
operational role as dist<strong>in</strong>ct from transport aircraft which<br />
are basically for logistics.<br />
admiralrht@hotmail.com
‘G’ Force <strong>in</strong> Indian Navy’s River Sutra<br />
On 30 Dec this year INS Ganga, the ship that I spent<br />
about twenty memorable months many moons ago, as<br />
the EW Officer, turned 25. Consider<strong>in</strong>g that the life <strong>of</strong><br />
warships is usually around three decades, the silver is<br />
undoubtedly an occasion for celebration because it is<br />
only a rare ship that reaches the golden jubilee mark.<br />
Thus, the Ganga along with its sibl<strong>in</strong>gs Godavari and<br />
Gomati has been a prom<strong>in</strong>ent part <strong>of</strong> Indian naval<br />
landscape for many navymen, particularly <strong>of</strong> my<br />
generation. The G force, as I prefer to call them, have<br />
been the <strong>in</strong>-between children not as sleek and glamorous<br />
as the SNFs and not as swift and maneuverable as the<br />
Corvettes and therefore perhaps have not had their share<br />
<strong>of</strong> limelight. In any case with powerful newbies like Delhi,<br />
Talwar, Brahmaputra and now the Shivalik class it is but<br />
natural that the G force gets a little eclipsed. That should<br />
not, however, detract us from the wonderful role played<br />
by them over the two and half decades and their sterl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
contribution when the Indian Navy was itself <strong>in</strong> throes <strong>of</strong><br />
change. While I would leave it to another generation <strong>of</strong><br />
worthies to write about the earlier <strong>in</strong>carnation <strong>of</strong> the Gs -<br />
the Hunt class destroyers that served the navy from the<br />
fifties until the seventies, the present avatars also need to<br />
be chro<strong>nic</strong>led for they were unique trendsetters <strong>in</strong> many<br />
ways.<br />
I jo<strong>in</strong>ed Ganga <strong>in</strong> November 1992 and left <strong>in</strong> July 1994<br />
and thus had a r<strong>in</strong>gside view <strong>of</strong> many events that<br />
unfolded then. But the history <strong>of</strong> the G force goes back a<br />
decade before when the Godavari was <strong>in</strong>ducted amidst<br />
huge celebration because these were not merely<br />
<strong>in</strong>digenously built but also the first <strong>in</strong>digenously designed<br />
warships. To place the event <strong>in</strong> perspective let us<br />
remember that the first <strong>in</strong>digenously designed car, the<br />
Indica, only came <strong>in</strong> 1997 (along with the Delhi class).<br />
The looks may not have been picture perfect but with a<br />
marriage <strong>of</strong> Western, Soviet and Indian systems and<br />
capable <strong>of</strong> carry<strong>in</strong>g two Seak<strong>in</strong>g helicopters we could<br />
92<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Srikant B Kesnur<br />
now justifiably parade them on the world stage as pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
our capabilities. Thus, it was that Godavari went all the<br />
way across the Atlantic to America and few years later<br />
Ganga traversed east to Japan. The Lakshman rekha<br />
that we had set ourselves, even if unconsciously, had<br />
been crossed. The mid eighties were excit<strong>in</strong>g times with<br />
the Viraat, last two SNFs and the G class be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ducted.<br />
Operationally there was the ongo<strong>in</strong>g Op Pawan <strong>in</strong> Sri<br />
Lanka and the Op Cactus where Godavari was<br />
<strong>in</strong>strumental <strong>in</strong> not only prevent<strong>in</strong>g a coup <strong>in</strong> Maldives but<br />
also captur<strong>in</strong>g the r<strong>in</strong>gleaders after a chase at sea. The<br />
world took notice and how - the TIME magaz<strong>in</strong>e ran a<br />
cover story called Super India but significantly with the<br />
Godavari class on the cover - perhaps <strong>in</strong> recognition <strong>of</strong><br />
our new found strength.<br />
But <strong>in</strong>digenous design was not their only unique feature.<br />
The biggest contribution <strong>of</strong> the G class was that they<br />
brought the shift from the Bridge to Ops Room and were<br />
the forerunners to today’s network centric warfare. The<br />
sensors be they the APSOH sonar - our baby - or the INS<br />
3 EW system were state <strong>of</strong> the art, the AIO system, the<br />
IPN 10, <strong>in</strong>tegrated <strong>in</strong>puts like never seen before and<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g else <strong>in</strong> the Ops Room - the displays,<br />
ergonomics, even the AC was top class. Add to this the<br />
<strong>in</strong>puts <strong>of</strong> the two fly<strong>in</strong>g frigates - the Seak<strong>in</strong>gs with their<br />
own powerful sensors and one suddenly felt like be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
part <strong>of</strong> Star Trek or some advanced space shuttle. One<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most abid<strong>in</strong>g memories <strong>of</strong> those times is the<br />
famous picture - splashed across desk and wall<br />
calendars and every naval publicity material captur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the spirit <strong>of</strong> the times. It featured then Capt SPS (Chotu)<br />
Dalal peer<strong>in</strong>g over the IPN display <strong>of</strong> Ganga from the<br />
CO’s chair <strong>in</strong> the Ops Room even as the NO, SCO, GO<br />
and ASWO are huddled over the four panels. No drama,<br />
no theatrics, none <strong>of</strong> the missile or gunnery shoots <strong>in</strong><br />
action, simply men at work <strong>in</strong> a high tech environment. It<br />
is therefore no wonder that by mid-n<strong>in</strong>eties Fleet
Commanders - most <strong>of</strong> them ex SNF Capta<strong>in</strong>s - began<br />
to choose the Gs as Flagships despite <strong>in</strong>herent<br />
constra<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> size and relative lack <strong>of</strong> visible firepower.<br />
Today’s navy that operates <strong>in</strong> a high tech environment as<br />
a natural state <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g would do well to say a silent<br />
thanks to the Gs for this transition. Apart from AIO, the G<br />
class also gave a fillip to discipl<strong>in</strong>es that demanded<br />
subtlety and sophistication <strong>in</strong> maritime warfare. It can be<br />
safely said that ASW took a huge leap forward with the<br />
APSOH and the Towed Array and the Gs became the<br />
coveted platforms for all hotshot ASWOs. Similarly, EW<br />
underwent a generational shift with the systems fitted on<br />
the Gs, it made possible several th<strong>in</strong>gs that we had only<br />
until then fantasized about. Such was the impact <strong>of</strong> these<br />
systems or sensors that many <strong>of</strong> them were later<br />
retr<strong>of</strong>itted on other ships even the older Leanders or<br />
some <strong>of</strong> them further <strong>in</strong>digenized or m<strong>in</strong>iaturized. Thus,<br />
all subsequent ships have followed this basic template <strong>in</strong><br />
the AIO and sensor setup.<br />
The excitement <strong>of</strong> the late eighties did not last though and<br />
the n<strong>in</strong>eties brought <strong>in</strong> a trough as we went through some<br />
test<strong>in</strong>g periods <strong>of</strong> resource squeeze and cash crunch and<br />
perhaps a reorientation to brown water m<strong>in</strong>dset. I<br />
subscribe to Adm Madhvendra S<strong>in</strong>gh’s view <strong>of</strong> this be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a lost decade and when I jo<strong>in</strong>ed Ganga <strong>in</strong> late 1992, the<br />
Western Fleet consisted <strong>of</strong> just 2 SNFs, 3 Gs and 2<br />
Khukris. Allow<strong>in</strong>g for normal op availability many Fleet<br />
exercises saw just 2 or 3 combatants. The Gs, the show<br />
ponies <strong>of</strong> the previous decade suddenly became the work<br />
horses and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed the Op tempo <strong>in</strong> those test<strong>in</strong>g<br />
times. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they<br />
were our first and last l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> defence ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
ceaseless vigil on the high seas dur<strong>in</strong>g a turbulent period<br />
<strong>of</strong> Indo-Pak relations and the country has much to thank<br />
them for.<br />
In their long and eventful commission the G force has<br />
been <strong>in</strong> the thick <strong>of</strong> ‘action’ several times. If Godavari was<br />
the lead <strong>in</strong> Op Cactus, Ganga was <strong>in</strong>strumental <strong>in</strong> the<br />
withdrawal <strong>of</strong> Indian Peace Keep<strong>in</strong>g forces from Somalia<br />
<strong>in</strong> a hostile environment and Gomati was <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the<br />
93<br />
capture <strong>of</strong> pirated MV Alondra Ra<strong>in</strong>bow - one <strong>of</strong> the rare<br />
successful piracy chases <strong>in</strong> recent history. They have<br />
also remarkably re-<strong>in</strong>vented themselves as platforms for<br />
new equipment be it the Barak SAMs or the new<br />
generation Sonars. In the ongo<strong>in</strong>g Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden counterpiracy<br />
campaign the Gs have been active and registered<br />
their presence <strong>in</strong> no uncerta<strong>in</strong> terms. Thus, they cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />
to be <strong>in</strong> the thick <strong>of</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs even as there is a gentle<br />
acknowledgment that they are perhaps <strong>in</strong> the autumn <strong>of</strong><br />
their existence.<br />
To close on a personal note, serv<strong>in</strong>g on the Ganga was<br />
unique. One felt a sort <strong>of</strong> immediate spiritual connect, a<br />
bond with India’s holiest river. As the MC for many ship<br />
events, I made sure that all events began with the famous<br />
RK ode to the river and the nation - Hoton Pe<strong>in</strong> Sacchai<br />
Rehti Ha<strong>in</strong> ….It was dur<strong>in</strong>g this tenure that I got engaged<br />
and married - Ganga was my wife’s first experience <strong>of</strong> the<br />
navy. The wardroom was full <strong>of</strong> laughter and joie de vivre<br />
and even today many <strong>of</strong> us stay <strong>in</strong> touch and rem<strong>in</strong>isce<br />
about those days. My sojourn <strong>in</strong> Ganga also saw<br />
cataclysmic moments <strong>in</strong> the life <strong>of</strong> Mumbai and the<br />
country. The Babri demolition, the riots that followed and<br />
the bomb blasts irrevocably altered the character <strong>of</strong> the<br />
city and had its own impact on the navy. Viewed through<br />
the prism <strong>of</strong> history the picture <strong>of</strong> what those events<br />
meant still rema<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong>choate and perhaps deserves a<br />
separate article. But the memories <strong>of</strong> Ganga br<strong>in</strong>g forth a<br />
smile and warm remembrance and as I write this <strong>in</strong> early<br />
Aug 2010 <strong>in</strong> distant Nairobi, I am do<strong>in</strong>g so with a spr<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> my step because the Ganges is com<strong>in</strong>g to my doorstep<br />
<strong>in</strong> a few days. I feel the excitement <strong>of</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g an old<br />
flame and hum to myself ….. Hum Us Desh Ke Vaasi<br />
Ha<strong>in</strong> Jis Desh Me<strong>in</strong> Ganga Behti Ha<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Thus, the G force has left an <strong>in</strong>delible impact <strong>in</strong> the Indian<br />
Navy’s river sutra. In a few years from now when they bid<br />
adieu I am sure there will be many a wet eye particularly<br />
among a whole generation <strong>of</strong> navy men who lived,<br />
laughed and learnt on these big hearted vessels.<br />
defw<strong>in</strong>gnrb@nbnet.co.ke
K<strong>in</strong>g Paul <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Hellenes (Greece)<br />
and Queen<br />
F r e d r i k a<br />
(daughter <strong>of</strong><br />
K a i s e r<br />
Wilhelm II <strong>of</strong><br />
Germany, mother <strong>of</strong> the future Queen S<strong>of</strong>ia <strong>of</strong><br />
Spa<strong>in</strong>) were visit<strong>in</strong>g the National Defence Academy with<br />
a large entourage <strong>in</strong> February, 1963. Many important<br />
personages come to the Academy and ensur<strong>in</strong>g visits go<br />
<strong>of</strong>f smoothly entails meticulous plann<strong>in</strong>g and execution. I<br />
was detailed to assist the Chief Liaison Officer. I <strong>in</strong>tended<br />
to play my part to the full and see that the delegation left<br />
with a good impression. For some reason I had started<br />
study<strong>in</strong>g Russian and had become familiar with the<br />
alphabet. Its relevance will be apparent later.<br />
The naval <strong>of</strong>ficers who tra<strong>in</strong>ed us as cadets and<br />
midshipmen <strong>in</strong> the early 1950s had served several years<br />
<strong>in</strong> the UK under experienced and tough capta<strong>in</strong>s,<br />
veterans <strong>of</strong> the Battle <strong>of</strong> the Atlantic. That and the liberal<br />
social culture ashore <strong>in</strong> Brita<strong>in</strong> had shaped their outlook<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionally and personally. They subscribed to the<br />
ethos <strong>of</strong> “work hard, play hard”, were stern taskmasters<br />
at work and the soul <strong>of</strong> liberality <strong>in</strong> the wardroom, on<br />
“runs ashore” and on the play<strong>in</strong>g fields.<br />
They were also familiar with British royalty who frequently<br />
visited ships and establishments on ceremonial and<br />
social occasions befitt<strong>in</strong>g a seafar<strong>in</strong>g nation dependent<br />
on sea power. Pr<strong>in</strong>ces were expected to serve <strong>in</strong> the<br />
military, preferably the navy. Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Philip (<strong>of</strong> Greek<br />
ancestry) was a Lieutenant when recommended as<br />
consort to Pr<strong>in</strong>cess Elizabeth by his uncle Admiral<br />
Mountbatten. Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Charles, the heir apparent to the<br />
British throne, had an undist<strong>in</strong>guished naval career,<br />
“hated it”, be<strong>in</strong>g seasick, and left as a Commander.<br />
94<br />
Walk<strong>in</strong>g With K<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
One <strong>of</strong> our <strong>in</strong>structors while exhort<strong>in</strong>g us midshipmen to<br />
great deeds at sea and th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g to boost our self-image<br />
said, as near as I can recall that naval <strong>of</strong>ficers were the<br />
equal <strong>of</strong> royalty and were expected to have all the graces <strong>of</strong><br />
etiquette and behaviour without be<strong>in</strong>g overawed by position<br />
and power. Be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> impressionable age and eager to learn<br />
my chosen pr<strong>of</strong>ession, I took him at his word.<br />
As the Greek delegation moved through the Academy I<br />
diligently performed my duties. At some stage a short walk<br />
was required and to be more useful I positioned myself next<br />
to a be-medalled, resplendently attired General walk<strong>in</strong>g<br />
solemnly beh<strong>in</strong>d the K<strong>in</strong>g. He glanced at my Lieutenant’s<br />
stripes and did not deem me worthy <strong>of</strong> further notice. He<br />
rema<strong>in</strong>ed impassive when I tried to po<strong>in</strong>t out someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>terest. I seized my moment when he pulled out a pack <strong>of</strong><br />
cigarettes; he did not <strong>of</strong>fer me one (I don’t smoke but he<br />
could not know that). I could recognize the Greek letters on<br />
the pack. I said to him conversationally, “the Greek alphabet<br />
is very much like the Russian alphabet”. He did not<br />
immediately respond, carefully lit his cigarette, took a puff or<br />
two and said, as if pity<strong>in</strong>g my ignorance “you mean the<br />
Russian alphabet is like the Greek alphabet”!<br />
The General was right <strong>of</strong> course. I had read Greek,<br />
Roman and H<strong>in</strong>du mythology as a Sub Lieutenant but as<br />
yet knew little about world cultures and peoples. It would<br />
be some time before I would register that Greece was an<br />
ancient “mother” civilization (like our own, the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese and<br />
the Egyptian) and obviously the Greek alphabet preceded<br />
the Cyrillic. I also later understood that though not the<br />
equal <strong>of</strong> royalty or even erstwhile royalty (their <strong>in</strong>herited<br />
wealth and privilege allows them some pretensions!) a<br />
good naval <strong>of</strong>ficer need never stand <strong>in</strong> awe <strong>of</strong> power,<br />
position or authority <strong>in</strong> conscientiously do<strong>in</strong>g his or her<br />
duty.<br />
vijaishekhawat@yahoo.com<br />
Admiral VS Shekhawat (Retd)
I wonder how QD readers will view this piece which<br />
concerns my close association with the ‘Woman <strong>of</strong> the<br />
millennium’. History will make its own judgment but I<br />
want to put down a few personal experiences which<br />
show Indira Gandhi <strong>in</strong> a different light more humane,<br />
generous and perspicacious. We had a bond, because<br />
<strong>of</strong> a French connection. I studied French <strong>in</strong> a school <strong>in</strong><br />
Paris when my father, <strong>in</strong> 1950 was the Military Attache<br />
to France. I did my MA <strong>in</strong> Bombay and French thereafter<br />
<strong>in</strong> college, Sorbonne, f<strong>in</strong>ally fetch<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>in</strong> the JNU.<br />
At CHOGM time, the Reception to the Queen - that’s<br />
the sett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the British High Commission. Pukka<br />
sahibs, roll<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> good scotch, s<strong>of</strong>t laughter drift<strong>in</strong>g<br />
through musl<strong>in</strong> and pearls, t<strong>in</strong>kle <strong>of</strong> glasses. As I am<br />
talk<strong>in</strong>g to Commodore and Mrs Sanjana, resplendent<br />
Mrs Gandhi flashes me a sparkl<strong>in</strong>g smile. Near me she<br />
leans across and whispers <strong>in</strong> my ear, ‘You’re look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
lovely’ and goes past the VIP way. I feel so happy, so<br />
unbeliev<strong>in</strong>g so completely seduced my knees are<br />
wobbly and weak.<br />
At the Calcutta Congress session, I feel <strong>in</strong> my element.<br />
A vast, disparate gather<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> 20,000 humans and Mrs<br />
Gandhi <strong>in</strong> the centre <strong>of</strong> all this bubbl<strong>in</strong>g activity! When I<br />
take the Algerians to her she talks, they hear her and<br />
are charmed. At the end, just as I’m go<strong>in</strong>g out with them<br />
she slips to my side, pats my arms and says look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
lov<strong>in</strong>gly <strong>in</strong>to my eyes - “Et vous, comment allez-vous?”.<br />
At the President’s Reception <strong>in</strong> the Moghul Garden <strong>of</strong><br />
Rashtrapati Bhavan she looks at my saree and stumps<br />
me with, ‘Oh, you are wear<strong>in</strong>g naval colours’, know<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that Mukund is <strong>in</strong> the Navy!<br />
When I was gett<strong>in</strong>g back to my car outside 1, Safdarjang<br />
Road, I notice an attendant wait<strong>in</strong>g for me with a crate.<br />
When I enquire he replies, ‘Madame has sent some<br />
Woman <strong>of</strong> the Millenium<br />
95<br />
cherries for your children.’<br />
Her brutal assass<strong>in</strong>ation was a shock for me and I had<br />
penned some thoughts through verse, dated<br />
28.12.1984:<br />
Mrs Gandhi<br />
Came <strong>in</strong>to my life<br />
And lifted me<br />
From what I was, but never wanted to be<br />
Restless I felt<br />
Maladjusted, unhappy, <strong>in</strong>secure, deprived.<br />
I knew not<br />
What I sought, nor what I was capable <strong>of</strong><br />
Should I have married<br />
Another, and moved <strong>in</strong> another world?<br />
I wondered<br />
Intr<strong>in</strong>sically dephased from my environment.<br />
And then<br />
Mrs Gandhi came<br />
And her warm smile<br />
Illum<strong>in</strong>ated the darkened way<br />
But<br />
Now she has gone<br />
Seventeen bullets<br />
Ripped her soul apart<br />
Nevertheless<br />
She has left me a legacy<br />
I shall not forget<br />
Tough<br />
Determ<strong>in</strong>ed, purposeful action along with<br />
The Art<br />
Of govern<strong>in</strong>g this vast Empire<br />
This br<strong>in</strong>gs an <strong>in</strong>ner conviction<br />
That she and I can be<br />
The same.<br />
anuradha_kunte@yahoo.com<br />
Dr Anuradha Kunte
If history has seen its share <strong>of</strong> heroes, it has seen a much<br />
bigger share <strong>of</strong> hero-worship<strong>in</strong>g. And even today, heroworship<br />
is one <strong>of</strong> the few common terms left amongst<br />
youngsters and elders. I too had a hero who I<br />
worshipped, he was none other than our 1st Prime<br />
M<strong>in</strong>ister, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru. I might have <strong>in</strong>herited<br />
worshipp<strong>in</strong>g him as part <strong>of</strong> family heritage. Because, the<br />
adulation descended from my grandfather, to my mother<br />
and then to me!<br />
Today as I write this memoir, I recollect some nostalgic<br />
moments <strong>of</strong> the period before the Ch<strong>in</strong>a war-the time when<br />
I was just 8 years old! We came to know that Chacha Nehru<br />
was go<strong>in</strong>g to deliver a speech at the grounds <strong>of</strong> Madhya<br />
Marg, right <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> our house <strong>in</strong> Chandigarh. A stage with<br />
10 cemented steps was be<strong>in</strong>g built for him, which<br />
<strong>in</strong>cidentally were used by Mrs. Indira Ghandhi for her public<br />
meet<strong>in</strong>gs years later. Really, those were the days when<br />
there was no tight security even for the Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister and<br />
the population was scanty as compared to today so there<br />
was no doubt gett<strong>in</strong>g a good look at your leaders. Well, I<br />
remember how I took the onus <strong>of</strong> personally monitor<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
construction by go<strong>in</strong>g to the venue daily.<br />
Although when D-day f<strong>in</strong>ally arrived, the thrill <strong>in</strong> my sisters<br />
and I was <strong>in</strong>surmountable. We were told that he would<br />
address the crowd sometime dur<strong>in</strong>g late afternoon. So we<br />
had our lunch <strong>in</strong> a jiffy, and got all set to go. But <strong>in</strong> my<br />
excitement I forgot to put on my shoes I ran barefoot<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d my sisters. I guess it was the fear <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g left<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d. The voice <strong>of</strong> Pt Nehru still echoes <strong>in</strong> my head. I<br />
may not be able to quote him but I do remember be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
rapt attention. I had the fill <strong>of</strong> see<strong>in</strong>g my hero from such<br />
close proximity and breath<strong>in</strong>g the air laden with such spirit<br />
<strong>of</strong> patriotism. Once his speech ended, he picked a bunch<br />
<strong>of</strong> flowers, clenched his teeth and with full force, threw<br />
them at the enraptured crowd stand<strong>in</strong>g below. I must<br />
have been the luckiest girl there as a rose fell right where<br />
Hero Worship <strong>of</strong> Yesteryears<br />
96<br />
Mrs M<strong>in</strong>ni Sharma<br />
I was stand<strong>in</strong>g. Pt Nehru must have seen me leap<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ahead to catch the rose because he gave me the most<br />
memorable smile <strong>of</strong> my life. I still remember the way his<br />
eyes tw<strong>in</strong>kled when he did so. I treasured that rose for a<br />
very long time and used it to enjoy the envy <strong>of</strong> my sisters.<br />
What also cannot be forgotten is the time Pt Nehru died,<br />
just a few years later. The picture <strong>of</strong> my family members<br />
huddled around the radio cry<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>consolably as the<br />
commentary <strong>of</strong> his last journey was be<strong>in</strong>g delivered, is still<br />
vivid <strong>in</strong> my memory. How my tears flowed uncontrollably<br />
even though I didn’t know what death meant! All I knew<br />
was that I would never see my hero aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
My hero worship for Pt Nehru was to be followed by that<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mrs Indira Gandhi. For her speeches, it was the same<br />
venue, the same runn<strong>in</strong>g and stand<strong>in</strong>g by the same roadside<br />
barricades to see her car pass<strong>in</strong>g by. Her smil<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
wav<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong> her black ambassador car w<strong>in</strong>dow is still<br />
fresh <strong>in</strong> my memory. I remember my sisters and I<br />
stand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a l<strong>in</strong>e; each one argu<strong>in</strong>g “she looked at me”<br />
“No, she looked at me”. Her renowned ‘Jai H<strong>in</strong>d’ after<br />
every 15th August speech used to ignite the spark <strong>of</strong><br />
patriotism and love for the country <strong>in</strong> all <strong>of</strong> us. And just like<br />
father, she too used to throw flowers at the crowd.<br />
But com<strong>in</strong>g to today, I sometimes wonder at the contrast<br />
<strong>of</strong> hero-worshipp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> our times and that <strong>of</strong> youngsters <strong>of</strong><br />
today. Who are the role models <strong>of</strong> this generation - the<br />
Khans, the Kapoors or the Bachchans? And why? Is it<br />
because times have changed or is it that role models<br />
such as <strong>in</strong> our times have become a scarcity? Or is it that<br />
the young m<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> today are more <strong>in</strong>trigued by the bellypelvic<br />
danc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> heroes and hero<strong>in</strong>es than the life turn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
words <strong>of</strong> the wise. It’s not that we didn’t have our<br />
favourites <strong>in</strong> film actors <strong>in</strong> those times. Who can forget the<br />
likes <strong>of</strong> Balraj Sahni, Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar or for that<br />
matter Raj Kapoor but they could never take the place <strong>of</strong>
Nehruji, Lal Bahudar Shastri and Dr Radha Krishnan. Is it<br />
the lure for money, glamour, high fly<strong>in</strong>g lifestyle or the<br />
dearth <strong>of</strong> true patriots and charismatic leaders that has<br />
led to this contrast <strong>in</strong> hero worshipp<strong>in</strong>g? I have been<br />
Prior to commencement <strong>of</strong> operations, the Indian Navy<br />
followed an exemplary electro<strong>nic</strong> emission policy with a<br />
view to conceal and even deceive the enemy with regard<br />
to the whereabouts <strong>of</strong> Vikrant. The carrier and its escorts<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed complete electro<strong>nic</strong> silence at sea. In<br />
harbour, shore wireless stations handled all the out traffic<br />
for the Eastern Fleet. Once the Fleet had put to sea,<br />
there was <strong>in</strong>creased dummy traffic ashore and from<br />
ships not part <strong>of</strong> the fleet to give the impression that<br />
Vikrant was still <strong>in</strong> harbour. F<strong>in</strong>ally, the Fleet moved to<br />
Port Cornwallis <strong>in</strong> North Andaman Islands to lie <strong>in</strong> wait<br />
for the word ‘Go’ for launch<strong>in</strong>g air strikes at the then East<br />
Pakistan. There was no naval commu<strong>nic</strong>ation station <strong>in</strong><br />
the port but there were plenty <strong>of</strong> messages to be sent<br />
particularly <strong>in</strong> regard to logistic needs <strong>of</strong> the Fleet. I, as<br />
the Fleet Commu<strong>nic</strong>ations Officer, volunteered to go<br />
ashore to the local police wireless station to request<br />
them to transmit our messages. R Adm SH Sarma, the<br />
Fleet Commander, said he would come along. When we<br />
landed at the jetty, we found that the wireless station was<br />
at the other end <strong>of</strong> the island many miles away. We were<br />
<strong>in</strong> a real fix when a jeep happened to come by. We<br />
requested the jeep driver to take us to the station but the<br />
driver decl<strong>in</strong>ed. At which, the Admiral drew himself up to<br />
his full height and bellowed, “By the powers vested <strong>in</strong> me<br />
by the President, I commandeer this vehicle for an<br />
operational task.” The driver was completely flustered<br />
and promptly took us to the station where we cleared all<br />
our messages!<br />
When we learnt <strong>of</strong> the reported move <strong>of</strong> the US Seventh<br />
Fleet led by USS Enterprise <strong>in</strong>to the Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal, there<br />
was a lot <strong>of</strong> discussion on board Vikrant, the flagship, on<br />
97<br />
ponder<strong>in</strong>g over these questions but am still at crossroads<br />
for the answer.<br />
vibhashah_bhani@yahoo.com<br />
Some Memories Of The 1971 War<br />
what we should do if we encountered American ships.<br />
While ideas were <strong>in</strong> free flow, we received a message<br />
from Cdr L Ramdas, CO Beas, ask<strong>in</strong>g the same question.<br />
The Admiral’s reply was immediate, “Exchange identities<br />
and wish them the time <strong>of</strong> day!” Decision taken,<br />
discussions over! As we all know, the Seventh Fleet did<br />
not come anywhere near us.<br />
There was one other <strong>in</strong>cident which created a lot <strong>of</strong> chaos<br />
and reschedul<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> operations at that time but evoked<br />
much humour subsequently. After the first few hectic days<br />
<strong>of</strong> air strikes, there was a lull <strong>in</strong> the activities dur<strong>in</strong>g which<br />
it was decided to replenish ships before further strikes<br />
and the launch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> amphibious operations. Accord<strong>in</strong>gly,<br />
the fleet tanker, Deepak, if my memory is correct, was<br />
anchored <strong>in</strong> the area and the fleet ships were tak<strong>in</strong>g turns<br />
fuell<strong>in</strong>g and patroll<strong>in</strong>g. The land<strong>in</strong>g ships <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Magar<br />
and a number <strong>of</strong> merchantmen were mak<strong>in</strong>g their way to<br />
the amphibious launch<strong>in</strong>g positions. Just then we<br />
received a Flash message from Magar,”Submar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
sighted. Confirm enemy or friendly”! As Magar <strong>in</strong> her<br />
wisdom had encoded the signal, it was received and seen<br />
by us after about an hour. As none <strong>of</strong> our submar<strong>in</strong>es was<br />
anywhere near there, we wondered if Magar, with a top<br />
speed <strong>of</strong> 8 knots and no ASW equipment, was still afloat<br />
to even receive our reply! Meanwhile, our ships too<br />
<strong>in</strong>tercepted the message and cleared the area. By the<br />
time Magar confirmed that she had only seen some<br />
fish<strong>in</strong>g stakes, the amphibious force and merchantmen<br />
were all over the place. It took more than a day to get<br />
everyone <strong>in</strong> position once aga<strong>in</strong>!<br />
ravi.akhila@gmail.com<br />
Cmde Ravi Sharma (Retd)
On any given day<br />
It was Saturday even<strong>in</strong>g, Capt Ravi, 42 years,<br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer <strong>of</strong> Indian Naval Warship INS Delhi<br />
had <strong>in</strong>vited his ships <strong>of</strong>ficers and families for a get<br />
together at home. The first sip <strong>of</strong> whiskey on his lips and<br />
the telephone rang. It was the duty <strong>of</strong>ficer with orders<br />
from command to set sail ASAP- As Soon As Possible.<br />
Well, the wives stayed put and the husbands left. In<br />
about an hour the ship was <strong>of</strong>f the Coast on a mission <strong>of</strong><br />
help<strong>in</strong>g a stricken tanker with a fire on board. Men <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Indian Navy were busy assembl<strong>in</strong>g fire fight<strong>in</strong>g/rescue<br />
equipment. Meanwhile the Seak<strong>in</strong>g helicopter took <strong>of</strong>f<br />
from base and headed towards mother INS Delhi. Cdr<br />
Philipose a qualified flight <strong>in</strong>structor with bags <strong>of</strong><br />
experience <strong>of</strong> fly<strong>in</strong>g from sea marveled at the flow <strong>of</strong><br />
adrenal<strong>in</strong>. He was tell<strong>in</strong>g his young pilot that no matter<br />
how many times one has landed this large helicopter on<br />
a tight deck, every land<strong>in</strong>g was a new experience,<br />
need<strong>in</strong>g skill and watchfulness.<br />
With the helicopter safely on board the ship was all set<br />
for her mission. Brief<strong>in</strong>g began for all the crew with<br />
each man assigned to a task along with likely<br />
emergencies that he may encounter.<br />
Indian Navy to the rescue<br />
Arun Karmakar was Chief Tech<strong>nic</strong>al Assistant <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Naval Dockyard. It was close to midnight. He and his<br />
team were on board a submar<strong>in</strong>e for the past 36 hours<br />
to repair its diesel eng<strong>in</strong>e’s cyl<strong>in</strong>der. The submar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
had to sail on a time critical mission. The CTA told his<br />
civilian team “kaam complete karne ke baad hi ham<br />
ghar jayenge”<br />
Rear Admiral Prasad, Chief <strong>of</strong> Staff was on l<strong>in</strong>e with<br />
the Chief Secretary <strong>of</strong> Gujarat, a Western Naval<br />
Command ship had apprehended some smugglers<br />
and their boats <strong>in</strong> coord<strong>in</strong>ation with the Coast Guard.<br />
The Navy & the Nation<br />
98<br />
Vice Admiral KV Bharathan (Retd)<br />
Hand<strong>in</strong>g over these persons to the local authority had<br />
to be organized.<br />
Garden Reach Shipyard <strong>in</strong> Kolkotta was launch<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
second Land<strong>in</strong>g ship at 1030 hrs the next morn<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The RRM and his wife were to do the honours. It was<br />
a big occasion for the Navy and the Nation.<br />
On the Eastern sea board <strong>in</strong> the Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal,<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>ed units <strong>of</strong> the Western and Eastern Fleet were<br />
carry<strong>in</strong>g out a major tri-service exercise. Aircraft <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Navy/Air Force and amphibious troops <strong>of</strong> the Army<br />
were simulat<strong>in</strong>g battle conditions.<br />
Petty Officer Sangram S<strong>in</strong>gh out at sea on overseas<br />
deployment received a message from his home<br />
say<strong>in</strong>g that he had become a proud father. His ship,<br />
the sail tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ship Tarang<strong>in</strong>i was on a cadets<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g voyage to Middle East and Africa. There were<br />
cadets from other navies embarked also.<br />
The Chief <strong>of</strong> the Naval Staff was host<strong>in</strong>g the Chief <strong>of</strong><br />
the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese Navy on an <strong>of</strong>ficial visit to India.<br />
What is our Navy. What does it do for the Nation. Why<br />
is it called the Silent Service ????<br />
Last th<strong>in</strong>gs first- Imag<strong>in</strong>e just <strong>of</strong>f the coast, naval<br />
operations become <strong>in</strong>visible out <strong>of</strong> sight with no<br />
immediate impact on life ashore. Our operations are<br />
neither seen nor heard. That is why the Navy is truly a<br />
silent service.<br />
Traditionally and culturally the Indian psyche rema<strong>in</strong>s<br />
land locked despite our Nation be<strong>in</strong>g a reckonable<br />
coastal state. Even today majority <strong>of</strong> our country men<br />
rema<strong>in</strong> agnostic and sometimes even <strong>in</strong>different to<br />
matters maritime.
India <strong>in</strong> actuality is heavily dependent on the seas for<br />
its very existence across the spectrum <strong>of</strong> sovereignty,<br />
security, commerce rang<strong>in</strong>g from the critical to the<br />
ord<strong>in</strong>ary oil, gas, steel, cement, f<strong>in</strong>ished goods <strong>of</strong> a<br />
long list. If the port <strong>of</strong> Mumbai or Chennai was closed<br />
for more than 15 days the Indian economy would be <strong>in</strong><br />
turmoil. It’s as simple and as direct as that. It is the<br />
Indian Navy supported by our Coast Guard that has to<br />
ensure that our sea lanes and ports are always kept<br />
open.<br />
We are perhaps the one country that has an ocean<br />
named after it- “S<strong>in</strong>dhu Maha Sagar” <strong>of</strong> yore is now<br />
the Indian Ocean with the Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Eastern seaboard and the Arabian Sea on the<br />
Western sea board.<br />
A brief look at our history would reveal that India’s<br />
<strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>in</strong> the early centuries was through the<br />
medium <strong>of</strong> the seas and its dom<strong>in</strong>ation by the<br />
European powers and ultimately Brita<strong>in</strong> was from the<br />
sea.<br />
Even today, the prophetic statement <strong>of</strong> Admiral<br />
Alfred Thayer Mahan <strong>of</strong> USA that “Whoever<br />
dom<strong>in</strong>ates the Indian Ocean will dom<strong>in</strong>ate the world”<br />
is highly relevant and very factual. This Ocean is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the busiest <strong>in</strong> the world daily traversed by<br />
tankers, cargo ships keep<strong>in</strong>g the world tick<strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
powerful Navies <strong>of</strong> the world are permanent,<br />
proactive tenants <strong>of</strong> the Indian Ocean. They trade,<br />
negotiate, woo, coerce, control and coord<strong>in</strong>ate with<br />
every littoral on their own terms. Enigmatic is the<br />
fact that while the Indian ocean littorals may not<br />
know each other well or may not even be <strong>in</strong>terested<br />
<strong>in</strong> each other due to legacies <strong>of</strong> historic / cultural /<br />
commercial / hegemo<strong>nic</strong> differences. European<br />
powers, Ch<strong>in</strong>a and Russia seem to be very much <strong>in</strong><br />
the m<strong>in</strong>ds and thoughts <strong>of</strong> these nations alongside<br />
last<strong>in</strong>g geopolitical changes that have reshaped<br />
sovereignty and governance <strong>in</strong> most Indian Ocean<br />
Littorals.<br />
99<br />
It is critically <strong>in</strong> this regard that the Indian Navy both<br />
as an effective component <strong>of</strong> India’s foreign policy<br />
and a potent economic/commercial contributor would<br />
make a crucial difference to our Nation’s calculus <strong>of</strong><br />
Global <strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>in</strong> the comity <strong>of</strong> sea far<strong>in</strong>g nations<br />
with stability, growth, credibility <strong>in</strong> a typically Indian<br />
democratic environ that is secular <strong>in</strong> belief and<br />
ethos.<br />
The Indian Navy is <strong>in</strong>deed the image <strong>of</strong> India <strong>in</strong><br />
portrait, presence, essence and existence. It<br />
represents, presents India <strong>in</strong> all its colours and<br />
secular spirits. Its people are true ambassadors <strong>of</strong> our<br />
country <strong>in</strong> letter and spirit<br />
In six decades, the Indian Navy has transformed itself<br />
from a brown water flotilla to a reckonable blue water<br />
Fleet that has read<strong>in</strong>ess to reach with long sturdy sea<br />
legs. Over the years it has developed a unique three<br />
dimensional capability to silently perform with<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional flair and competence.<br />
The legacy <strong>of</strong> its consistent leadership <strong>of</strong> vision,<br />
value, steadfast <strong>in</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g and execution, enabled it<br />
to reach where it is today. A Navy with global<br />
recognition, regional respect that displays<br />
enthusiastic read<strong>in</strong>ess to be both proactive and<br />
reactive whenever called for.<br />
In 1965, 1971 and Kargil operations we not only stood<br />
our ground but carried the battle to the enemy when<br />
needed.<br />
Operation “Sukoon” to br<strong>in</strong>g stranded<br />
Indians/foreigners out <strong>of</strong> Lebanon, the dedicated post-<br />
Tsunami assistance/aid to Indonesia, Sri Lanka,<br />
Maldives while look<strong>in</strong>g after its own affected areas.<br />
Escort<strong>in</strong>g the US Navy <strong>in</strong> the Malacca straits, its<br />
stellar role <strong>of</strong> aid to civil power dur<strong>in</strong>g earthquake,<br />
floods and the very recent display <strong>of</strong> force <strong>in</strong> deal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with pirates are prime examples <strong>of</strong> optimal use <strong>of</strong> sea<br />
power with sense and sensibility.
Adventure activities like the conquest <strong>of</strong> Everest,<br />
reach<strong>in</strong>g the North Pole have also made our Navy a<br />
service which is not all work but also considerable<br />
play.<br />
Over the decades our policy <strong>of</strong> engag<strong>in</strong>g other navies<br />
<strong>in</strong> jo<strong>in</strong>t exercises, afford<strong>in</strong>g tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g opportunities to<br />
many navies like Bangaldesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar,<br />
South Africa, Oman etc, hydrographic support to<br />
some Indian Ocean littorals, constabulary assistance<br />
to a few African countries and the recently held Indian<br />
Ocean Naval Symposium have been highly salutary<br />
foreign policy <strong>in</strong>itiatives, that have greatly added to<br />
India’s <strong>in</strong>ternational stature.<br />
Over the years, the Indian Navy has been constantly<br />
endeavour<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>digenize most <strong>of</strong> the material and<br />
equipment that go <strong>in</strong>to mak<strong>in</strong>g a warship. There has<br />
been a susta<strong>in</strong>ed thrust, <strong>in</strong> the core areas <strong>of</strong> national<br />
I first met R Adm Katdare <strong>in</strong> 1965 when he was<br />
serv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the capacity <strong>of</strong> Staff Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer to the<br />
Flag Officer, Bombay - the predecessor to FOC-<strong>in</strong>-C,<br />
West - <strong>in</strong> the rank <strong>of</strong> Commander. I was recently<br />
promoted to Sub Lieutenant (SDME) and transferred<br />
to INS Hathi as her Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer. We were <strong>in</strong> the<br />
middle <strong>of</strong> a war aga<strong>in</strong>st Pakistan then, though Navy<br />
didn’t play any worthwhile role <strong>in</strong> that brief conflict.<br />
Hathi was an Oceango<strong>in</strong>g Tug, employed to tow target<br />
<strong>in</strong> the open sea for naval ships to practice fir<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Though she was based at Coch<strong>in</strong>, she had to be<br />
brought to Naval Dockyard, Bombay for refit. The<br />
ships <strong>of</strong> other commands visit<strong>in</strong>g Bombay became the<br />
responsibility <strong>of</strong> FOB. All tech<strong>nic</strong>al oversee<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the<br />
refit came under the purview <strong>of</strong> Staff Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer.<br />
100<br />
strategic <strong>in</strong>terests such as warship steel, major<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g equipment, weapon and commu<strong>nic</strong>ation<br />
equipment. New <strong>in</strong>itiatives for jo<strong>in</strong>t development with<br />
lead<strong>in</strong>g world manufacturers have also been <strong>in</strong>itiated<br />
<strong>in</strong> order to progressively achieve self reliance <strong>in</strong> these<br />
core areas.<br />
Indigenisation is a useful tool to plough back the<br />
capital <strong>in</strong>to our own nation not only to <strong>in</strong>vigorate the<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry but also for development <strong>of</strong> the society at<br />
large.<br />
It is always essential and <strong>nic</strong>e to gather our thoughts<br />
<strong>in</strong> gratitude to our Nation, our men and women,<br />
service/civilian serv<strong>in</strong>g and retired, our heroes, our<br />
families who have all made and make our Navy a<br />
place to Belong, Believe and Be.<br />
kvbarry@yahoo.com<br />
The R Adm VM Katdare I knew<br />
Cdr K Kutty (Retd)<br />
The refit <strong>of</strong> Hathi was entrusted to a private ship<br />
repair<strong>in</strong>g company Alcock Ashdown & Co then<br />
situated near Mazagon Docks. Because <strong>of</strong> this<br />
arrangement and my lack <strong>of</strong> experience <strong>in</strong> the<br />
operation and ma<strong>in</strong>tenance <strong>of</strong> reciprocat<strong>in</strong>g eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
which was fitted <strong>in</strong> this ship, I practically lived<br />
onboard and got <strong>in</strong>volved fully <strong>in</strong> the refit. I then met<br />
Commander Katdare who was <strong>in</strong> the habit <strong>of</strong> tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rounds <strong>of</strong> ships belong<strong>in</strong>g to FOB under refit at the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> his work<strong>in</strong>g day. As we were <strong>in</strong> the early stage<br />
<strong>of</strong> refit, he didn’t ask questions but just took a walk<br />
around. On the first day, I <strong>in</strong>troduced myself when he<br />
came onboard. When he saw me every time he came<br />
onboard, he asked me, “Kutty, your family is not<br />
here? Don’t you go ashore for relaxation?” I had not<br />
brought my wife to Bombay yet, but I told him about
my fear <strong>of</strong> the reciprocat<strong>in</strong>g eng<strong>in</strong>e and the need for<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g dur<strong>in</strong>g this refit. Also I was recently<br />
promoted, given the job <strong>of</strong> Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer and as<br />
such the responsibility hung heavily on my shoulders.<br />
He seemed impressed with my answer. Patt<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
back he said, “good” and moved on.<br />
The refit was over and trials commenced. The boiler<br />
generated saturated steam at 200 psi and this steam<br />
led through copper pipes to the ma<strong>in</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>es. At<br />
such a low pressure, condensation was common and<br />
frequent, warrant<strong>in</strong>g proper dra<strong>in</strong>age especially while<br />
prepar<strong>in</strong>g the eng<strong>in</strong>es prior to sail<strong>in</strong>g. On that day <strong>of</strong><br />
trials, steam was raised and I told Chief Mech. to get<br />
the steam opened to the ma<strong>in</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>e after proper<br />
dra<strong>in</strong>age to commence the warm through process. I<br />
went for my lunch and at half way I heard a loud<br />
explosion and rushed to the Eng<strong>in</strong>e Room. I saw<br />
steam shoot<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong> manoeuvr<strong>in</strong>g valve body fill<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the mach<strong>in</strong>ery space. The gunmetal valve body had<br />
developed a full length crack.<br />
The steam was shut, isolated, the boiler shut down<br />
and the trial abandoned. We got the valve repaired<br />
straightaway by braz<strong>in</strong>g the crack. After test<strong>in</strong>g, the<br />
valve was put back and we carried out trials the next<br />
day.<br />
I was duty bound to send a signal to FOB about this<br />
mishap. Pat came the reply from FOB ask<strong>in</strong>g me to<br />
send a detailed report about this <strong>in</strong>cident and asked<br />
NCML to carry out a metallurgical exam<strong>in</strong>ation to<br />
determ<strong>in</strong>e whether the valve can be put to use<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
I was worried about a Board <strong>of</strong> Inquiry on an Ag Sub<br />
Lieutenant and feared loss <strong>of</strong> seniority! In my report I<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>ed the existence <strong>of</strong> an old hair l<strong>in</strong>e crack<br />
which accelerated a through and through crack.<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> the need to go ahead with trials, the valve<br />
was repaired on priority basis and worked<br />
satisfactorily.<br />
101<br />
Subsequently I was summoned by the SEO.<br />
Commander Katdare who went through my report<br />
and asked, “Kutty, this was a good report. Now tell<br />
me what actually happened?” I answered, “Sir, it was<br />
pure and simple water hammer due to negligence.”<br />
He further asked, “After a refit, first time the ma<strong>in</strong><br />
eng<strong>in</strong>e was be<strong>in</strong>g prepared. Warm through was an<br />
important process. Whom did you entrust this job?”<br />
“My Chief Mech.” I replied, “Sir, I am not at all happy<br />
with Ch. Mech. Not because <strong>of</strong> this <strong>in</strong>cident. Overall<br />
he is not much use to me. I will look for a<br />
replacement.”<br />
He then advised me, “You will not get a good Ch.<br />
Mech. or Ch. ERA - all <strong>of</strong> them will be grabbed by<br />
other ships. They get all the priority. Hathi will be<br />
given Chiefs <strong>of</strong> this caliber whom no one wants.<br />
This was the occupational hazard <strong>of</strong> serv<strong>in</strong>g this<br />
ship. You better be more careful and try to do his<br />
job too.”<br />
That was a sound advice which I followed throughout<br />
my tenure <strong>in</strong> that ship. Later I traded my Ch. Mech.<br />
for an ERA IV class and sailed without a Ch. Mech.<br />
I never got a chance to serve under Admiral Katdare<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>. He seldom got upset or pa<strong>nic</strong>ked but always<br />
acted with maturity. He always carried with him a<br />
book with handwritten pages worn out and soiled with<br />
the passage <strong>of</strong> time. It conta<strong>in</strong>ed all the defects or<br />
breakdown he had come across dur<strong>in</strong>g his sea time<br />
and the remedial actions taken.<br />
In the early stages <strong>of</strong> my commissioned service, he<br />
showed me compassion and understand<strong>in</strong>g when I<br />
faced a problem due to negligence <strong>of</strong> someone. I<br />
came to know that Admiral Katdare passed away <strong>in</strong><br />
2007. I would like to imag<strong>in</strong>e the Admiral wear<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
immaculate white uniform and tak<strong>in</strong>g his unobtrusive<br />
rounds <strong>in</strong> naval surround<strong>in</strong>gs!<br />
krishan_kutty66@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong>
Naval Institute <strong>of</strong> Dental Sciences, Mumbai<br />
The idea <strong>of</strong> establish<strong>in</strong>g a Dental Institute <strong>of</strong> Navy at<br />
Mumbai came to my m<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> 1995-96 when the one<br />
hundred crore modernization project <strong>of</strong> INHS ASVINI<br />
came through after prolonged efforts. I was then Dental<br />
Adviser (Navy) and Officer-<strong>in</strong>- Charge, Naval Dental<br />
Centre Mumbai. This setup existed for a long time but<br />
the name did not convey her role as the premier central<br />
dental setup <strong>of</strong> Navy. One got the impression <strong>of</strong> this<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g any dental centre <strong>of</strong> Navy. This was also the<br />
dental establishment <strong>of</strong> Navy which had a dental<br />
laboratory fabricat<strong>in</strong>g dentures for all stations <strong>of</strong> Navy.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce lot <strong>of</strong> advancements had taken place <strong>in</strong> various<br />
specialties <strong>of</strong> dentistry, it was felt that exist<strong>in</strong>g facilities<br />
needed to be upgraded and expanded further and the<br />
time for the same was most appropriate. A case was<br />
therefore projected for Government sanction to redesignate<br />
NDC, Mumbai as Naval Institute <strong>of</strong> Dental<br />
Sciences (NIDS), Mumbai and upgrade the post <strong>of</strong><br />
Officer-<strong>in</strong>-Charge, NDC to Director NIDS. It took more<br />
than one year to get the Govt. sanction. In the mean<br />
time as plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> modernisation <strong>of</strong> Asv<strong>in</strong>i was go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on, we were asked by the Project Director Asv<strong>in</strong>i to send<br />
a l<strong>in</strong>e diagram <strong>of</strong> the proposed new dental set up based<br />
on our then authorisation with reasonable provision for<br />
further expansion. We did not know at that time as to<br />
how much more will be added to our exist<strong>in</strong>g<br />
establishment. Late Surg Cdr D<strong>in</strong>esh Bhoil did a great<br />
job by mak<strong>in</strong>g the l<strong>in</strong>e diagrams <strong>of</strong> our requirements for<br />
which we got very little time.<br />
To achieve our aim the first and the foremost step was to<br />
get an <strong>in</strong>dependent identity for our forthcom<strong>in</strong>g new dental<br />
set up for which adequate <strong>in</strong>dependent space was<br />
required to be identified <strong>in</strong> the vic<strong>in</strong>ity <strong>of</strong> the ma<strong>in</strong> new<br />
Hospital. After prolonged discussions and presentations<br />
the canteen and post <strong>of</strong>fice area <strong>of</strong> Asv<strong>in</strong>i was identified<br />
and allotted for the new Dental Institute. After my<br />
retirement the project was later vigorously followed up by<br />
102<br />
Surg Cmde (Later Maj Gen) M L Gupta who also had the<br />
privilege to get NIDS <strong>in</strong>augurated on 23 Feb. 1999 by Vice<br />
Admiral Madhvendra S<strong>in</strong>gh (later CNS), the then Flag<br />
Officer Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-Chief, Western Naval Command.<br />
Whereas the sound foundation <strong>of</strong> dental service <strong>of</strong> Navy<br />
was laid down by stalwarts like Surg Capt MR Vig, Surg<br />
Cdr K L Malhotra and Surg Cdr (later Brig) DN Wadhera<br />
the later advancements to NIDS were carried out by Surg<br />
Cmde (later Lt Gen) SB Sehajpal, Surg Cmde (later Maj<br />
Gen) S Karkun who added Porta AC huts <strong>in</strong> the year 2008<br />
for the adm<strong>in</strong> and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g requirements <strong>of</strong> the Institute.<br />
The Institute <strong>of</strong>fers state <strong>of</strong> art dental treatment <strong>in</strong> all<br />
specialties and super specialties <strong>of</strong> dentistry which are<br />
not available <strong>in</strong> other Naval Stations. OPG with<br />
cephelostat x-ray unit and RVG cameras are provided<br />
for <strong>in</strong>stant diagnosis. Ceramic lab for mak<strong>in</strong>g shades to<br />
match crowns on teeth and bridges, dental implants,<br />
advanced management <strong>of</strong> maxill<strong>of</strong>acial <strong>in</strong>juries, gum<br />
treatment with bone grafts and guided tissue<br />
regeneration, advanced technology for braces and root<br />
canal treatment are provided.<br />
Besides this dental research projects <strong>in</strong> various stations<br />
<strong>of</strong> Navy are coord<strong>in</strong>ated at NIDS. In addition the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> all dental personnel <strong>of</strong> Navy as dental assistants,<br />
dental hygienists and dental tech<strong>nic</strong>ians is carried out at<br />
NIDS. These are recognized by Dental Council <strong>of</strong> India<br />
for work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Civil too.<br />
NIDS has emerged as a research and referral dental<br />
establishment <strong>of</strong> Navy and has given a new dimension<br />
to the small dental service <strong>of</strong> Navy. The future is bright<br />
for the dental service but there is never a f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> treatment facility <strong>in</strong> any branch or<br />
specialty <strong>of</strong> medical science.<br />
contact@drkjgupta.com<br />
Surg Cmde JK Gupta (Retd)
On a cold w<strong>in</strong>ter even<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> January, 1981, the<br />
commission<strong>in</strong>g crew <strong>of</strong> INS Rana under the command<br />
<strong>of</strong> Capta<strong>in</strong> Bimalendu Guha assembled at INS TRATA<br />
and left for Santacruz airport for proceed<strong>in</strong>g to Poti, a<br />
Georgian town <strong>in</strong> then USSR. Families <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
with children were permitted to accompany them. The<br />
family <strong>of</strong> the Capta<strong>in</strong> did not accompany as his son<br />
was <strong>in</strong> school and his school<strong>in</strong>g could not be<br />
disrupted. The HsOD were Cdr SS Khanna (XO), Cdr<br />
VVM Rao (LO) Cdr Rajiv Paralikar (EO), self (Supply<br />
Officer). The other <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> the commission<strong>in</strong>g crew<br />
were Lt Cdr Vijay Shankar, Lt Arun Nayar, Lt Cdr KS<br />
Pathania, Lt JS Gandhi, Lt Cdr SC Ma<strong>in</strong>i, Lt Kochhar,<br />
Lt Cdr AD S<strong>in</strong>gh , Lt BSR Murthy Lt GS Yadav, Lt<br />
Raj<strong>in</strong>der S<strong>in</strong>gh, Lt SPS Duggal, Lt SK Khanna, Lt DN<br />
Praharaj, Lt GS Sambyal - all Executive Officers. The<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficers were Lt Cdr R Suthan, Lt<br />
Mahapatra, Lt Belliappa and Lt V Sarwate. The<br />
electrical <strong>of</strong>ficers were Lt Cdr PG Muthanna, Lt DB<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gh, Lt KK Chandra, Lt SVS Chary and Lt V<br />
103<br />
Raghav.<br />
Families At Poti<br />
Commodore SM Sundaram (Retd)<br />
We were flown by a special Air India aircraft as the<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers and men with families were nearly 200. The<br />
start was not without hiccup. The name <strong>of</strong> the<br />
daughter <strong>of</strong> Lt Cdr Pathania (Pats) was not entered <strong>in</strong><br />
his Passport. So at Santa Cruz, the immigration<br />
authorities did not allow his daughter to board the<br />
flight. So he, his wife and daughter were left beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />
when we boarded the plane at Santacruz. Some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers and families jo<strong>in</strong>ed us at Delhi. So we had to<br />
land at Delhi to pick them up. We were sad that Pats<br />
and his family could not accompany us. But luck<br />
would have it otherwise. The Air India staff at Mumbai<br />
was very <strong>nic</strong>e. After we took <strong>of</strong>f from Bombay, they<br />
conv<strong>in</strong>ced the immigration authorities to permit Pats<br />
and family to fly to USSR. Not only that, they put also<br />
Pats and his family <strong>in</strong> another scheduled Air India<br />
flight which left for Delhi immediately after our<br />
departure and arranged for them to jo<strong>in</strong> us at Delhi.
They jo<strong>in</strong>ed us at Delhi. So all was well that ended<br />
well. Next morn<strong>in</strong>g, we landed at the Shermatova<br />
airport <strong>in</strong> Moscow. From there we were taken by bus<br />
to another airport to fly to Sukumi. We were met at<br />
Sukumi by the staff <strong>of</strong> Poti Naval base and taken by<br />
bus.<br />
Multi-storied flats built by their sailors (Shramdan)<br />
with<strong>in</strong> the Base were allotted to us. Even s<strong>in</strong>gle<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers were given rooms with attached bath and<br />
toilet. These flats were well furnished with complete<br />
furniture, bed l<strong>in</strong>en, cutlery and crockery, gas stove,<br />
cook<strong>in</strong>g utensils etc. There was central heat<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
piped gas supply for the cook<strong>in</strong>g along with a<br />
refrigerator <strong>in</strong> each flat.<br />
Poti is a very small sleepy town <strong>in</strong> Georgia. Officers<br />
who were accompanied by their families, had sent<br />
their bulk luggage by sea well <strong>in</strong> advance. The<br />
advance luggage was <strong>in</strong> position at Poti when the<br />
families arrived. Learn<strong>in</strong>g from the experience <strong>of</strong> the<br />
first commission crew, we had made arrangements for<br />
shipp<strong>in</strong>g well <strong>in</strong> advance enough dry rations to last<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g our stay <strong>in</strong> USSR.<br />
Fresh rations were a problem. Like our ASC, the<br />
Russians also have Government supply. Their<br />
Government supply was no better than ours. The first<br />
day when the ladies received the supply <strong>of</strong> fresh<br />
rations, there was hell to pay. The ladies rejected the<br />
supply. In Poti, there was a “renuk” (Vegetables and<br />
fruits market). In “renuk” fresh vegetables grown by<br />
private farmers <strong>in</strong> the nearby villages were sold.<br />
Similarly, fish, meat and chicken were also available.<br />
The quality <strong>of</strong> the products was very good, but the<br />
price was nearly three times that <strong>of</strong> the Government<br />
store. The ladies did not m<strong>in</strong>d, as twice a week, a m<strong>in</strong>i<br />
bus was provided for shopp<strong>in</strong>g fresh rations. In a<br />
couple <strong>of</strong> weeks the ladies had picked up enough<br />
Russian to barga<strong>in</strong> and converse with the vegetable<br />
vendors. The ladies preferred to wear salwar kameez<br />
for trips to “renuk” as the gypsies <strong>in</strong> the market place<br />
104<br />
took delight <strong>in</strong> p<strong>in</strong>ch<strong>in</strong>g the midriff <strong>of</strong> the ladies if they<br />
wore sarees! There was a small departmental store<br />
<strong>in</strong>side the base as well where occasionally good<br />
quality <strong>of</strong> t<strong>in</strong>ned peas and fresh tomatoes were sold.<br />
The ladies would make a bee l<strong>in</strong>e to this shop when<br />
news spread <strong>of</strong> the arrival <strong>of</strong> the stock <strong>of</strong> these items.<br />
We had taken one huge gr<strong>in</strong>der, from India to make<br />
Vadas for the Ships Company but mak<strong>in</strong>g Dosas for<br />
the entire Ships Company was time consum<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
had to be restricted to rare occasions.<br />
There was a small town, Batumi, south <strong>of</strong> Poti, where<br />
there was a dolph<strong>in</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g school. The pool <strong>in</strong> which<br />
dolph<strong>in</strong>s were tra<strong>in</strong>ed was a very large one. It was<br />
divided <strong>in</strong>to two parts - one for the under tra<strong>in</strong>ee<br />
dolph<strong>in</strong>s and another was for tra<strong>in</strong>ed dolph<strong>in</strong>s. In fact,<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong>ed dolph<strong>in</strong>s would take the Tra<strong>in</strong>ers<br />
daughter out to sea for swimm<strong>in</strong>g practice and br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
back the little girl safely.<br />
There was a dolph<strong>in</strong> show every week. The dolph<strong>in</strong>s<br />
were so well tra<strong>in</strong>ed that they would come and collect<br />
fish from the hands <strong>of</strong> the Tra<strong>in</strong>ers on the slid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
board. The Tra<strong>in</strong>er would stand on top <strong>of</strong> the div<strong>in</strong>g<br />
board and the dolph<strong>in</strong>s would jump to a height <strong>of</strong> 6<br />
feet and collect the fish. The usual jump<strong>in</strong>g through<br />
the r<strong>in</strong>gs and jump<strong>in</strong>g high out <strong>of</strong> the pool etc. were<br />
the other tricks performed by them. In another<br />
spectacular show, the dolph<strong>in</strong> would do high speed<br />
swimm<strong>in</strong>g with its Tra<strong>in</strong>er hold<strong>in</strong>g on to her f<strong>in</strong>s.<br />
On completion <strong>of</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g period, the Ship was<br />
commissioned on 19 February, 1982. Our families<br />
were present at the Commission<strong>in</strong>g Ceremony. We<br />
had <strong>nic</strong>e party after the commission<strong>in</strong>g. All good<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs had to come to an end. After commission<strong>in</strong>g we<br />
all moved <strong>in</strong>to the ship and the families left for India<br />
via Moscow. In all the families had a very comfortable<br />
stay and good time <strong>in</strong> Poti!<br />
v<strong>in</strong>ayakv1@dataone.<strong>in</strong>
It can now be told I am a sailor who does not know how to<br />
swim! People don’t believe me when I tell them this. How<br />
could anyone get through NDA and jo<strong>in</strong> the Navy without<br />
know<strong>in</strong>g how to swim. Well,<br />
here is the story, all too true!<br />
I never did enjoy learn<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
swim but as it was mandatory<br />
for pass<strong>in</strong>g out from the NDA, I<br />
just had to do it. By the sixth term, I could<br />
throw my arms and legs around<br />
attempt<strong>in</strong>g to do the breaststroke for<br />
a couple <strong>of</strong> meters. When I got to<br />
that stage, the PT Instructor<br />
told me that I must learn to<br />
dive as that was part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
test. So I plucked up courage,<br />
held my breath and plunged<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the pool. The moment my<br />
head touched the water, my head<br />
started throbb<strong>in</strong>g with the most <strong>in</strong>tense pa<strong>in</strong> ever. I<br />
scrambled out <strong>of</strong> the pool and hurried back to my cab<strong>in</strong>. I<br />
slept through the day and night before the pa<strong>in</strong> eased.<br />
The next week, I returned to the pool to cont<strong>in</strong>ue my<br />
lessons. I dived and once aga<strong>in</strong>, as soon as my head<br />
touched water, the same shoot<strong>in</strong>g pa<strong>in</strong> returned. Another<br />
restless 24 hours before the pa<strong>in</strong> subsided.<br />
Now I was really scared. Time was runn<strong>in</strong>g out and I was<br />
afraid <strong>of</strong> enter<strong>in</strong>g the water. Anyway, after a few days, I<br />
forced myself to go back to the pool. I told the PTI on<br />
duty that I had to pass my test. He had a list <strong>of</strong> our<br />
course with him and asked for my number and name. He<br />
checked the list and told me that my name was among<br />
the swimmers who had passed the test! I could not<br />
believe my ears and asked him to recheck and saw the<br />
list for myself. Lo and behold, the list showed that I had<br />
A Non-Swimm<strong>in</strong>g Sailor<br />
105<br />
Cmde Ravi Sharma<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed passed the test! I thanked the PTI and made a<br />
fast exit from there never to return!<br />
Fortunately, all my ships held<br />
firm and I was never required<br />
to swim! There was one occasion<br />
which was a close shave,<br />
though. As cadets on Tir, we<br />
were at anchor <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Andamans and were be<strong>in</strong>g given<br />
lessons on handl<strong>in</strong>g the Capta<strong>in</strong>’s fast<br />
motorboat by then Lt HML Saxena,<br />
commonly known as Bhaisahib on<br />
account <strong>of</strong> his younger brother,<br />
Madan, also be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Navy. I was the<br />
sternsheetman when<br />
Bhaisahib took the boat<br />
alongside a whaler secured to<br />
the port lower boom. This resulted <strong>in</strong> the<br />
whaler be<strong>in</strong>g dragged towards the ship so that when he<br />
cast <strong>of</strong>f, the whaler boat rope, unseen by me, came across<br />
my body and gently toppled me <strong>in</strong>to the sea.<br />
My colleagues saw this and with some <strong>of</strong> them know<strong>in</strong>g I<br />
did not know how to swim, started shout<strong>in</strong>g but Bhaisahib<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g well forward did not realize what had happened and<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued to accelerate. By the time he became aware <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>in</strong>cident and turned back, I could not be seen.<br />
So far as I was concerned, it all happened so fast I had no<br />
time to th<strong>in</strong>k! I felt myself go<strong>in</strong>g down gently for sometime<br />
and then felt myself com<strong>in</strong>g up. The moment my head was<br />
out <strong>of</strong> the water, I saw the whaler and grabbed at the<br />
gunwale. I hoisted myself onto the boat and sat down<br />
shak<strong>in</strong>g the water <strong>of</strong>f my hair and body.<br />
Meanwhile, there was pa<strong>nic</strong> on the FMB as my friends thought
I had gone under! Only when they came very near the whaler,<br />
they saw me and let out a big roar. They came alongside and<br />
pulled me on board. They hugged me and thanked God I<br />
hadn’t drowned. As the thought had never occurred to me, I<br />
couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about!<br />
Commissioned on 5th May 1977, INS Dunagiri, (F 36), the<br />
fourth <strong>in</strong>digenous Anti Submar<strong>in</strong>e Leander Frigate built at<br />
MDL was f<strong>in</strong>ally paid <strong>of</strong>f at Mumbai Naval Dockyard at<br />
sunset on 20th October 2010 after 33 glorious years <strong>of</strong><br />
service <strong>in</strong> the Indian Navy.<br />
Rear Admiral RK Pattanaik, YSM, Flag Officer<br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g, Western Fleet did the honours <strong>in</strong> the<br />
presence <strong>of</strong> many previous Command<strong>in</strong>g Officers, notably<br />
amongst them, Vice Admiral ‘Tony’ Ja<strong>in</strong>, who had been the<br />
commission<strong>in</strong>g CO Admiral Pattanaik had himself had the<br />
privilege <strong>of</strong> command<strong>in</strong>g the Dunagiri as its 16th CO <strong>in</strong> the<br />
late 90s.<br />
In all, 26 <strong>of</strong>ficers have commanded the Dunagiri, the last<br />
<strong>of</strong> them be<strong>in</strong>g the then Commander Sushil Das (son <strong>of</strong> the<br />
ship’s seventh Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer) till 16th August 2010.<br />
All ships, big or small, are equally great and unique <strong>in</strong> their<br />
own way. A ship command <strong>of</strong> one ship is as all<br />
encompass<strong>in</strong>g as command <strong>of</strong> any other ship. There are<br />
however, “lucky” ships. Dunagiri has been a lucky ship.<br />
Lucky not just because <strong>of</strong> the array <strong>of</strong> the most admirable<br />
and modest Command<strong>in</strong>g Officers she has had; that <strong>of</strong><br />
course, but also because she has had the ability to always<br />
ride the waves, the storms, difficulties, hurdles and<br />
seem<strong>in</strong>g setbacks with ease and grace. Believe the old<br />
Talwar and the old Delhi were also lucky ships.<br />
My m<strong>in</strong>d naturally went back to the mid eighties to my 19<br />
months tenure on board, as Flagship to two very<br />
106<br />
I am <strong>of</strong>ten asked by civilians if I ever felt scared on a ship not<br />
know<strong>in</strong>g how to swim. Frankly, the thought never occurred to<br />
me as I never thought my ship ever would go down.<br />
ravi.akhila@gmail.com<br />
demand<strong>in</strong>g Commu<strong>nic</strong>ator Fleet Commanders - Admirals<br />
Ramdas and Govil. But then, if they were demand<strong>in</strong>g, I<br />
had the comfort <strong>of</strong> rid<strong>in</strong>g on the shoulders <strong>of</strong> a very<br />
energetic and pr<strong>of</strong>essional wardroom and an extremely<br />
responsive ship’s company. Together, we were able to<br />
deliver. In all fairness, I must admit that they were<br />
demand<strong>in</strong>g, yes, but not unreasonable. Indeed, if there<br />
was a problem, it was theirs to have had to put up with<br />
their Flag Capta<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Credit must go to the successive Command<strong>in</strong>g Officers<br />
and their crews for hav<strong>in</strong>g handled - or should I say<br />
fondled the pretty Dunagiri with such warmth and car<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
that on be<strong>in</strong>g decommissioned after 33 years <strong>of</strong> service,<br />
she still looked the sweet sixteen.<br />
Emotive nostalgia filled the air as the decommission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ceremony proceeded. Alas, at 1812 hrs as the golden sun<br />
slid down the Western horizon, Dunagiri’s Pay<strong>in</strong>g Off<br />
Pennant was hauled down as the congregation saluted<br />
‘adieu’ with moist eyes.<br />
An event so gracefully conducted by the Western Naval<br />
Command and the Western Fleet and executed by<br />
Commander Sanjay Kumar, the <strong>of</strong>ficiat<strong>in</strong>g Command<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Officer at the time <strong>of</strong> decommission<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Adieu Dunagiri, we await your resurgence <strong>in</strong> a new hull,<br />
hopefully sooner than later.<br />
admiraldas@hotmail.com<br />
Adieu Dunagiri<br />
Rear Admiral SK Das (Retd)
It Became A Question <strong>of</strong> The Navy’s Izzat<br />
Please refer to Admiral J G Nadkarni (Retd) article “For<br />
want <strong>of</strong> a Nail” on page 67 <strong>of</strong> Quarterdeck 2010<br />
regard<strong>in</strong>g the ground<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Hunt Class destroyer INS<br />
Godavari on a reef <strong>in</strong> the Maldives islands.<br />
I wish to complete the story as at the time I was<br />
hold<strong>in</strong>g the appo<strong>in</strong>tment <strong>of</strong> Director <strong>of</strong> Naval<br />
Operations (DNO). When the news about the Godavari<br />
ground<strong>in</strong>g came <strong>in</strong> March 1976, I was devastated to<br />
say the least. Emotion apart, it was time to act. I was<br />
fortunate enough to have a dedicated pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> U C Tripathi (1st course NDA) as my Jo<strong>in</strong>t<br />
Director. The salvage operation was code named<br />
“GODSAL” and appropriate operational <strong>in</strong>structions<br />
issued to all concerned.<br />
The next few days saw us dispatch<strong>in</strong>g all possible<br />
items <strong>of</strong> logistic and material support to be available at<br />
the site <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Clearance Divers, the biggest<br />
available nylon hawse, the Navy Tug INS Gaj and an<br />
Ocean Go<strong>in</strong>g Tug from Mangalore, details <strong>of</strong> which are<br />
given <strong>in</strong> great detail <strong>in</strong> the Admiral’s article. Meanwhile<br />
our Naval Advisor Capt K C Gairola based at Colombo<br />
was directed to proceed to Male, the capital <strong>of</strong><br />
Maldives for liaison duties and seek local assistance if<br />
any when required and to keep the host government<br />
fully <strong>in</strong>formed. Capt Tripathi and I decided to sleep <strong>in</strong><br />
the War Room on alternate days to respond to any<br />
new development.<br />
We were hop<strong>in</strong>g that with the Clearance Divers<br />
chipp<strong>in</strong>g the coral around the ship comb<strong>in</strong>ed with<br />
light<strong>in</strong>g the ship would perhaps work on a high tide, but<br />
unfortunately this made no difference. By this time two<br />
weeks had already elapsed. However our only hope<br />
then rested on the fact that one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional Capt. command<strong>in</strong>g INS Delhi, then Capt J<br />
G Nadkarni was expected on the scene <strong>in</strong> a couple <strong>of</strong><br />
107<br />
Late V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd)<br />
days and was accord<strong>in</strong>gly appo<strong>in</strong>ted the senior <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
<strong>in</strong> charge <strong>of</strong> the entire salvage operation.<br />
Notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g the above it is always imperative to<br />
have a cont<strong>in</strong>gency plan to cater to a worst case<br />
scenario. Accord<strong>in</strong>gly I sought an audience with the<br />
CNS, Admiral Cursetjee. After brief<strong>in</strong>g him, I submitted<br />
that <strong>in</strong> the event we were unable to salvage the ship,<br />
we should blow her up with explosives us<strong>in</strong>g our<br />
Clearance Divers to remove all visible evidence <strong>of</strong> her<br />
ground<strong>in</strong>g for all times to come as to leave her<br />
aground on a foreign shore would be a matter <strong>of</strong><br />
national disgrace and a cry<strong>in</strong>g shame for naval honour<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism. I am happy to say that after a few<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes he gave me the “go ahead” and directed me to<br />
get the Raksha Mantri approval for this ultimate option.<br />
I came back to my <strong>of</strong>fice and prepared a note marked<br />
“Most Immediate” stat<strong>in</strong>g that this had the approval <strong>of</strong><br />
the CNS and would be the last option to execute <strong>in</strong><br />
case all concurrent efforts failed to salvage Godavari.<br />
The government <strong>of</strong> Maldives would be taken <strong>in</strong>to<br />
confidence beforehand, assur<strong>in</strong>g them that we would<br />
take all due precautions to ensure that the least<br />
damage was caused to the environment.<br />
My gut feel<strong>in</strong>g was that if we followed the rout<strong>in</strong>e<br />
bureaucratic route, the file was most likely to run<br />
aground half-way. I therefore decided to carry the file<br />
myself and walked past <strong>in</strong>termediate bureaucratic<br />
speed breakers and virtually walked <strong>in</strong>to the Defence<br />
Secretary’s <strong>of</strong>fice and after due apology managed to<br />
satisfy him about the case and also managed to get his<br />
recommendation endorsed on the file. Thereafter I<br />
went to the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> Shri S K Mitra, the OSD to<br />
Choudhry Bansi Lal, the RM and expla<strong>in</strong>ed the case to<br />
his entire satisfaction and requested him to convey to<br />
the RM, a man <strong>of</strong> few words that “Yeh Navy ki Izzar ka
sawal hai”. I asked Shri Mitra if I could accompany him<br />
but he said it was not necessary and that he would get<br />
the needful done. He came out <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> the RM<br />
with the file carry<strong>in</strong>g the approval <strong>of</strong> the RM duly<br />
endorsed. All this took me no more that an hour. The<br />
first person to be <strong>in</strong>formed naturally was the CNS who<br />
thumped my shoulder and said, “well done!”<br />
Fortunately a signal was received from INS Delhi the<br />
same afternoon that Godavari had been extricated<br />
Late Cdr VF Rebello and I jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Navy together and<br />
met for the first time <strong>in</strong> Coch<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> mid October 1949 to<br />
undergo the Naval Orientation course prior to our<br />
departure for the UK to undergo four year’s tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g with<br />
the Royal Navy.<br />
Whereas our surnames started with G and R; for some<br />
<strong>in</strong>explicable reason we were allotted the same cab<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
various shore establishments. Naturally we became<br />
very close to each other and Vernon Rebello started<br />
call<strong>in</strong>g me “Partner”. Besides other great human<br />
qualities Vernon was gifted with a great sense <strong>of</strong> subtle<br />
humor. We used to meet <strong>in</strong> London dur<strong>in</strong>g our breaks.<br />
By 1951 we had been promoted Midshipmen and<br />
decided to go to Paris for a holiday. At the time <strong>in</strong><br />
accordance with the old currency regime <strong>in</strong> both<br />
countries, the British Pound was worth Rs 13.30 only<br />
and the British 6 pence co<strong>in</strong> fetched you less than 30<br />
Indian Paisa with which you could buy a “samosa” or<br />
“two bananas”!!<br />
For reasons <strong>of</strong> austerity the British Government at the<br />
time had restricted the holiday allowance per person to<br />
25 pounds only regardless <strong>of</strong> the length <strong>of</strong> your holiday.<br />
However pre paid tickets by rail, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the return<br />
journey as also the coupons for fixed menu meals on<br />
108<br />
from the Coral Reef. Understandably there was an air<br />
<strong>of</strong> relief and thanksgiv<strong>in</strong>g. At the same time I realized<br />
that Godavari dur<strong>in</strong>g the process <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g pulled out <strong>of</strong><br />
the Coral Reef would have suffered considerable<br />
damage and perhaps will never go to sea aga<strong>in</strong> as a<br />
warship but that “Naval Izzat” had been salvaged was<br />
a matter <strong>of</strong> naval celebration. Naturally now there was<br />
no need to carry out the cont<strong>in</strong>gency plan.<br />
sgadihoke@gmail.com<br />
Holiday <strong>in</strong> Paris<br />
Late V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd)<br />
railways could be purchased <strong>in</strong> London prior to one’s<br />
departure.<br />
A well-wisher advised us that as we still had to contend<br />
with at least another two years with “shepherd’s pie”,<br />
“steak and kidney pudd<strong>in</strong>g” served with mashed<br />
potatoes and boiled cabbage served <strong>in</strong> Royal Navy<br />
Messes we should avoid the temptation <strong>of</strong> go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> for<br />
French “gourmet meal”. Instead we should raid<br />
university college canteens for subsidized food and<br />
travel by Paris underground railway and at all costs<br />
avoid visit<strong>in</strong>g any “night spot”. We managed to f<strong>in</strong>d<br />
fairly clean and reasonably priced digs to stay <strong>in</strong>.<br />
Everyth<strong>in</strong>g was on track and we managed to see most<br />
<strong>of</strong> Paris <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the world famous pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g “Mona<br />
Lisa”. Two days prior to our scheduled departure,<br />
Vernon pleaded with me that at our age it would be a<br />
shame if we did not see French “Cabaret” before we left<br />
Paris. Most reluctantly I agreed and we entered one <strong>of</strong><br />
the night clubs. After pay<strong>in</strong>g the entrance fee, as we<br />
entered the club, two self appo<strong>in</strong>ted hostesses put their<br />
arms around us and escorted us to a table for four. A<br />
waiter who was watch<strong>in</strong>g us like a vulture soon arrived<br />
to take our orders for liquid refreshments. Vernon and I<br />
decided to share a bottle <strong>of</strong> beer to last the whole<br />
even<strong>in</strong>g, the ladies <strong>in</strong>sisted on only champagne, but
were actually found to be dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g some green colored<br />
liquid. The waiter soon appeared with the bill and on<br />
see<strong>in</strong>g it, Vernon placed the money on the table and<br />
whispered <strong>in</strong> my ear and said, “Partner, let us scoot”<br />
and that we did with<strong>in</strong> seconds<br />
ignor<strong>in</strong>g the fervent pleas <strong>of</strong> our<br />
hostesses. Vernon was once<br />
silent and on reach<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
“digs” we virtually crashed<br />
<strong>in</strong>to our beds.<br />
As we had to spend one<br />
more day <strong>of</strong> our holiday <strong>in</strong><br />
Paris before our scheduled<br />
departure for reasons <strong>of</strong><br />
pre-paid tickets for<br />
specific dates, and<br />
given our f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
state, we could afford<br />
to buy only one more<br />
meal before we arrived<br />
back <strong>in</strong> London.<br />
Accord<strong>in</strong>gly after much<br />
reconnaissance, we sat<br />
down at a virtual<br />
French “dhaba” for lunch. The waiter brought a basket<br />
<strong>of</strong> French bread and we ordered two omelets. When<br />
the omelets arrived, the waiter observed that half the<br />
bread <strong>in</strong> the basket had already disappeared. He was<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d enough to go <strong>in</strong>side and recharge the bread<br />
basket. When the bill arrived, two baskets full <strong>of</strong> French<br />
bread had already disappeared <strong>in</strong>to our stomachs. The<br />
waiter went <strong>in</strong>side to attend to other customers, we<br />
placed the bill amount on the table (no tip) and virtually<br />
ran to disappear beyond the l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> sight <strong>of</strong> the waiter.<br />
Thereafter we tried to flog my German camera to raise<br />
resources but given the historic hostility between the<br />
Germans and the French especially after World War II,<br />
we were given such dirty looks by the French<br />
shopkeepers that we gave up all further attempts. The<br />
only satisfaction was that with a basket each <strong>of</strong> French<br />
bread <strong>in</strong> our stomachs, we could survive till we reached<br />
109<br />
the UK.<br />
On arrival at Victoria station <strong>in</strong> the UK by rail<br />
sometime <strong>in</strong> the afternoon the next day, we took a cab<br />
and proceeded to our hotel.<br />
As I disembarked with the<br />
luggage I asked Vernon if<br />
he had the money to pay<br />
the taxi fare. Look<strong>in</strong>g at<br />
the taxi meter he said<br />
“yes” and that after that<br />
only a six pence co<strong>in</strong> would<br />
be left. I requested Vernon<br />
not to pay the tip. On<br />
enter<strong>in</strong>g the hotel I<br />
managed to meet the land<br />
lady and expla<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
that we were truly<br />
and utterly broke.<br />
She was a k<strong>in</strong>d soul<br />
and highly impressed<br />
with our past behaviour,<br />
gave me an advance <strong>of</strong><br />
about 10 Pounds with a<br />
request to pay back the loan as<br />
and when “able”. I was mighty pleased to say the<br />
least. Soon Vernon opened the hotel door and had a<br />
sheepish look on his face. When I asked him what had<br />
happened, he said, “Partner I gave the taxi driver the<br />
six penny co<strong>in</strong> as a tip and <strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> accept<strong>in</strong>g it, he<br />
placed it back <strong>in</strong> my palm with the part<strong>in</strong>g remark,<br />
“Have a good time on me, Sir.” F<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g me a little<br />
annoyed he said, “Partner, you must develop a<br />
positive attitude. You know that it is for the first time<br />
that someone had addressed Midshipman V.F.<br />
Rebello as “Sir” even though it happened to be a taxi<br />
driver!”<br />
Well, that was Cdr Vernon Francis Rebello who is no<br />
more. God bless his soul.<br />
sgadihoke@gmail.com
Ever seen an actual stone frigate? One was built <strong>in</strong><br />
Bombay for Sea Cadets tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g over half a century<br />
ago!<br />
Ever heard <strong>of</strong> a cruiser quarterdeck awn<strong>in</strong>g, and a<br />
ceremonial one at that, spread <strong>in</strong> the national capital?<br />
I was as much surprised then as you may be now, to<br />
learn that that was the task assigned to me barely a<br />
couple <strong>of</strong> months after arriv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> NHQ <strong>in</strong> the mid<br />
1950s.<br />
The Naval Officers’ Wives Association had set up a<br />
committee to organise a Navy Ball to raise welfare<br />
funds for the Navy. In order to make a strik<strong>in</strong>g<br />
spectacle <strong>of</strong> the show the committee decided to<br />
borrow the ceremonial quarterdeck awn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the<br />
then flagship INS Delhi (ex-HMS Achilles) to decorate<br />
the dance hall <strong>of</strong> the Delhi Gymkhana which was to<br />
be the venue <strong>of</strong> the Ball. The ceremonial awn<strong>in</strong>g had<br />
broad red and white bands alternately, runn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
athwartships all along its entire length and when fully<br />
lit up at night is truly a magnificent sight to behold by<br />
any standard!<br />
One morn<strong>in</strong>g my Director summoned me and told me<br />
to report to the Director <strong>of</strong> Naval Construction. The<br />
latter was an RN <strong>of</strong>ficer and be<strong>in</strong>g a member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
club he must have been on sufficiently good terms<br />
with it’s manag<strong>in</strong>g committee to get their approval for<br />
what he proposed to decorate the dance hall with.<br />
When I went to see him he told me what had to be<br />
done. I would have a work<strong>in</strong>g party <strong>of</strong> sailors and all<br />
the materials necessary to do the job were already at<br />
the site.<br />
Not be<strong>in</strong>g from the Executive branch <strong>of</strong> the Navy you<br />
can easily guess how nervous I must have been at<br />
110<br />
Awesome Awn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the time. What if some ham-handed member <strong>of</strong> my<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g party damaged the club or some unforseen<br />
accident occured? What about club fitt<strong>in</strong>gs like<br />
ceil<strong>in</strong>g fans and electric lights? Would they come <strong>in</strong><br />
the way? I had never been to the club and had<br />
absolutely no idea <strong>of</strong> what to expect. No steel wire<br />
ropes allowed - I would have to spread the awn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and support it’s considreable weight us<strong>in</strong>g only<br />
Manila ropes.<br />
When I got to the club I found the work<strong>in</strong>g party<br />
already there and as promised all the materials,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the ladders the club provided, at the site.<br />
On first <strong>in</strong>spection I heaved a sigh <strong>of</strong> relief to f<strong>in</strong>d that<br />
there were no ceil<strong>in</strong>g fans and electric lights hang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from the top <strong>of</strong> the dance hall. Just below the ceil<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the entire dance hall was r<strong>in</strong>ged with skylights. We<br />
quickly decided that we would have to have a stout<br />
Manila rope runn<strong>in</strong>g along the whole length <strong>of</strong> the<br />
centre <strong>of</strong> the hall to support the awn<strong>in</strong>g. To spread the<br />
awn<strong>in</strong>g we would have to run another Manila rope<br />
along the upper portion <strong>of</strong> the surround<strong>in</strong>g walls and<br />
secure the rope with cords tied to the skylights.<br />
I mention these details to show why it took us the<br />
best part <strong>of</strong> two days to complete the job. I was quite<br />
gratified to get a letter from the committee thank<strong>in</strong>g<br />
us for the effort we had put <strong>in</strong>.<br />
There was an amus<strong>in</strong>g sequel. After the Ball I had to<br />
visit the site to check if there had been any damage<br />
to the premises <strong>of</strong> the club. Not everyone apparently<br />
had been impressed with our efforts. A dear old lady<br />
came up to me and said,”You know, you took so many<br />
days to put up the awn<strong>in</strong>g, but today they took less<br />
than two hours to take everyth<strong>in</strong>g down!”.<br />
mullerworth@airtelmail.<strong>in</strong><br />
Cdr NA Mullerworth (Retd)
After successfully gett<strong>in</strong>g through the 11th Submar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Course way back <strong>in</strong> 1973, the theoretical phase at<br />
least, I found myself jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g INS Vagir, a Foxtrot class<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e at Las Palmas, for the practical phase <strong>of</strong><br />
submar<strong>in</strong>e tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g which <strong>in</strong>cluded crawl<strong>in</strong>g through<br />
bilges and battery compartments.<br />
Show<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f the submar<strong>in</strong>e badge to one and all <strong>in</strong> the<br />
years ahead brought immense pleasure and plenty <strong>of</strong><br />
“Oohs and Aahs” from lady friends <strong>in</strong> particular.<br />
And then one f<strong>in</strong>e day as a Surgeon Commodore I<br />
was <strong>in</strong>formed by the Office <strong>of</strong> DGAFMS that I had<br />
achieved Flag Rank. S<strong>in</strong>ce no vacancy was available<br />
as a Surgeon Rear Admiral, the DGMS Army called up<br />
to <strong>in</strong>form me that I had become a General Officer and<br />
was to proceed to take over Command Hospital,<br />
Central Command, Lucknow. The appo<strong>in</strong>tment was a<br />
superb one and the change over from whites to olive<br />
greens is aptly described <strong>in</strong> my article titled, “An old<br />
seadog becomes a Land Lubber”.<br />
An old seafarer with almost fourteen years <strong>of</strong> sea time<br />
A Submar<strong>in</strong>er Army General<br />
111<br />
Major General Subroto Kundu (Retd)<br />
under his belt had without bl<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
an eyelid successfully converted<br />
<strong>in</strong>to a stomp<strong>in</strong>g General Officer.<br />
While as Commandant, CH (CC)<br />
Lucknow was a terrific command,<br />
however, for reasons unknown to<br />
me, the Army felt they had the right<br />
choice to take over as MG<br />
(Medical), at the Northern Army<br />
Command <strong>in</strong> J & K. This command<br />
is known as the most Ops command<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Army. And so, I found myself,<br />
a submar<strong>in</strong>er from the very depths<br />
<strong>of</strong> the oceans, climb<strong>in</strong>g the highest<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>s around the Nubra Valley lead<strong>in</strong>g to the<br />
Siachen Glacier.<br />
The dolph<strong>in</strong>s rema<strong>in</strong>ed a part <strong>of</strong> all my OG uniforms<br />
daily wear, formal wear and field rigs. This badge was<br />
not just a curiosity for the Army <strong>of</strong>ficers and soldiers,<br />
<strong>in</strong> fact most thought that it was some form <strong>of</strong><br />
decoration. With many excit<strong>in</strong>g submar<strong>in</strong>e stories<br />
under my belt, I perforce had to repeat myself many a<br />
time dur<strong>in</strong>g tranquil periods <strong>in</strong> counter <strong>in</strong>surgency ops<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Jammu area and Kashmir valley and dur<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
visits to Leh and Ladakh regions. Even on the highest<br />
peaks visit<strong>in</strong>g my RMOs on the LC fence and glacier<br />
the COs <strong>of</strong> the various regiments would welcome me<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g already got to know that a crazy two star<br />
travels everywhere by road for ten hours a day<br />
attempt<strong>in</strong>g to meet RMOs and Dental Officers, <strong>of</strong><br />
whom I had twice the number that the Navy had.<br />
The Mar<strong>in</strong>e Commandos at Wuller Lake just could not<br />
believe themselves when I landed up <strong>in</strong> a heavy snow<br />
storm for a cup <strong>of</strong> well deserved c<strong>of</strong>fee laced with rum<br />
at three <strong>in</strong> the afternoon. A General actually visit<strong>in</strong>g
them and not just any old<br />
General but a By-God<br />
Submar<strong>in</strong>er General! It was by<br />
then known <strong>in</strong> the Northern<br />
Army Command that their MG<br />
(Medical) only preferred to<br />
drive all over the great<br />
Himalayan and Zanskar ranges<br />
to areas one only reads about<br />
<strong>in</strong> the newspapers. In fact it is<br />
believed from <strong>in</strong>telligence<br />
sources that I had actually<br />
been targeted twice by<br />
militants. The only reason I<br />
believe, that I am still around is<br />
that the militants just could not<br />
get the registration number <strong>of</strong><br />
the vehicle I was driv<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> areas such as Sopore and<br />
Sopian.<br />
The other reason for my survival was that on all my<br />
<strong>in</strong>spection tours I would travel alone, which was<br />
probably well known. Dur<strong>in</strong>g these two <strong>in</strong>cidents <strong>in</strong><br />
particular I was accompanied by the ADMS <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Corps. Hence anyone ly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> ambush was on the<br />
lookout for only one <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>in</strong> the backseat, not<br />
two and thus my SUV slipped through followed by<br />
another SUV a little later with a s<strong>in</strong>gle <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>in</strong><br />
the rear seat which sad to say met its fate <strong>in</strong> a<br />
grenade attack. Such close encounters were a<br />
regular feature especially amongst soldiers who were<br />
on road open<strong>in</strong>g patrols and men <strong>of</strong> the Rashtriya<br />
Rifles.<br />
I firmly believe, that my tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as a submar<strong>in</strong>er with<br />
an eye for tech<strong>nic</strong>al details brought many a medical<br />
CO to tears as I got after cont<strong>in</strong>uous tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, fire<br />
fight<strong>in</strong>g, ambulance vehicle parades, the tackl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
emergencies, NBC exercises and demonstrations <strong>of</strong><br />
basic first-aid after high teas and barakhanas.<br />
However, all these tears f<strong>in</strong>ally benefitted the frontl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
field medical units by the time I f<strong>in</strong>ally left.<br />
112<br />
Unfortunately, everyone had misunderstood or could<br />
not fathom the likes <strong>of</strong> a submar<strong>in</strong>er General who they<br />
thought would not know anyth<strong>in</strong>g about field<br />
conditions <strong>in</strong> the border areas and CI ops areas and<br />
thus the tremendous jolts. It was well worth the<br />
tremendous efforts put <strong>in</strong> by the RMOs, Dental<br />
Officers and field medical units result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> superb<br />
medicare be<strong>in</strong>g provided to not only the Army but also<br />
to the BSF, ITBP, CRPF, J & K Police and all civilians<br />
<strong>of</strong> the state.<br />
Before I conclude, I must submit that paradise on<br />
earth does exist <strong>in</strong> J & K, Himachal Pradesh and<br />
Uttarakhand. The prist<strong>in</strong>e jaw dropp<strong>in</strong>g beauty <strong>of</strong><br />
these hilly states and the simplicity <strong>of</strong> their peoples is<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g to cherish <strong>in</strong> our very materialistic<br />
existence. The Pir Panjal, Ladakh and Zanskar ranges<br />
have <strong>in</strong> their folds peoples and places that could be<br />
considered God’s own.<br />
The services and the Submar<strong>in</strong>e branch actually<br />
prepare one to rapidly adapt to frequent chang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
circumstances. I know, for I benefitted.<br />
sidhartha_kundu@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong>
Teenoteen Dah<strong>in</strong>e chal, Dahene muddddd!<br />
Dah<strong>in</strong>e Se Sajjjjj!<br />
Dho l<strong>in</strong>e Bunnnn!<br />
Gunnery School - My Alma Mater<br />
A cacophony that was <strong>of</strong>ten heard on the corridors <strong>of</strong><br />
Gunnery School Parade<br />
Ground -- a noise<br />
that I would never<br />
forget <strong>in</strong> my<br />
lifetime! Because,<br />
that’s where I<br />
spent nearly a<br />
year do<strong>in</strong>g Parade<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
1st Long (G)<br />
Course that was<br />
conducted <strong>in</strong> India<br />
(dur<strong>in</strong>g 1958/60),<br />
and hence<br />
considered a<br />
p r e s t i g i o u s<br />
Course.<br />
NHQ had appo<strong>in</strong>ted a crack tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g team compris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
LCdr. M R Schunker, the Course Officer at the top. Ably<br />
assist<strong>in</strong>g him was the Course Gunner, Commissioned<br />
Gunner Kelman and Chief GI Mart<strong>in</strong>. The team had<br />
assembled <strong>in</strong> the School well <strong>in</strong> advance and planned<br />
the entire Course, not leav<strong>in</strong>g out even the smallest <strong>of</strong><br />
details. The syllabus was a comprehensive one -<br />
Parade Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, Rifle and Sword drill, Company drill,<br />
plenty <strong>of</strong> class room <strong>in</strong>structions supported by practical<br />
drill on School models, mock-ups and actual armament<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Naval Coastal Battery. Add to this,<br />
attachments to naval ships for Gunnery tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g on<br />
Destroyer, Frigate, Cruiser and Carrier and special<br />
Courses with Army Infantry and Artillery Schools and Air<br />
Force Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g College for Weapons tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
113<br />
Cdr R Ganapathi (Retd)<br />
Course concluded with a Bharat Darshan compris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
visits to various Ammunition and Ordnance Factories<br />
and even to Pro<strong>of</strong> and fir<strong>in</strong>g range <strong>in</strong> Balasore, Orissa.<br />
Though the Course took the life out <strong>of</strong> the five <strong>of</strong> us, the<br />
tra<strong>in</strong>ees it was the most enjoyable period and there<br />
were so many <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>cidents. As a<br />
matter <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest,<br />
the <strong>of</strong>ficers were Lts<br />
Ravi Sawhney, RK<br />
Choudhury, N<br />
Khullar, V Rebello<br />
and myself.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g Cutlass drill,<br />
an Officer, X (name<br />
withheld) was<br />
ordered to give<br />
detail to our class<br />
for the Command,<br />
“Nikaal Kirch”,<br />
that is, <strong>in</strong>structions<br />
for draw<strong>in</strong>g the cutlass from<br />
the sheath that will be hang<strong>in</strong>g from the belt worn by the<br />
tra<strong>in</strong>ee. This has to be done <strong>in</strong> two movements. On this<br />
Command, the tra<strong>in</strong>ee is to smartly grasp the hilt <strong>of</strong> the<br />
cutlass with his right palm, hold<strong>in</strong>g the sheath gently<br />
with his left hand as the first movement and then<br />
count<strong>in</strong>g a pause <strong>of</strong> 3 march<strong>in</strong>g paces as 1,2,3 <strong>in</strong> the<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d, smartly pull the cutlass out <strong>of</strong> the sheath and hold<br />
it <strong>in</strong> the Carry position as the second movement. The<br />
Carry position is hold<strong>in</strong>g the cutlass upright and keep<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the right fore arm parallel to the ground. The <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
brought the squad to attention and started to<br />
demonstrate how this order was to be carried out. So,<br />
he began giv<strong>in</strong>g the order, “Nikaal…” but could not<br />
complete the order as he forgot the executive part<br />
“Kirch” completely. Those were days when H<strong>in</strong>di
commands were just <strong>in</strong>troduced <strong>in</strong>to the Indian Navy<br />
and X happened to be from Madras! So he went on<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g his Gunnery voice and shout<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“Nikaal…..Nikaal…..Nikaal…..”. The tra<strong>in</strong>ees’ faces<br />
went <strong>in</strong>to all manner <strong>of</strong> convulsions - they were<br />
suppress<strong>in</strong>g their laughter lest they should get some<br />
punishment! F<strong>in</strong>ally with some smart presence <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d<br />
X said, “Nikaal, Nikaal!” <strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> the correct words and<br />
proceeded further with the drill. The occasion was<br />
actually a part <strong>of</strong> our exam<strong>in</strong>ation and not only he failed<br />
and had to reappear, but he was given a few rounds on<br />
the Parade ground as well!<br />
When we f<strong>in</strong>ished our attachment to Infantry school,<br />
Mhow the Commandant <strong>in</strong>vited us for a d<strong>in</strong>ner party at<br />
short notice. One Officer had not brought his lounge suit.<br />
There was great pa<strong>nic</strong>, as he could not give any excuse.<br />
First, we went to town and no tailor would stitch a suit at<br />
such a short notice. Then we tried a few dry-cleaners for<br />
hir<strong>in</strong>g but no one would come forward! Our next search<br />
was for an Army Officer amongst our friends who could<br />
be <strong>of</strong> same height and girth as the hapless <strong>of</strong>ficer. Lt<br />
Vernon Rebello came with a brilliant f<strong>in</strong>d, namely, Maj<br />
Sethi who had played some bridge with us <strong>in</strong> the Mess.<br />
We ran to his house the same night and he obliged! I still<br />
remember, it was a light brown suit with checks and <strong>in</strong><br />
the party that even<strong>in</strong>g Maj Sethi was very generous <strong>in</strong> his<br />
remark, “This suit suits you even better” and the person<br />
he addressed was none other than poor me!<br />
Unlike other Schools, Gunnery School was special<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce it was its responsibility to organize and carry out<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong>’s Divisions and Ceremonial Parades. And with<br />
what pr<strong>of</strong>essional perfection and brilliance they were<br />
conducted whether <strong>in</strong> Gunnery School Parade Ground<br />
or <strong>in</strong> the Command Parade Ground! With the Naval<br />
<strong>Band</strong> <strong>in</strong> attendance it was an experience to witness or<br />
to take part <strong>in</strong> the whole proceed<strong>in</strong>gs until the Marchpast<br />
before the salut<strong>in</strong>g dais!<br />
Any write-up on the School would be <strong>in</strong>complete,<br />
without a mention <strong>of</strong> the GI’s (Gunnery Instructors). As<br />
114<br />
Tra<strong>in</strong>ees, when you happen to go as part <strong>of</strong> a platoon for<br />
Divisions, there will be 6 to 8 GI’s roam<strong>in</strong>g around the<br />
Ground and look<strong>in</strong>g for mistakes. From one end <strong>of</strong> the<br />
ground, a GI will shout, “3rd from right, front rank, fold<br />
your f<strong>in</strong>gers from second knuckle, Sir!” Then another<br />
would be shout<strong>in</strong>g to someone else, “Sw<strong>in</strong>g your arms<br />
fully fore and aft” and the like. Such was their power <strong>of</strong><br />
observation. They all looked ferocious as though sparks<br />
would fly from their eyes and we were all mortally<br />
petrified <strong>of</strong> them. I cannot forget some <strong>of</strong> them - to<br />
name, Chief GIs Ramanujam, MG Nair, Anjum, Thomas,<br />
Pasupathi and many more! Their spoken English was<br />
not great though. For example, one Instructor was<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g a class about a weapon and he was referr<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to it as Absolute. What he meant was obsolete! Another<br />
GI who was tak<strong>in</strong>g a drill on the gun mount<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
list<strong>in</strong>g the duties <strong>of</strong> each position on the equipment and<br />
then allotted numbers to each one <strong>of</strong> our class. He said<br />
ONE’s, will be the Layer, TWO’s will be the Tra<strong>in</strong>er and<br />
so on. He had the habit <strong>of</strong> add<strong>in</strong>g the letter ‘S’ wherever<br />
he could. So that night, my friend Khullar came out <strong>of</strong> his<br />
cab<strong>in</strong> and was shout<strong>in</strong>g “Let us go for d<strong>in</strong>ner,<br />
Ganapathis and Rebellos! And we had a hearty laugh.<br />
But they were all excellent Instructors, knowledgeable<br />
and extremely smart and well versed <strong>in</strong> every aspect <strong>of</strong><br />
the drills. I need not say about the Gunnery <strong>of</strong>ficers -<br />
they were always the best!<br />
Recently I happened to passby Coch<strong>in</strong> and naturally<br />
visited Venduruthy. Oh! What changes have taken<br />
place! Though everyplace is look<strong>in</strong>g new and<br />
impressive and shows growth, the old build<strong>in</strong>gs and the<br />
extensive layout are miss<strong>in</strong>g. When I approached the<br />
portico <strong>of</strong> Gunnery School, I was disappo<strong>in</strong>ted. It was no<br />
more the Gunnery School I knew but some Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Unit<br />
<strong>of</strong> INS Garuda. I was told that it has become an<br />
Establishment called INS Dronacharya and is located <strong>in</strong><br />
Fort Coch<strong>in</strong>, at a place where the erstwhile Naval<br />
Coastal Battery was. Well, I shall make a separate trip<br />
to visit my Alma Mater soon.<br />
ganapathi1929@gmail.com
Fishy Tales - By Hook And Other Means<br />
IN has undergone many changes <strong>in</strong> the last several<br />
decades, <strong>in</strong> some ways for the worse but<br />
operationally I am sure, for the better. Change is<br />
progress. Them days, there were some great<br />
stalwarts who lived k<strong>in</strong>g size and were pr<strong>of</strong>essionally,<br />
<strong>in</strong>tellectually and <strong>in</strong>tegrity wise outstand<strong>in</strong>g. They<br />
were legends <strong>in</strong> their own time.<br />
I had then <strong>in</strong> Dec 77 taken over as the second XO <strong>of</strong><br />
the newly commissioned Himgiri with Cdr KN Zadu <strong>in</strong><br />
command and he <strong>in</strong> turn was soon replaced by Cdr<br />
NN Anand. Before we could settle down, we had our<br />
annual <strong>in</strong>spection by the Fleet Commander Rear Adm<br />
RKS Ghandhi (later C-<strong>in</strong>-C, West and Governor <strong>of</strong><br />
Himachal Pradesh). Commander (later Rear Adm)<br />
Anand was an outstand<strong>in</strong>g Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer and I<br />
believe amongst the best the Navy has had and I<br />
learnt volumes from him. He was also a favorite with<br />
FOCWF and the ship was selected to take the Fleet<br />
Commander to the Lakshdweep for his farewell<br />
sail<strong>in</strong>g holiday to satisfy his desires for angl<strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
XO was a worried guy with the FOCWF on board for<br />
an extended visit where we would be cont<strong>in</strong>uously<br />
under his watchful ‘gunners’ eye.<br />
As we anchored <strong>of</strong>f Agatti, I was sent for by the Fleet<br />
Commander and told that all protocol was to be<br />
dispensed with and it was not necessary for me to<br />
receive or see him <strong>of</strong>f, and he was act<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependently. I wasn’t sure how the orders were to<br />
be <strong>in</strong>terpreted but he promptly went angl<strong>in</strong>g and we<br />
equally promptly hailed fish<strong>in</strong>g boats and requested<br />
the fishermen to get some fish for us, which was<br />
abundant <strong>in</strong> the area.<br />
They promised to br<strong>in</strong>g their catch by the end <strong>of</strong> the<br />
day, which they did and the prior agreement was that<br />
we would trade fish for diesel. We promptly unloaded<br />
115<br />
Vice Admiral Har<strong>in</strong>der S<strong>in</strong>gh (Retd)<br />
the fish which aggregated more than a couple <strong>of</strong> tons<br />
with each fish be<strong>in</strong>g about 2 to 3 kilos. Whilst we<br />
were negotiat<strong>in</strong>g how much diesel was to be given,<br />
the quarter master reported, ‘Fleet Commander<br />
ahoy’. I was not happy the way th<strong>in</strong>gs were<br />
happen<strong>in</strong>g and received the boss on board who was<br />
not look<strong>in</strong>g happy, he had not caught any fish. He<br />
enquired what I was discuss<strong>in</strong>g and I briefed him. He<br />
was upset and said ‘Number 1, be generous, if they<br />
want 2 drums, give it to them’ and the needful was<br />
done.<br />
As the fish had already been unloaded he enquired<br />
about the type <strong>of</strong> fish and I admitted that I didn’t know<br />
what it was, but it was fish and we had plenty <strong>of</strong> it. So<br />
I lead him to the ships galley where it was be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
cleaned. He was <strong>in</strong>deed surprised and joyously said,<br />
‘No.1, you know this is tuna, one <strong>of</strong> the best fish <strong>in</strong><br />
the world’. After another moment’s thought, he asked<br />
whether he could have some 25 to 30 <strong>of</strong> them and I,<br />
visibly relieved, agreed that he could take even more.<br />
Later, the same even<strong>in</strong>g the same fish was served <strong>in</strong><br />
the ships galley and post supper when he was tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a walk on the QD, he asked sailors whether they liked<br />
the fish and they promptly volunteered that it was<br />
‘khatti/sour’ and not good like the normal fish. He was<br />
visibly, not amused.<br />
Epilogue: No sooner did we arrive <strong>in</strong> Bombay that he<br />
made a signal to all fleet COs to collect fish from the<br />
flag ship that ‘he had caught for them’. They don’t<br />
make these Admirals any longer!<br />
Fast forward, I am now the FORTAN and get a call<br />
from another <strong>of</strong> the Navy’s old stalwarts, late Vice<br />
Admiral RN Batra whose last appo<strong>in</strong>tment, I believe<br />
was the COP and who wanted to visit the Andamans.
He accepted my <strong>in</strong>vitation but warned that his basic<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest was angl<strong>in</strong>g, that he could not <strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong>,<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g settled <strong>in</strong> Delhi for long.<br />
He came with Mrs Batra and his extended family and<br />
as desired we arranged to take him angl<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
another avid angler and member <strong>of</strong> my staff, Cdr. As<br />
a courtesy, I accompanied and we set out before<br />
dawn and went to all the spots that had been<br />
recommended to us. But we had no joy; no fish<br />
(unlike junior <strong>of</strong>ficers) would take our (senior <strong>of</strong>ficers)<br />
bait. The Admiral was worried what his wife would<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k. We set course to return for breakfast at about 8<br />
and as we neared the naval jetty we saw a fisherman<br />
<strong>in</strong> a small boat, busy fish<strong>in</strong>g and land<strong>in</strong>g one fish after<br />
another. We stopped by to try our hand <strong>in</strong> his area<br />
and seek his advice but the result was no different,<br />
the silly fish would not be baited.<br />
I am told summer months are not the right time to<br />
visit Mumbai and ra<strong>in</strong>y season is risky. I had first<br />
visited Bombay as an Air W<strong>in</strong>g NCC Cadet dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>of</strong> 1957/58, when after attend<strong>in</strong>g Air W<strong>in</strong>g<br />
NCC camp at Poona, the whole troop with the help<br />
<strong>of</strong> the NCC Officer, took a detour to see Bombay. I<br />
still have fond memories <strong>of</strong> Juhu beach, Hang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Garden with Shoe house and a few other places we<br />
were able to see <strong>in</strong> two days. There was shoot<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
a small scene with Johnny Walker, tak<strong>in</strong>g place on<br />
the road at Hang<strong>in</strong>g Garden at that time. Those<br />
were some excit<strong>in</strong>g days!<br />
My second visit to Bombay and our first to NOFRA<br />
came about dur<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>ters <strong>of</strong> 2001. Those were<br />
good months to see some places and loiter around<br />
even dur<strong>in</strong>g day time. We were able to go out for<br />
116<br />
Then the fisherman see<strong>in</strong>g our plight, quietly took the<br />
Admiral’s hook and put a fish on it and quietly threw<br />
it <strong>in</strong> the water and this became the ‘one’ fish caught<br />
by him. Admiral was not happy and I suspect, he<br />
knew or suspected what had happened. Anyway, he<br />
asked to buy some fish so that he could show Mrs<br />
Batra ‘his’ catch and serve it for her breakfast. The<br />
fisherman was happy to give the fish but we<br />
discovered, we had no cash as the money bag, the<br />
Flag Lt, was not with us. We requested the poor guy<br />
to collect his earn<strong>in</strong>gs from the Navy House, which he<br />
generously accepted.<br />
Mrs Batra was, I understand, very pleased with the<br />
Admiral’s catch and particularly enjoyed her<br />
breakfast and <strong>of</strong> course her stay <strong>in</strong> the Andamans.<br />
admiralhar<strong>in</strong>der@gmail.com<br />
Some Thoughts From An Armyman<br />
Col NS Rawat (Retd)<br />
sightsee<strong>in</strong>g around the city without hesitation.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g my recent visit to NOFRA, I found time <strong>in</strong><br />
reflect<strong>in</strong>g and read<strong>in</strong>g whatever one could get hold<br />
<strong>of</strong>. Fortunately, I found Quarterdeck 2009 besides<br />
other books and magaz<strong>in</strong>es to go through which I<br />
would have avoided otherwise. Hav<strong>in</strong>g retired some<br />
15 years back from the Army, I have been<br />
assiduously avoid<strong>in</strong>g anyth<strong>in</strong>g Military to rema<strong>in</strong> as<br />
far away mentally from such subjects as possible.<br />
The Quarterdeck 2009, I thought has naval subjects,<br />
not really my k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> military subjects and someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
new and hence one could make an exception.<br />
My earlier encounter with the Indian Navy was <strong>in</strong><br />
DSSC <strong>in</strong> 1980, when I was attend<strong>in</strong>g the Staff<br />
Course. The yearlong association and <strong>in</strong>teraction<br />
with naval <strong>of</strong>ficers gave me enough <strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to their
way <strong>of</strong> life and th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. Our visit to naval<br />
establishment at Bombay dur<strong>in</strong>g the Industrial tour<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1980, and the <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g cruise gave us a<br />
somewhat better perspective <strong>of</strong> naval ships and<br />
Navy <strong>in</strong> action.<br />
I found Quarterdeck 2009 quite <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g. It was<br />
great to learn about another good deed <strong>of</strong> Admiral<br />
Pereira. I had heard some very good stories and<br />
some tough stories from naval <strong>of</strong>ficers. He had<br />
visited DSSC <strong>in</strong> 1980 as Naval Chief and dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
cremation <strong>of</strong> one Army Student Officer who died due<br />
to heart attack, stayed on with the family <strong>of</strong> the<br />
diseased till the last. He then called on the family<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> the next day. His address was sadly cancelled<br />
due to this <strong>in</strong>cident.<br />
The article on Field Marshal Manekshaw was<br />
another <strong>nic</strong>e piece to rem<strong>in</strong>d me <strong>of</strong> days at DSSC<br />
1980. The Field Marshal always <strong>in</strong>vited student<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers and their families <strong>of</strong> Gorkha Regiments from<br />
each course for tea once dur<strong>in</strong>g the year <strong>in</strong> his<br />
house <strong>in</strong> Coonoor when he was there. His <strong>in</strong>fectious<br />
good spirit, enthusiasm and jovial temperament at<br />
his age were someth<strong>in</strong>g one cannot forget.<br />
The naval expedition to Karakoram Pass taken up<br />
by Capt SS Vombatkere and Cmde PS Vombatkere<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>ded me <strong>of</strong> my tenure <strong>in</strong> Nubra Valley <strong>in</strong> 1968.<br />
At that time Nubra valley was not connected by road<br />
with Leh. The walk from Leh to Thoise <strong>in</strong> Nubra<br />
valley took seven days. Another route was to fly<br />
back to Chandigarh, take the tra<strong>in</strong> to Pathankot and<br />
fly to Thoise <strong>in</strong> old Packets recharged with a jet on<br />
top. This is what I did when I was posted there.<br />
Further ahead at the base <strong>of</strong> Saser La, there is a<br />
pond <strong>of</strong> melt<strong>in</strong>g snow and close to it where we had<br />
camped <strong>in</strong> 1968, we had found some rema<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong> old<br />
travelers still <strong>in</strong>tact. The present road to Siach<strong>in</strong><br />
passes through Sasoma. Siach<strong>in</strong> had not got<br />
activated by then and Sasoma was the farthest base<br />
at that time look<strong>in</strong>g after Saser La approach with<br />
117<br />
Ch<strong>in</strong>ese <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d. These trekkers must have really<br />
enjoyed themselves and the happy memories <strong>of</strong> this<br />
trek will last them forever.<br />
I was also fortunate to pay a few visits to famous<br />
INHS Asv<strong>in</strong>i and get some treatment done on my<br />
ECHS card. I th<strong>in</strong>k I will always remember to come<br />
to Mumbai and get myself treated at INHS Asw<strong>in</strong>i<br />
than at Delhi! Some k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> Medical Tourism!<br />
Someone from the ECHS HQ <strong>in</strong> Delhi should come<br />
to INHS Asw<strong>in</strong>i via ECHS Polycli<strong>nic</strong> Delhi Cantt. and<br />
see the difference.<br />
I had gone to attend the Pass<strong>in</strong>g Out <strong>of</strong> my son at<br />
Lonavala <strong>in</strong> 1996, where dur<strong>in</strong>g the party <strong>in</strong> the<br />
even<strong>in</strong>g the chief guest, the Rear Admiral I th<strong>in</strong>k,<br />
mentioned clearly that anyone hav<strong>in</strong>g more than two<br />
<strong>in</strong> family <strong>in</strong> Armed Forces gets some special<br />
concessions on travel etc. I sent a query to the<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> Jo<strong>in</strong>t Chief <strong>of</strong> Staff <strong>in</strong> MOD and got a very<br />
vague and typical staff reply which said noth<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
I am fully enjoy<strong>in</strong>g my stay <strong>in</strong> Mumbai <strong>in</strong> Naval Area<br />
and would always wish to come as <strong>of</strong>ten as<br />
possible. My only negative observation is that with<br />
so many excellent facilities available and such <strong>nic</strong>e<br />
programmes be<strong>in</strong>g conducted there, the younger<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers for quite a few years <strong>of</strong> their early service,<br />
for whatever reasons do not get enough time to<br />
enjoy and participate <strong>in</strong> these activities, even dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
peacetime environment. The practiced work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
hours are too long. It must be a drag on quality <strong>of</strong><br />
life, happ<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> family life and peaceful healthy<br />
social environment for <strong>in</strong>itial build<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong> family<br />
values. I found that a lot <strong>of</strong> ladies were work<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
which is a good th<strong>in</strong>g. I also felt that the number <strong>of</strong><br />
families hav<strong>in</strong>g family discord <strong>in</strong> the younger lot is<br />
somewhat high. Children <strong>of</strong> all ages though, appear<br />
to be mak<strong>in</strong>g full use <strong>of</strong> the opportunities available<br />
to them.<br />
nsrawat@rediffmail.com
The untold story <strong>of</strong> a Veteran Sailor<br />
The venerable term ‘veteran’ means ‘one who has a<br />
long record <strong>of</strong> service <strong>in</strong> a given activity or capacity or<br />
experience’, especially one who has seen much<br />
active service as a member <strong>of</strong> the armed forces. The<br />
usage ‘veteran sailors’ is currently ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g currency<br />
for whose welfare Veteran Sailors Forum has been<br />
established.<br />
My naval voyage commenced on the 10th <strong>of</strong><br />
September 1960 and ended on 22nd April 1972. This<br />
was an important period <strong>in</strong> the history <strong>of</strong> India. First it<br />
was the liberation <strong>of</strong> Goa from Portuguese through<br />
‘Operation Bijoy’. After only 26 hours, the Portuguese<br />
Army surrendered unconditionally and the Indian<br />
National flag flew all over Goa, Daman, Diu and<br />
Nagar Haveli on 18th December 1961. Ch<strong>in</strong>a<br />
attacked us from 20 October to 20 November 1962.<br />
Pakistan attacked us twice <strong>in</strong> 1965 from 6 September<br />
to 13 September 1965 and <strong>in</strong> 1971 from 3 December<br />
to 17 December 1971 dur<strong>in</strong>g which India split<br />
Pakistan <strong>in</strong>to two nations as East Pakistan became<br />
Bangladesh.<br />
In my humble op<strong>in</strong>ion, naval service is the best<br />
example <strong>of</strong> unity <strong>in</strong> diversity <strong>of</strong> India which we hold<br />
al<strong>of</strong>t with huge pride because <strong>in</strong> ships everyone lives<br />
as members <strong>of</strong> a family. Naval personnel get larger<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational exposure because warships visit other<br />
nations and participate <strong>in</strong> jo<strong>in</strong>t naval exercises. Interpersonnel<br />
relationship, <strong>in</strong>ter-personnel<br />
commu<strong>nic</strong>ation and <strong>in</strong>tra-personal activities are far<br />
better.<br />
In the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, I was tra<strong>in</strong>ed and worked as a<br />
Telegraphist for the first five years <strong>of</strong> my service.<br />
Thereafter, I jo<strong>in</strong>ed the air w<strong>in</strong>g as a handler and at<br />
the time <strong>of</strong> retirement I was Lead<strong>in</strong>g Aircraft Handler.<br />
I received Raksha Medal <strong>in</strong> the year 1970.<br />
118<br />
INS Trishul on which I served, was a frigate<br />
commissioned <strong>in</strong> 1962 and it served IN for 32 years.<br />
One day dur<strong>in</strong>g patroll<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f Andaman Islands we<br />
spotted a submar<strong>in</strong>e and Action Station was sounded.<br />
NHQ and other concerned authorities were alerted.<br />
But f<strong>in</strong>ally it was “let it go”. It gave us some anxious<br />
hours. Capta<strong>in</strong> EC Kuruvilla was the Command<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Officer.<br />
The Golden jubilee <strong>of</strong> naval aviation was celebrated<br />
on 11th <strong>of</strong> May 2003 with great fanfare <strong>in</strong> the<br />
presence <strong>of</strong> active and retired <strong>of</strong>ficers and men. The<br />
air display was superb-just thrill<strong>in</strong>g. Rear admiral P<br />
Kaushiva, Chief <strong>of</strong> Staff, was the Chairman <strong>of</strong> the<br />
organiz<strong>in</strong>g committee and Capta<strong>in</strong> NM Kalia,<br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer INS Garuda, chief coord<strong>in</strong>ator.<br />
I am extremely grateful for extend<strong>in</strong>g an<br />
<strong>in</strong>vitation to me! It was a rare but precious<br />
opportunity <strong>in</strong> my life.<br />
HMS Hercules was its maiden name. It was a majestic<br />
class light aircraft carrier which was renamed INS<br />
Vikrant and was commissioned on 4th March 1961. I<br />
served four years on INS Vikrant. This great and the<br />
first aircraft carrier <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy was<br />
decommissioned on 31st January 1997 and it is<br />
preserved as a float<strong>in</strong>g museum <strong>in</strong> Mumbai.<br />
Serv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the armed forces is a direct commitment to<br />
protect one’s motherland. It is a personal contract to<br />
sacrifice life. It is a holistic <strong>in</strong>surance the nation holds<br />
and cont<strong>in</strong>ues to hold on a very low premium. If a<br />
service person becomes an ex-serviceman he is<br />
grossly fortunate because he could redeem his<br />
mortgaged property that is life per se. This is the<br />
untold story <strong>of</strong> a veteran sailor.<br />
drctgeorge@gmail.com<br />
Dr CT George
Gett<strong>in</strong>g tossed to Karanja across Bombay harbour from<br />
the balmy, salubrious climes <strong>of</strong> Pune was some ‘sea’<br />
change. Mid ‘75 whilst complet<strong>in</strong>g the Advanced Naval<br />
Weapons course at the Institute <strong>of</strong> Armament<br />
Technology, Pune, our transfer orders came <strong>in</strong>.<br />
Two <strong>of</strong> us young Lieutenants, both bachelors, were slotted<br />
for INS Tunir, the missile base at Karanja. We were under<br />
the impression that we would be stay<strong>in</strong>g ‘<strong>of</strong>ficer like’ <strong>in</strong> the<br />
swank<strong>in</strong>g Western Naval Command Officers’ Mess located<br />
at sce<strong>nic</strong> Colaba by the sea, and take the Dockyard ferry<br />
back and forth to Karanja daily, but our Command<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Officer, late Capta<strong>in</strong> Subramaniam had other ideas.<br />
To try and make our ‘case’ we enrolled for even<strong>in</strong>g<br />
classes <strong>in</strong> management at the Bajaj Institute. I went a<br />
step further go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> for German classes at the Max<br />
Mueller Bhavan, <strong>in</strong> addition. For a while th<strong>in</strong>gs were okay<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g the daily boat along with the rest <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
liv<strong>in</strong>g ashore <strong>in</strong> Bombay, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g our Capta<strong>in</strong>. Then<br />
came the bombshell from the XO, ‘Capta<strong>in</strong> was ask<strong>in</strong>g<br />
how come you both have not shifted to Karanja yet?’ I<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>ed that we were attend<strong>in</strong>g even<strong>in</strong>g classes at<br />
Bajaj hence it was convenient for us to stay <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Command Mess. We were go<strong>in</strong>g to ask for permission<br />
today. Soon after reach<strong>in</strong>g the Base, we were called to<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong>’s <strong>of</strong>fice where XO was also <strong>in</strong> attendance,<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g not too pleasant seemed to be brew<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> was crisp ‘You are welcome to do any course,<br />
but you will do it from Karanja. Please shift here<br />
forthwith, XO please give them some Mess duties!’ Even<br />
the XO was taken aback, as there was no proper Mess<br />
<strong>in</strong> place yet. Our Bombay dreams went crash<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong><br />
the w<strong>in</strong>dow. That even<strong>in</strong>g cocktails followed by d<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>in</strong><br />
one <strong>of</strong> the Colaba restaurants marked my Bombay<br />
‘farewell’, and the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> my Karanja ‘exile’. We<br />
shifted to Karanja over the weekend. There were a few<br />
119<br />
Convoy Commander<br />
Cdr Tushar Dutt (Retd)<br />
bachelor <strong>of</strong>ficers occupy<strong>in</strong>g a bungalow by the sea which<br />
functioned as a makeshift Mess. It was called the<br />
‘Hodiwala’ bungalow, looked somewhat eerie at night!<br />
Some said that the Madhubala mystery movie ‘Mahal’<br />
was shot <strong>in</strong> this bungalow. There was no place for us <strong>in</strong><br />
there. Soon enough XO cleared our doubts ‘You both<br />
would be stay<strong>in</strong>g at the ‘PIM’ quarters, which would<br />
function as the new Karanja Officers’ Mess. Lieutenant<br />
Dutt, please settle down and take over duties <strong>of</strong> Mess<br />
Secretary, by the end <strong>of</strong> the month’.<br />
PIM happened to be a Yugoslav company which had<br />
constructed the Karanja jetty. They had built quarters for<br />
their staff on site, and on their departure, handed them<br />
over. The name ‘PIM’ required regular clarification as it<br />
became a source <strong>of</strong> embarrassment amongst outsiders<br />
who got curious about our ‘alternate’ pr<strong>of</strong>ession! There<br />
were no tra<strong>in</strong>ed bearers, dhobis, even the rations,<br />
vegetables etc would be brought from Bombay by the<br />
Chief Steward, Subey S<strong>in</strong>gh. We were <strong>in</strong> ‘Columbus’<br />
land. In an effort to simplify, I called up Subey S<strong>in</strong>gh at<br />
lunch one day and <strong>in</strong>structed him to get the menu<br />
approved every week, ensure the <strong>of</strong>ficers have no<br />
compla<strong>in</strong>ts and tap the local market <strong>in</strong> the Mora village,<br />
<strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> Colaba. He responded ‘no problem Sir, par<br />
aapne kuch plate me<strong>in</strong> liya nah<strong>in</strong>!’ (but you have taken<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> your plate!).That was it, the Mess began to<br />
make pr<strong>of</strong>it, Subey S<strong>in</strong>gh was on song.<br />
We had to take care <strong>of</strong> our ‘Bombay life’ and at times<br />
failed to catch the last boat at night. This meant tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the boat next morn<strong>in</strong>g along with Capta<strong>in</strong> and other<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers stay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Bombay. On one such occasion,<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> remarked <strong>in</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> the other <strong>of</strong>ficers he<br />
was glad with my performance, fir<strong>in</strong>gs and Mess duties.<br />
However on reach<strong>in</strong>g the base I got a prompt ‘summons’<br />
from his <strong>of</strong>fice to expla<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g as to why I missed the<br />
boat previous night? His Secretary quipped ‘How would
you like to expla<strong>in</strong> it Tushar-<strong>in</strong> German’? ‘Ke<strong>in</strong>e prublem<br />
Kamerad (No problem Comrade), we are on the same<br />
wavelength’. ‘Believe he requires more duties XO, not<br />
loaded enough’, Capta<strong>in</strong> commented. I returned to the<br />
hangar and waited for the ‘good’ news.<br />
Soon enough, return<strong>in</strong>g from Bombay one even<strong>in</strong>g, the<br />
Wardroom greeted me ‘Tushar congratulations, you have<br />
been promoted to Convoy Commander and are to take<br />
the baraath, day after for the missile fir<strong>in</strong>g!’ Early morn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the missiles ‘housed <strong>in</strong> huts’ along with other service<br />
vehicles <strong>in</strong> convoy, used to be taken by road right around<br />
the city to the Dockyard. Here they would be loaded on to<br />
the boats/ships for fir<strong>in</strong>g exercises. The drive was nearly<br />
a 100 km. Sometimes as many as twenty vehicles would<br />
form the convoy. The Convoy Commander would<br />
normally carry a pistol as a precautionary measure <strong>in</strong> the<br />
event <strong>of</strong> any untoward <strong>in</strong>cidents en route. On receiv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Like everybody else, I also picked up many Mantras<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the service span. In the 40 years, most <strong>of</strong> them fell<br />
by the wayside but some endured. One <strong>of</strong> the latter was<br />
“Take the Service seriously but never take yourself too<br />
seriously”. I liked it, so tried to follow it and also looked for<br />
opportunities to share it. Three years ago, when I was<br />
Commandant NDC, I sought crown<strong>in</strong>g glory. For the<br />
Fancy Dress Ball organised by the Ladies’ Club<br />
Rakshika, I rented full costume from East Delhi, got<br />
myself made up by a pr<strong>of</strong>essional artist and presented<br />
myself dressed as Akbar. From the stage I boomed out <strong>in</strong><br />
Bollywood Urdu my best imitation <strong>of</strong> Prithviraj Kapoor’s<br />
voice “H<strong>in</strong>dustan ke Shahanshah Jalaludd<strong>in</strong> Mohammad<br />
Akbar ka firman aaya hai ki kal d<strong>in</strong> barah baje se National<br />
Defence College ma<strong>in</strong> maa badaualat ka aana jaana<br />
bund kiya jai. Akbar-e-Aazam ke hukum ki taameel ho”.<br />
As I was to retire at noon the next day, be<strong>in</strong>g Sunday, I<br />
took the ensu<strong>in</strong>g thunderous applause and loud cheer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to mean that my delivery <strong>of</strong> mantra to the service for the<br />
120<br />
the orders next day, I went across to the Gunnery Officer<br />
to draw the pistol from the armoury. There were no<br />
pistols, all away with <strong>of</strong>ficers on various duties. Only<br />
option left for me was to take the sword, which he agreed<br />
to issue provided higher command approved.<br />
The Chief Eng<strong>in</strong>eer, Lieutenant Commander<br />
Ramanathan, a sa<strong>in</strong>tly sort, seriously queried ‘Are you<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g to use the sword <strong>in</strong> case you are <strong>in</strong> some jam’?<br />
‘Sure Sir, I’ll brandish it and yell ‘Hut jaao, Meray Hut ke<br />
raaste se’! (Move out the way <strong>of</strong> my (missile) Hut!).<br />
Ramanathan sahib fell <strong>of</strong>f his chair. ‘Play the game and<br />
rema<strong>in</strong> sane’ was the time tested mantra.<br />
Look<strong>in</strong>g back, Tunir was probably my most satisfy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and enjoyable naval post<strong>in</strong>g ashore.<br />
tushar.dutt49@gmail.com<br />
last time had been exemplary. A more objective<br />
assessment, however, became available recently when a<br />
former Course Member came up to me very respectfully,<br />
exchanged courtesies and with great gusto held forth his<br />
admiration for many th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the spirit beh<strong>in</strong>d my<br />
very authentic performance as........Raavan! My face<br />
must have reflected quick chang<strong>in</strong>g reactions from<br />
amusement at first, to disappo<strong>in</strong>tment and then to mild<br />
annoyance; before I suddenly laughed out aloud. The<br />
very confused, Major General politely took leave.<br />
Perhaps someday I should expla<strong>in</strong> to him my mixed<br />
reactions to the transition from Akbar to Raavan, and then<br />
the realisation that <strong>in</strong> my quest for crown<strong>in</strong>g glory I had<br />
probably taken myself too seriously! That was the stage I<br />
had started laugh<strong>in</strong>g at myself!! But, how can I be sure<br />
that my attempt to expla<strong>in</strong> it would not tantamount to now<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g myself too seriously ?!<br />
kaushiva@hotmail.com<br />
Seriously!<br />
Vice Admiral Pradeep Kaushiva (Retd)
The follow<strong>in</strong>g letter, replete with choicest naval slang,<br />
has been extracted from “We jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Navy” by PO<br />
Writer Robert Burgess and Ldg Writer Roland Blackburn,<br />
and published <strong>in</strong> 1943.<br />
It may be <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest to some <strong>of</strong> my contemporaries and<br />
‘old timers’, this may br<strong>in</strong>g nostalgic memories <strong>of</strong> time<br />
spent at sea, both enjoyable and otherwise. One can’t<br />
forget parties and get togethers when ashore, and after<br />
a late night b<strong>in</strong>ge, catch<strong>in</strong>g the milk tra<strong>in</strong> from Waterloo<br />
to Portsmouth harbour and grabb<strong>in</strong>g a mouthful <strong>of</strong> fish<br />
and chips at 3/d at the dockyard gate. As youngsters, we<br />
knew where to put up when <strong>in</strong> London - the BBC where<br />
B&B was 7/6d or the Frobisher Court Hotel, frequented<br />
by midshipmen, where B&B cost 12/- per day.<br />
From Old Ch<strong>in</strong>a to P<strong>in</strong>cher<br />
DEAR PINCHER,<br />
I am sorry to hear that you got a bottle for serv<strong>in</strong>g out a<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>k to Jack Dusty for not tak<strong>in</strong>g that straight rush up to<br />
the galley at Stand-easy. He ought to have known better<br />
than to leave that fanny full <strong>of</strong> his messmates’ bubbly <strong>in</strong><br />
the Rec’ Space like that.<br />
I suppose he thought it was a green rub when he got<br />
l<strong>in</strong>ed up by the Jaunty <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> the Bloke and got<br />
weighed <strong>of</strong>f with fourteen-pennorth. A spot <strong>of</strong> jankers will<br />
make him a little less stroppy perhaps.<br />
I heard the Sky Pilot talk<strong>in</strong>g to Jimmy the One and the<br />
Custard Bos’n the other day and they all agreed that it<br />
was too bad <strong>of</strong> that sloshy to unhook the Crusher’s<br />
caulker from the cooler to get his head down on. The<br />
Chief Buffer has got a howl on now because he got a<br />
blast from Torps, as so many <strong>of</strong> the part <strong>of</strong> ship hands<br />
were do<strong>in</strong>g a never on the messdecks <strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> derricks. He dripped to Tommy the Bos’n about it,<br />
121<br />
who told Guns that he thought the Skipper ought to give<br />
a make-and-mend or a Pipe-down occasionally, so that<br />
the troops could have a run up the l<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Jimmy Bungs and the Chief Pusser say that the slops<br />
are gett<strong>in</strong>g scarce, so it looks as though that new<br />
Number One suit <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>e is a washout. My oppo has got<br />
a draft chit to Whaley. I’ll bet that the gravel-gr<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
much-stick drill under some <strong>of</strong> the Gate and Gaiters<br />
there will soon make him report to the Poultice Walloper.<br />
He is a tiddly rat<strong>in</strong>g at the best <strong>of</strong> times, and the other<br />
morn<strong>in</strong>g they sounded <strong>of</strong>f Charley, and he didn’t th<strong>in</strong>k it<br />
touched him, so he stayed <strong>in</strong> his flea bag. Said that it<br />
wasn’t on his card, so seven days’ Number Eleven was<br />
his whack.<br />
By the way, I picked up a pound <strong>of</strong> Ticklers yesterday,<br />
and today my missus sent me a pipe. I shall have to try<br />
and get a pound <strong>of</strong> perique to smoke <strong>in</strong> it. I have bought<br />
a quiet number now. I’m Bos’n’s Mate, and I had to pipe<br />
the side last night when the Admiral came on board <strong>in</strong><br />
the Dogs. As usual I made a cock <strong>of</strong> it, and he was mad!<br />
Talk about pa<strong>nic</strong>. He’s got a temper like Torpo<strong>in</strong>t chicken,<br />
proper acid at times. Well, I must pipe down now, so<br />
cheerio. See you <strong>in</strong> the Lime Tank - Your old ch<strong>in</strong>a,<br />
BUNGY.<br />
glossary<br />
For the benefit <strong>of</strong> the un<strong>in</strong>itiated, I am jott<strong>in</strong>g down the<br />
mean<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> few naval slangs used above.<br />
Bottle: Harsh Reprimand<br />
Jack Dusty: Supply Asstt<br />
Fanny: Mess t<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> eight p<strong>in</strong>ts capacity<br />
Jaunty: Master-at-arms<br />
Weighed <strong>of</strong>f: Punished<br />
Fourteen-Pennorth: 14 days’ cell<br />
Jankers: Punishment for misdeed<br />
Sea Speech<br />
Rear Admiral Subir Paul (Retd)
Stroppy: A bumptious rat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Sky Pilot: Chapla<strong>in</strong><br />
Sloshy: Ship’s cook<br />
Custard Bos’n: Warrant Cookery Officer<br />
Crusher’s Caulker: R.P.O’s old blanket or overcoat<br />
Cooler: Cell/Prison<br />
Jimmy Bungo: Ship’s Cooper, now ext<strong>in</strong>ct<br />
Whaley: HMS Excellent, Gunnery School<br />
The PCT list came and went. No, I was not look<strong>in</strong>g for a<br />
CO/XO time. I am firmly <strong>in</strong> command, hence the red<br />
pen. But, then why was I keen for the PCT list to be out,<br />
I was wait<strong>in</strong>g to the see the name <strong>of</strong> my reliever, I would<br />
have f<strong>in</strong>ished 12 months by the time the new capta<strong>in</strong><br />
jo<strong>in</strong>s after PCT/OJT, hence the wait.<br />
But alas no reliever for me! Sir, who told you this is a<br />
365 day tenure. Did I feel dejected or sad? Yes, to be<br />
frank I felt low and was expect<strong>in</strong>g to hand over. I had<br />
done my bit, I was tired. The ability to cont<strong>in</strong>ue to ensure<br />
that my ship and I perform to our best was tak<strong>in</strong>g a toll.<br />
I spoke to my father; I asked him why I had been not<br />
been relieved. He was surprised. “Enjoy your command,<br />
young man Navy cont<strong>in</strong>ues to exhibit faith <strong>in</strong> you”, old<br />
retired Colonel, my mistake <strong>of</strong> ask<strong>in</strong>g him. I tried once<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>, the ‘P’ branch this time. Sir, its a 15-18 month<br />
tenure.<br />
That’s it; I was wait<strong>in</strong>g for my next appo<strong>in</strong>tment. But I<br />
have to cont<strong>in</strong>ue. So what, why did I feel sad, was I<br />
unhappy with this very f<strong>in</strong>e job, <strong>of</strong> lead<strong>in</strong>g men to war, to<br />
be able to decide today I can have beer <strong>in</strong> the afternoon.<br />
I did some <strong>in</strong>trospection with great power comes great<br />
responsibilities. Was I scared <strong>of</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g to shoulder<br />
122<br />
Gaits and Gaiters: Gunnery Instructors<br />
Poultice Walloper: Sick Bay attendant<br />
Ticklers: Naval Tobacco issue<br />
Perique: Leaf tobacco<br />
Torpo<strong>in</strong>t Chicken: A very quick tempered man<br />
Lime Tank: Naval Hospital at Haslar<br />
subir<strong>in</strong>drani2007@rediffmail.com<br />
Nobody Asked Me But…<br />
this responsibility? Agreed that command is a tough<br />
task. Every alongside/cast<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f br<strong>in</strong>gs the heart to the<br />
mouth. EO report<strong>in</strong>g Port Boost GT tripped while<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g approach <strong>in</strong> Porbander harbour. Yes we all, (i.e<br />
my team) have had some rough and hard times, but we<br />
were all together, my team.<br />
Now, I have to tra<strong>in</strong> the new team, bl<strong>in</strong>d, visual<br />
report<strong>in</strong>g. So be it. I am capable <strong>of</strong> it. I will.<br />
I did not have this 365 days tenure on me when I jo<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
the navy. We learned it here. CO/XO time is at a<br />
premium, more <strong>of</strong>ficers are wait<strong>in</strong>g and less ships. We<br />
have to f<strong>in</strong>ish everybody before the promotion board.<br />
Hence, the anticipation to move on, the anxiety to wait<br />
for your reliever as soon as your two terms are over.<br />
Yes, the command and sea are tough task masters. But<br />
like Sidhu says “the best only survives the toughest call<br />
<strong>of</strong> duty” Yes, everyday <strong>in</strong> Command is a challenge.<br />
But I pray to GOD that the ‘P’ branch be k<strong>in</strong>d enough<br />
once aga<strong>in</strong> on me, so as to miss the name <strong>of</strong> my reliever<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the next PCT because, I have started enjoy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g the red pen.<br />
manavritu2003@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong><br />
Cdr Manav Handa
It was the year 1992 and we were fast approach<strong>in</strong>g our<br />
twenty-fifth wedd<strong>in</strong>g anniversary - fall<strong>in</strong>g on 4th May. I<br />
had been bra<strong>in</strong>wash<strong>in</strong>g my husband a couple <strong>of</strong> months<br />
<strong>in</strong> advance to buy me a diamond r<strong>in</strong>g, which would be my<br />
first piece <strong>of</strong> diamond jewellery. He said he could spare<br />
five thousand Rupees. On 29th April, on return<strong>in</strong>g from<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice, my husband took me to a jewellery shop (KK<br />
Jewellers) <strong>in</strong> South Extension. We selected a small<br />
diamond r<strong>in</strong>g that cost four thousand five hundred<br />
Rupees.The shop owner suggested that my husband<br />
should also buy one because it was a jo<strong>in</strong>t celebration.<br />
My husband immediately responded that a service <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
could not afford such luxury. The shop owner suggested<br />
that we could ‘buy now and pay later’. S<strong>in</strong>ce my husband<br />
was <strong>in</strong> uniform, the owner somehow felt reassured <strong>of</strong> the<br />
payment. When we had f<strong>in</strong>ished select<strong>in</strong>g a r<strong>in</strong>g for my<br />
husband, the bill amounted to twelve thousand five<br />
hundred Rupees! We paid the five thousand Rupees that<br />
we had, and promised to pay the balance <strong>in</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
months.<br />
As we were driv<strong>in</strong>g to our home <strong>in</strong> Alaknanda, I told my<br />
husband to go via Nirulas <strong>in</strong> Defence Colony, so that I<br />
could buy a cake for him, because 29th April happened to<br />
be my husband’s birthday. While gett<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong> the car <strong>in</strong><br />
front <strong>of</strong> Nirulas I completely forgot about the pouch<br />
hold<strong>in</strong>g the two r<strong>in</strong>gs kept <strong>in</strong> my lap. I remembered it<br />
while at the bakery and rushed to the car pray<strong>in</strong>g that the<br />
pouch would be ly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the car. It was not there! I do not<br />
have to expla<strong>in</strong> how miserable I felt! Friends told my<br />
husband that no useful purpose would be served <strong>in</strong><br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g a police compla<strong>in</strong>t. KK Jewellers too were <strong>of</strong> the<br />
same op<strong>in</strong>ion; their view was based on personal<br />
experience. My colleagues from Don Bosco School<br />
consoled me <strong>in</strong> their own ways. One said that diamond<br />
jewellery should be bought after consult<strong>in</strong>g an astrologer<br />
who will <strong>of</strong>fer appropriate advice based on the buyer’s<br />
birth sign/horoscope etc. The wrong selection could br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
123<br />
“Aisa Bhi Hota Hai”<br />
Mrs Grace George<br />
bad luck and ill health! Another friend said that perhaps a<br />
major tragedy had been averted through the loss <strong>of</strong> the<br />
diamond r<strong>in</strong>gs, so not to worry. And yet another friend<br />
who is god-fear<strong>in</strong>g and not superstitious told me that I<br />
may get it back and to pray for the same, because there<br />
is noth<strong>in</strong>g impossible for the Almighty.<br />
Two days after the <strong>in</strong>cident, on the 1st <strong>of</strong> May, a lady rang<br />
me up at home and enquired if I had lost two diamond<br />
r<strong>in</strong>gs. I said yes. Then she narrated how she had traced<br />
me. She said that she was the wife <strong>of</strong> ACP Baxi from the<br />
Delhi Police liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Lodhi colony. On 29th April, her<br />
servant boy along with another servant boy <strong>of</strong> a<br />
bureaucrat liv<strong>in</strong>g close by had gone to buy liquor at the<br />
outlet next to Nirulas when they found the pouch ly<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
the road. The next day the servant boys had an argument<br />
over shar<strong>in</strong>g the r<strong>in</strong>gs. Mrs Baxi came to know about it<br />
and <strong>in</strong>tervened. She made her servant boy file an FIR at<br />
the Lodhi colony Police Station and the police took<br />
custody <strong>of</strong> the pouch. Mrs Baxi had noticed the stamp <strong>of</strong><br />
KK Jewellers on the pouch. She then located the<br />
jewellers’ telephone number from the directory. She got<br />
our telephone number from KK Jewellers. I was advised<br />
to visit the police station to claim the pouch. We visited<br />
the police station and filed an FIR. The Sub Inspector<br />
advised the SHO about the formalities to be completed<br />
prior to hand<strong>in</strong>g over the r<strong>in</strong>gs. The SHO realized the<br />
status and creditworth<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>of</strong> my husband from the<br />
uniform he was wear<strong>in</strong>g. He was magnanimous to<br />
overrule the formalities, handed over the r<strong>in</strong>gs and saw<br />
us <strong>of</strong>f with a salute. All thanks to the Navy uniform!<br />
On 4th May, we celebrated our 25th wedd<strong>in</strong>g<br />
anniversary with added gusto and revelry <strong>in</strong> the<br />
company <strong>of</strong> my colleagues from Don Bosco and my<br />
husband’s friends from his Directorate. My pr<strong>in</strong>cipal<br />
Father Paul blessed the r<strong>in</strong>gs before we exchanged<br />
them. We visited the ACP and thanked his wife
pr<strong>of</strong>usely for the trouble she had taken <strong>in</strong> locat<strong>in</strong>g us.<br />
We compensated the servant boy adequately. The ACP<br />
and his wife jo<strong>in</strong>ed us for our wedd<strong>in</strong>g anniversary<br />
As we sat ensconced <strong>in</strong> our chairs, the music <strong>of</strong> Mozart’s<br />
“E<strong>in</strong>e Kle<strong>in</strong>e Nachtmusik” wafted out from the stage where<br />
the young men <strong>in</strong> their smart black and gold uniforms<br />
played on their polished and sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>struments. Yes, it<br />
was the Naval Sympho<strong>nic</strong> Orchestra. An <strong>in</strong>vitation to it is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the cont<strong>in</strong>uous perks we enjoy as members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
naval fraternity. It was an hour and half <strong>of</strong> sheer joy. The<br />
<strong>in</strong>troduction and commentary by Komal GB S<strong>in</strong>gh, an Air<br />
Force <strong>of</strong>ficer’s daughter herself displayed not just<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism but also the warmth that came <strong>of</strong> her bond<br />
with the armed forces.<br />
The Naval Central <strong>Band</strong>, the premier band <strong>of</strong> the Indian<br />
Navy was commissioned <strong>in</strong> 1945 with a strength <strong>of</strong> 50<br />
musicians. Today it has grown to a 125 piece sympho<strong>nic</strong><br />
orchestra. The naval musicians have spread harmony all<br />
over the country and around the globe, dur<strong>in</strong>g overseas<br />
deployment <strong>of</strong> the naval ships. They have done us proud<br />
at prestigious <strong>in</strong>ternational events, at the same time they<br />
have regaled us at many functions, form<strong>in</strong>g a melodious<br />
backdrop to various gather<strong>in</strong>gs. The vastness <strong>of</strong> their<br />
repertoire is amaz<strong>in</strong>g. Besides the <strong>in</strong>vigorat<strong>in</strong>g marches<br />
and the martial music, there are arrangements <strong>of</strong><br />
symphonies, overtures, solos, duets and other forms <strong>of</strong><br />
music, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Indian classical and Western pop music.<br />
Last year we saw the latest addition to the ensemble- the<br />
santoor and we heard the compositions based on the<br />
musicians, improvisation on H<strong>in</strong>dustani classical and<br />
Carnatic ragas. The “Raag Fusion” Maha Ganapati <strong>in</strong> Nala’<br />
was especially awesome. The perky xylophone duet, the<br />
vocal “Liv<strong>in</strong>g next door to Alice”, the sax solo “Havana”<br />
piled delight on delight. This year we had pure raag titled<br />
124<br />
celebration. God is great and the Navy too!<br />
george.co@dataone.<strong>in</strong><br />
Navy’s Musical Avatar<br />
Raag Kodana Kuthoonalam and raag fusion titled Glory <strong>of</strong><br />
Kunjali Marakkar. The English vocal this year was “one<br />
more day”. Specially delightful was the medley <strong>of</strong> old H<strong>in</strong>di<br />
film tunes which took us on a trip down memory lane, as<br />
did the Big <strong>Band</strong> composition Footsteps, with its rock n’ roll<br />
tunes. The sax solo GBop was a refresh<strong>in</strong>g new item too.<br />
Both the years the <strong>Band</strong> has been perform<strong>in</strong>g under the<br />
baton <strong>of</strong> Lt Cdr Satish Champion, son <strong>of</strong> an old friend<br />
Commodore T M J Champion (Retd), himself an avid<br />
musician. Satish has formally learnt and passed Piano<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ations under the aegis <strong>of</strong> the Royal College <strong>of</strong><br />
Music, London. At an early age he performed at the Teen<br />
Murti Auditorium dur<strong>in</strong>g the Bicentenary celebrations <strong>of</strong> the<br />
famous Austrian composer Mozart. He is also formally<br />
tra<strong>in</strong>ed on the trumpet and pr<strong>of</strong>icient <strong>in</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> other<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments. He was commissioned <strong>in</strong>to the Musician<br />
cadre <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy <strong>in</strong> 2001, becom<strong>in</strong>g, as his father<br />
remarked, “one <strong>of</strong> those lucky ones whose passion has<br />
become his job”. This year Satish had the dist<strong>in</strong>ction <strong>of</strong><br />
conduct<strong>in</strong>g the Beat<strong>in</strong>g Retreat-the annual performance <strong>of</strong><br />
the military bands <strong>of</strong> the three armed forces.<br />
The concert always ends with the patriotic “Desh<br />
Rakshak”, accompanied by visuals <strong>of</strong> our armed forces - a<br />
morale booster to be sure, because after all isn’t that the<br />
“raison d’être” <strong>of</strong> all military bands? To lift the spirits, soothe<br />
the m<strong>in</strong>d and body frayed by the dangers and the exertions<br />
<strong>of</strong> a war. So as we left the auditorium, ready to take on the<br />
snarl <strong>of</strong> the Delhi traffic, “the music <strong>in</strong> (our) hearts we bore<br />
long after it was heard no more”.<br />
sengupta1668@gmail.com<br />
Mrs Jhilmil Sengupta
It was my second sea voyage with my husband. It<br />
commenced from Mumbai and reached Wilm<strong>in</strong>gton<br />
capital seaport <strong>of</strong> North Carol<strong>in</strong>a, USA touch<strong>in</strong>g Suez,<br />
Port Said, Malta, Algiers and Antwerp enroute. The sea<br />
became rough as we crossed English Channel and<br />
headed straight towards North Carol<strong>in</strong>a. Before<br />
disembark<strong>in</strong>g the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese look<strong>in</strong>g pilot with slit eyes<br />
cautioned us aga<strong>in</strong>st likelihood <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>creased stormy<br />
weather with w<strong>in</strong>d force eight <strong>in</strong> mid Atlantic. Luckily our<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> P.C. Batra hav<strong>in</strong>g been <strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>in</strong> charge <strong>of</strong><br />
navigational charts <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> Indian Navy was an<br />
experienced navigator and managed th<strong>in</strong>gs well by<br />
rerout<strong>in</strong>g our ship.<br />
Mrs. Savitri Batra, Capta<strong>in</strong>’s wife jo<strong>in</strong>ed me <strong>in</strong><br />
perform<strong>in</strong>g pooja with break<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a coconut and pray<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to lord Varuna while our ship tossed like a leaf amidst<br />
cruel sea waves. On sixth day, fury subsided and sight<br />
<strong>of</strong> sea gulls brought immense relief to all on board.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g our two months stay at Wilm<strong>in</strong>gton, we had an<br />
American family as good friends. We had met them<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g a Rotary meet there. Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cooper<br />
exchanged visits and d<strong>in</strong>ners with us several times. He<br />
had earlier served <strong>in</strong> the USA embassy <strong>in</strong> New Delhi for<br />
three years, relished Indian cuis<strong>in</strong>e and admired Indian<br />
culture. Mrs. Cooper was a widely read and travelled<br />
lady.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g the farewell d<strong>in</strong>ner, we presented them on board<br />
their yacht a brass replica <strong>of</strong> dance deity Natraj. They<br />
also owned a cosmetics showroom located close to their<br />
spacious seaside bunglow close to the harbour. In<br />
return, Mrs Cooper presented me a set <strong>of</strong> ladies wig <strong>of</strong><br />
match<strong>in</strong>g colour and size. To ensure suitability <strong>of</strong> size<br />
she deftly adjusted the same on my head mak<strong>in</strong>g it a<br />
perfect fit. Mrs. Cooper had served <strong>in</strong> a cosmetics<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitute <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational repute for three years when <strong>in</strong><br />
New Delhi. She <strong>in</strong>sisted that I keep the wig on while<br />
Gift <strong>of</strong> a Match<strong>in</strong>g Wig<br />
125<br />
Mrs Veryam Kaur Trewn<br />
return<strong>in</strong>g to my ship. I hesitated but on her <strong>in</strong>sistence I<br />
agreed. No doubt now I looked different and certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
several years younger. I headed for my ship which was<br />
about two kilometers away along the jetty.<br />
It was about 11’o clock <strong>in</strong> the night with a clear sky. As<br />
we alighted from car, we saw the ship’s agent engaged<br />
<strong>in</strong> an animated discussion with the Capta<strong>in</strong> near the<br />
jetty. The Capta<strong>in</strong> asked my husband to jo<strong>in</strong> the<br />
discussions while keep<strong>in</strong>g me free to board the ship.<br />
The Capta<strong>in</strong> was about 30 meters away from us and<br />
was too busy to come near and greet me. I was not at<br />
all conscious about the change <strong>in</strong> my appearance and<br />
climbed up the ships gangway. The ship’s sentry on<br />
duty, surprised and a bit confused, stopped me and<br />
enquired about my identity. At that time there was no<br />
one else near the gangway while the argument was<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g on. Just then the ship’s Capta<strong>in</strong> and my husband<br />
also jo<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> near the gangway. The Capta<strong>in</strong> was<br />
confused to see a young lady try<strong>in</strong>g to board his ship<br />
while argu<strong>in</strong>g with ship’s sentry on duty. By now all had<br />
closed <strong>in</strong> and the Capta<strong>in</strong> asked to <strong>in</strong>troduce me to him.<br />
He was immensely amused and relieved to learn that<br />
the young lady fac<strong>in</strong>g him was no one else but his Chief<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer’s wife whom he had known so well. It was<br />
decided to have a photograph taken <strong>of</strong> all those present<br />
on the scene at that occasion.<br />
The Capta<strong>in</strong> and my husband suggested me to cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g the wig dur<strong>in</strong>g the rest <strong>of</strong> the voyage. Later too,<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g random parties I cont<strong>in</strong>ued to use the wig and<br />
this helped me to spr<strong>in</strong>g more surprises! I feel gratified<br />
to mention that Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cooper aga<strong>in</strong> toured<br />
India with their children. A few years later they visited<br />
Tirupati and the Taj. I accompanied them dur<strong>in</strong>g this visit<br />
while they made sure that I used the wig throughout.<br />
2445, Phase-10, Mohali. Tel: 0172 2233445
Follow<strong>in</strong>g the recommendations <strong>of</strong> the Sixth Pay<br />
Commission and the Government’s decisions thereon,<br />
there are still many issues regard<strong>in</strong>g pensions <strong>of</strong> pre 1 Jan<br />
2006 retirees, which rema<strong>in</strong> to be resolved. For <strong>in</strong>stance,<br />
the long stand<strong>in</strong>g demand for ‘One rank, one pension’ is<br />
uppermost on our agenda. These issues are be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
followed up by the services headquarters and exservicemen<br />
organisations and hopefully, will be resolved<br />
one by one! In this article I wish to focus on ‘family pension.’<br />
Notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g several anomalies and deficiencies, there<br />
have been improvements <strong>in</strong> the system as well as the<br />
entitlements <strong>of</strong> pensions which have brought much relief<br />
and satisfaction. If we were to do a comparative evaluation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the improvements that have been <strong>in</strong>stituted by the Fifth<br />
and Sixth Pay Commissions, Family Pension certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
comes high on the scale.<br />
Senior veterans will recall that till implementation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Fifth Pay Commission recommendations, the amounts <strong>of</strong><br />
family pensions for both <strong>of</strong>ficers’ and sailors’ widows were<br />
abysmally low. After many representations it was <strong>in</strong> the<br />
1980s that the Government appo<strong>in</strong>ted a ‘high level<br />
committee’ chaired by the then RRM, Mr KP S<strong>in</strong>gh Deo.<br />
On recommendation by this committee, it was decided that<br />
no pension should be less than Rs 375 per month. Most<br />
family pensioners were covered by that ‘enhancement’ and<br />
were draw<strong>in</strong>g that amount albeit with DA when the Fifth<br />
Pay Commission was constituted.<br />
The big change came after the Fifth Pay Commission<br />
recommendations were accepted. Entitlement <strong>of</strong> family<br />
pension was fixed at 30% <strong>of</strong> the m<strong>in</strong>imum basic pay <strong>of</strong> the<br />
rank or 60% <strong>of</strong> the pension admissible to the <strong>of</strong>ficer/sailor.<br />
Further, there is no reduction on account <strong>of</strong> any shortfall <strong>in</strong><br />
the length <strong>of</strong> service or period served <strong>in</strong> the rank. This<br />
came as a welcome relief <strong>in</strong> the lives <strong>of</strong> widows and gave<br />
them a life <strong>of</strong> dignity <strong>in</strong> their old age. Many found it hard to<br />
126<br />
Family Pension<br />
V Adm AC Bhatia (Retd)<br />
believe that they would draw so much higher pension. It<br />
was <strong>in</strong> 1998, Mrs Soman, when <strong>in</strong>formed that her pension<br />
had been enhanced to Rs 9000 pm is said to have<br />
remarked “Really, I have managed <strong>in</strong> so little all these<br />
years. It is such a relief.........”<br />
Certa<strong>in</strong>ly, many <strong>in</strong>puts must have contributed to this<br />
development. Services Headquarters and Civil Services<br />
had been project<strong>in</strong>g family pension as a priority area.<br />
Independent <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficial projections to the Pay<br />
Commission, the detailed and protracted discussions and<br />
negotiations at various levels, however, I attended a<br />
meet<strong>in</strong>g which significantly <strong>in</strong>fluenced the op<strong>in</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Fifth Pay Commission.<br />
I knew Mr Justice SR Pandian socially when he was<br />
serv<strong>in</strong>g as a judge <strong>in</strong> the Supreme Court. He had been<br />
<strong>in</strong>formed about his forthcom<strong>in</strong>g appo<strong>in</strong>tment as the<br />
Chairman <strong>of</strong> the fifth Pay Commission, when we met at a<br />
friend’s place <strong>in</strong> early 94. When he learned that I had<br />
retired, he asked me to help him <strong>in</strong> his new job <strong>in</strong>formally.<br />
He said he did not know much about the armed forces and<br />
wanted to learn about the men <strong>in</strong> uniform. I welcomed this<br />
suggestion and saw it as a useful <strong>in</strong>formal channel to<br />
project the services’ po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> view direct to the Chairman.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g one <strong>of</strong> our meet<strong>in</strong>gs, the Chairman’s Private<br />
Secretary <strong>in</strong>formed that senior representatives/<br />
spokesmen <strong>of</strong> JCMs <strong>of</strong> fourteen major sectors <strong>of</strong> central<br />
Govt. employees had come to present a jo<strong>in</strong>t<br />
memorandum to the Chairman for his personal<br />
consideration. Justice Pandian requested me to assist him<br />
<strong>in</strong> this unscheduled meet<strong>in</strong>g and asked his PS to usher <strong>in</strong><br />
the representatives. Once seated, each one <strong>in</strong>troduced<br />
himself and emphasized the (large) number <strong>of</strong> employees<br />
that he represented. For <strong>in</strong>stance, “Sir, I am A, the staff side<br />
rep <strong>of</strong> the All India Railway Men’s Federation with a<br />
membership <strong>of</strong> 15 lakhs”; “Sir, I am B, the staff side rep <strong>of</strong>
All India Defence Workers Federation with a membership<br />
<strong>of</strong> 5 lakhs”; and so on with reps <strong>of</strong> Telecom, Health and<br />
CPWD etc. Then the memorandum was ceremoniously<br />
handed over to the Chairman.<br />
Hold<strong>in</strong>g the bulky document, Justice Pandian said that<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g a judge, he will go through it word by word before<br />
form<strong>in</strong>g an op<strong>in</strong>ion but asked them to highlight some<br />
salient issues which he should keep <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
Spontaneously, the one <strong>of</strong> the reps said, “Your honour,<br />
please look <strong>in</strong>to the plight <strong>of</strong> the widows. There have been<br />
several reviews <strong>of</strong> pay and pensions <strong>in</strong> the past but<br />
widows’ pensions have been neglected. As a result, they<br />
rema<strong>in</strong> dependent on their children and have a hard time<br />
<strong>in</strong> the even<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> their life. Sir, the widows have no<br />
collective power <strong>of</strong> representation and have to suffer <strong>in</strong><br />
silence”. May we urge you to take it up personally and if<br />
you can improve their lot, every other issue will take care <strong>of</strong><br />
itself.”<br />
Tell me all, what u have done….?<br />
‘tis been quite a while s<strong>in</strong>ce u’ve been gone.<br />
Asketh my spouse, darl<strong>in</strong>g how have u been?<br />
How many pirates, hath thou seen?<br />
Fumbl<strong>in</strong>g with words, i ponder, shall i prattle the fact,<br />
Lo behold am wary about the <strong>of</strong>ficial secrets act.<br />
Alas, every email reply goes similar, dreary and ak<strong>in</strong>,<br />
“all ok, miss you and love you <strong>in</strong> a million”.<br />
Midst <strong>of</strong> the “arabian sea, with all élan and refulgence,<br />
The tenacious torrent asseverates its resolve and ebullience.<br />
Determ<strong>in</strong>ed to its task, proclaims foxtrot thirty n<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Will establish its presence, proudly showcas<strong>in</strong>g our ensign!<br />
M<strong>in</strong>ds quandary, thoughts surmis<strong>in</strong>g our return<br />
Dest<strong>in</strong>y impasse, yet our screws ad <strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong>itum churn.<br />
Stalwartly shepherd<strong>in</strong>g merchant ships <strong>in</strong> station<br />
Regular otrs palliate our privation.<br />
127<br />
Justice Pandian was moved and asked me if the widows <strong>of</strong><br />
men <strong>in</strong> uniform were fac<strong>in</strong>g similar hardship. I could only<br />
confirm, mention<strong>in</strong>g the paltry figures <strong>of</strong> family pension <strong>of</strong><br />
many cases that I could remember <strong>of</strong>f-hand. Justice<br />
Pandian stated that the situation was not that bad <strong>in</strong> the<br />
case <strong>of</strong> judicial services and then addressed the reps, “I<br />
accept that this is an issue <strong>of</strong> high priority but why do you<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k it has not received due consideration for all these<br />
years?”<br />
Pat came the answer, “Sir, if you will forgive the<br />
impert<strong>in</strong>ence, it is obvious that none <strong>of</strong> your predecessors<br />
could visualize his own wife as a widow.”<br />
The reps then left visibly satisfied and Justice Pandian said<br />
to me, “Well, let me assure you, I shall take up this subject<br />
as best as I can with the Govt.”<br />
bhatia_ac36@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong><br />
GoA Here We Come<br />
Cdr Vikram Arab<br />
Patroll<strong>in</strong>g somewhere <strong>in</strong> the arabian sea,<br />
Safely polic<strong>in</strong>g ships from po<strong>in</strong>t a to b!<br />
Work, feast, slumber and the morn<strong>in</strong>g run<br />
Are th<strong>in</strong>gs we do, which is a lot <strong>of</strong> fun!<br />
Never does our mettle and fortitude become saturn<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Salubrious and scrumptious meals keeps us fit and f<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Await<strong>in</strong>g the advent <strong>of</strong> harb<strong>in</strong>ger so eagerly,<br />
Betwa amasses accolades for the sword arm <strong>of</strong> the navy.<br />
‘tis our onerous task, which we proudly serve,<br />
Charged and armed with josh, spirit and verve.<br />
Worry not dearie, ‘cos safely shall returneth thy,<br />
Make you proud and keep our flag always fly<strong>in</strong>g high.<br />
vikramarab@hotmail.com
Cop<strong>in</strong>g with ‘Zh’ <strong>in</strong> God’s Own Country<br />
The establishment <strong>of</strong> a Naval Academy at Ezhimala<br />
<strong>in</strong> Kerala seems to have k<strong>in</strong>dled a fire, or rather, set<br />
ablaze a long-smoulder<strong>in</strong>g issue.<br />
For years, naval <strong>of</strong>ficers have<br />
battled with this terrible<br />
weapon that Malayalis<br />
and Tamilians have<br />
unleashed aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
the North Indian.<br />
This consists <strong>of</strong><br />
the consonant -<br />
u s u a l l y<br />
represented <strong>in</strong><br />
English by the<br />
letters ‘Zh’ -<br />
<strong>in</strong>serted <strong>in</strong> words<br />
and place-names<br />
by Keralaites,<br />
as <strong>in</strong> Allapuzha,<br />
Kozhikode and,<br />
for that matter,<br />
Ezhimala. As<br />
for Tamilians,<br />
they haven’t<br />
stopped at<br />
towns and<br />
villages. They<br />
have gone the whole<br />
hog. Their State, truth be told, is not<br />
Tamil Nadu, it is Tamizh Nadu.<br />
The Navy has somehow managed to live so far with<br />
atrocious pronunciations <strong>of</strong> Indian Naval Ship<br />
Kozhikode - like Cosy-Code and Kojhikode. Not too<br />
many guys noticed or bothered. After all it was only<br />
a lowly M<strong>in</strong>esweeper we were referr<strong>in</strong>g to. But with<br />
Ezhimala be<strong>in</strong>g raised as a cradle for future<br />
128<br />
Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan<br />
generations <strong>of</strong> Naval Officers, the sooner we get to<br />
grips with this problem, the better it would be. Th<strong>in</strong>k<br />
<strong>of</strong> all those who would have<br />
to give pep talks and<br />
pass<strong>in</strong>g-out parade<br />
speeches!<br />
Many ruses have been<br />
tried out to cope with<br />
this problem. Some<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers have<br />
completely avoided<br />
pass<strong>in</strong>g through<br />
towns with names like<br />
Moovattupuzha and<br />
Ambalapuzha, dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
their tenures at Kochi,<br />
to save themselves the<br />
torment. They stuck to<br />
places like Munnar.<br />
The British, though,<br />
were smart.<br />
When they got to<br />
Allapuzha, they<br />
dealt with this<br />
gordian knot on<br />
their tongues with<br />
m a c e d o n i a n<br />
decisiveness.<br />
“…… Alla-prhrr-what? In the name <strong>of</strong> the K<strong>in</strong>g-<br />
Emperor, we hereby replace those monstrous<br />
syllables by the letter ‘P’, and rename the place<br />
Alleppey !”<br />
But then, they could get away with such imperial<br />
brashness. They had political authority.
Kozhikode got sorted out fairly early <strong>in</strong> history.<br />
Somewhere down the l<strong>in</strong>e an overseas explorer like<br />
Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta, or Afanasy Nikit<strong>in</strong> just<br />
dubbed it Calicut!<br />
However, once India became Independent, such<br />
alien <strong>in</strong>fluences and legacies <strong>of</strong> colonialism had to<br />
be thrown-out forthwith. Malayalees proudly restored<br />
the names Allapuzha and Kozhikode, and to add<br />
<strong>in</strong>sult to <strong>in</strong>jury, they labelled the entire place ‘God’s<br />
Own Country’!<br />
Tamilians, notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g their known positions on<br />
H<strong>in</strong>di, took a milder l<strong>in</strong>e. Dialectal diversities with<strong>in</strong><br />
Madras State allowed them to dilute the ‘Zh’ to ‘L’.<br />
‘Tamil Nadu’ will do <strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> ‘Tamizh Nadu’. Even<br />
the dreaded LTTE had to give up their battle cry for<br />
Eezham, and settle for Eelam <strong>in</strong>stead.<br />
To be fair, there are naval <strong>of</strong>ficers from the rest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
sub-cont<strong>in</strong>ent who have tried to cope bravely by<br />
twist<strong>in</strong>g their tongues first this way, then fold<strong>in</strong>g it the<br />
other way furl<strong>in</strong>g it and unfurl<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>in</strong> smooth<br />
sequence, but it simply won’t come right. F<strong>in</strong>ally<br />
most <strong>of</strong>ficers settle on terrible variations rang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from Easy-mala to Ejheemala. The smarter ones bypass<br />
the problem completely by call<strong>in</strong>g it INA or<br />
Zamor<strong>in</strong>.<br />
It is difficult to understand why this has become such<br />
a vexed problem. The solution has been there on<br />
your tongues all the while! Most <strong>of</strong>ficers, especially<br />
those who are familiar with or pr<strong>of</strong>ess American<br />
English actually use this sound every day. Let me<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Englishmen (or non-rhotic english speakers) allow<br />
the letter ‘r’ to vanish altogether, especially when<br />
found at the end <strong>of</strong> a word or syllable,- as <strong>in</strong><br />
‘father’ and ‘mother’ - or if you are familiar with<br />
the International Phonetic Alphabet - ‘fa:ðə and<br />
‘mʌðə.<br />
129<br />
The Americans decided to put the Brits <strong>in</strong> their<br />
places, and figured out a way to fondle their ‘R’s<br />
‘lov<strong>in</strong>gly, to give it that velvety texture that is<br />
represented <strong>in</strong> the International Phonetic Alphabet<br />
by the symbol ɻ, called the retr<strong>of</strong>lex approximant. Try<br />
and pronounce the follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the manner <strong>of</strong><br />
George Bush or Steve Mart<strong>in</strong>:-<br />
Row, row, row y’r boat gently down the stream,<br />
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.<br />
This is exactly the sound that Malayalis and<br />
Tamilians <strong>in</strong>vented centuries before them! (A fit case<br />
for an International IPR conflict!)<br />
Even H<strong>in</strong>di speakers have unconsciously affected<br />
this sound for years - just try s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g “…… Magar ai<br />
haseen….” exactly the way Shailender sang it <strong>in</strong><br />
‘Bobby’. It is available on Youtube.<br />
So don’t lose heart! Just stand <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> the mirror<br />
every morn<strong>in</strong>g and practice “Thodupuzha’,<br />
‘Vizh<strong>in</strong>jam’ and ‘Vazhai pazham’ (banana or planta<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong> Tamil) five times a day and you will be on your<br />
way to eradicat<strong>in</strong>g this threat to national unity once<br />
for all. Seamanship is, after all, about master<strong>in</strong>g<br />
knots, bends and hitches - <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g those on your<br />
tongue!<br />
And <strong>in</strong> the worst case, just remember, if you<br />
pronounce the ‘zh’ like <strong>in</strong> ‘Doctor Zhivago’, or like the<br />
letter ‘s’ <strong>in</strong> ‘Pleasure’, you will be almost there, or as<br />
Jawaharlal Nehru would have put it - not <strong>in</strong> full<br />
measure, but substantially so.<br />
Now you can walk about Moovattupuzha with your<br />
head held high. After this, Ezhimala ought to be a<br />
push over!<br />
gm_navy@yahoo.com
Stepp<strong>in</strong>g on board the Mysore as a Cadet, it was not<br />
long before I realized that the Navy had a language <strong>of</strong><br />
its own, with one <strong>of</strong> it dialects be<strong>in</strong>g Three Letter<br />
Initialisms (TLIs). It was actually possible to conduct<br />
an <strong>in</strong>telligible conversation with just TLIs, even though<br />
mar<strong>in</strong>ers are known to use four letter words with great<br />
alacrity.<br />
To beg<strong>in</strong> with was the CTC (Cadets’ Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Cruiser),<br />
and the person who gruffly welcomed me on the<br />
gangway was the OOD (Officer <strong>of</strong> the Day). Very soon<br />
the CDO (Cadets’ Divisional Officer) had read out the<br />
Riot Act to what he considered the lowest form <strong>of</strong><br />
mar<strong>in</strong>e life, and the DPO (Divisional Petty Officer)<br />
wasted no time <strong>in</strong> stress<strong>in</strong>g his own importance <strong>in</strong> our<br />
mov<strong>in</strong>g up the evolutionary ladder.<br />
There was such a confus<strong>in</strong>g cornucopia <strong>of</strong> TLIs <strong>in</strong><br />
appo<strong>in</strong>tments and rat<strong>in</strong>gs - EXO, SEO, DLO, ASO,<br />
AEO, SCO, EWO, ALO, EMR, PRI, CBM, EAP, RPO,<br />
and ERA to name a few. Also perplex<strong>in</strong>g was a myriad<br />
<strong>of</strong> strange sound<strong>in</strong>g compartments on board - ASP,<br />
ECP, GDP, GDR, ADR, AER, MCR, EMR, TCR, ABR,<br />
FBR, PCR, MCO, etc. I will not labour to expand these<br />
TLIs so as to save key strokes as also to lessen the<br />
agony <strong>of</strong> the un<strong>in</strong>itiated try<strong>in</strong>g to navigate through this<br />
article.<br />
My head swimm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the sea <strong>of</strong> TLIs, I was conv<strong>in</strong>ced<br />
that Scotty had beamed me onto a different planet, and<br />
it was several weeks before they actually started to<br />
make sense. Once I had got my sea legs, I wondered<br />
why anyone would ever want to refer to these TLIs <strong>in</strong><br />
any other manner! Shakespeare’s discourse on a rose<br />
smell<strong>in</strong>g just as sweet by any other name certa<strong>in</strong>ly did<br />
not apply to TLIs! After all, a brief announcement on<br />
the Ma<strong>in</strong> Broadcast: “SEO - ASP” was not just a<br />
complete sentence <strong>in</strong> itself, but a whole paragraph. It<br />
130<br />
TLIs Ahoy!<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Sunil David (Retd)<br />
not only meant that the Senior Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Officer must<br />
rush to the Aft Steer<strong>in</strong>g Position, but also implied that<br />
the tech<strong>nic</strong>al problem <strong>in</strong> the ASP could not be<br />
managed by the team work<strong>in</strong>g there, and they needed<br />
the senior’s expertise.<br />
Go<strong>in</strong>g out to sea was aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the company <strong>of</strong> TLIs -<br />
FXP (Fleet Exercise Programme), RAS<br />
(Replenishment at Sea), TFX (Torpedo Fir<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Exercise), NEX (Night Encounter Exercise), SAR<br />
(Search and Rescue), FPM (Force Protection<br />
Measures), ADX (Air Defence Exercise), AMD (Anti<br />
Missile Defence), WDZ (Weapon Danger Zone), OOW<br />
(Officer <strong>of</strong> the Watch), DLP (Deck Land<strong>in</strong>g Practice),<br />
CQM (Chief Quarter Master), COT (Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Turret), PNM (Pipe Noise Maker) and a host <strong>of</strong> others.<br />
While it is well known that names <strong>of</strong> warships are<br />
prefixed with INS (Indian Naval Ship), for tactical<br />
expediency their names too are compressed <strong>in</strong>to<br />
threes - VBT (Vibhuti), KHK (Khukri), TSL (Trishul),<br />
MYS (Mysore), SHL (Shalki) and so on. Even the<br />
pennant numbers <strong>of</strong> ships and submar<strong>in</strong>es come <strong>in</strong> an<br />
alphanumeric <strong>of</strong> three - D60, F20, K45, P49, R22, S22<br />
etc. Mighty weapons on board ships, submar<strong>in</strong>es and<br />
aircraft too fall <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e - missiles are categorised as<br />
SSM, SAM & ASM, electric torpedoes as SET, and<br />
anti-submar<strong>in</strong>e rockets as RBU. Gun nomenclatures<br />
take on a different hew, with numbers replac<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
three letters, and be<strong>in</strong>g referred to as 230, 630, 190,<br />
726, 176 etc.<br />
The TLI always welcomed is RPC (Request the<br />
Pleasure <strong>of</strong> your Company), which means that the<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>ator <strong>of</strong> the message would be host<strong>in</strong>g you <strong>in</strong> true<br />
naval fashion. Acceptance is signalled as WMP (With<br />
Much Pleasure), and <strong>in</strong>ability to attend as MRU (Much<br />
Regret Unable). After hav<strong>in</strong>g partaken <strong>of</strong> decent w<strong>in</strong>e
and cuis<strong>in</strong>e, it is customary to send the host a VMT<br />
(Very Many Thanks). In fact, the use <strong>of</strong> VMT extends<br />
widely to every situation imag<strong>in</strong>able. It <strong>of</strong>ten saved me<br />
the need to muster up eloquence <strong>of</strong> speech and<br />
brilliance <strong>of</strong> metaphor to give appropriate thanks.<br />
In command <strong>of</strong> ships, I sought calls on senior<br />
commanders with the traditional RTC (Request Time<br />
Convenient) signal. The senior signalled back WDS<br />
(Would be Delighted to See) suffixed with a DTG (Date<br />
Time Group). Always dreaded was the UCM (You See<br />
Me) signal from the Admiral <strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g that you had<br />
<strong>in</strong>curred his displeasure for no m<strong>in</strong>or misdemeanour.<br />
Such is the Navy’s penchant for TLIs that there is an<br />
NO’S’ (Navy Order ‘Signal’) catalogu<strong>in</strong>g hundreds <strong>of</strong><br />
TLIs to cover almost every conceivable scenario that<br />
one may come across.<br />
The Navy would not be the same without PLD (Pre<br />
Lunch Dr<strong>in</strong>ks). Most will agree that this practice,<br />
though dy<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> significance, has cemented the bonds<br />
<strong>of</strong> camaraderie <strong>in</strong> many a wardroom. I remember an<br />
electrical <strong>of</strong>ficer under tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g my ship as we<br />
were gett<strong>in</strong>g ready for a PMF (Practice Missile Fir<strong>in</strong>g).<br />
When quizzed about PLD, he could only reply, “Pre<br />
Launch Drills”. It was only after a copious amount <strong>of</strong><br />
the golden liquid had made passage southwards<br />
through his gullet that his education <strong>in</strong> this regard was<br />
complete.<br />
In wardrooms it is not uncommon to f<strong>in</strong>d TLIs on the<br />
bill <strong>of</strong> fare. Breakfast wouldn’t be the same without<br />
BBJ (Bread, Butter, and Jam). Neither would the<br />
decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g skills <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers rema<strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ely honed<br />
without the stewards tak<strong>in</strong>g their ETO (Eggs to Order).<br />
Then there is the ubiquitous PPK (Papad, Pickle, and<br />
Kuchumber) to spice up lunch. And f<strong>in</strong>ally, after a hard<br />
day’s work one can always restore the tissues with a<br />
W&S (Whisky and Soda) or a G&T (G<strong>in</strong> and To<strong>nic</strong>).<br />
As a young <strong>of</strong>ficer, I was fortunate to serve under a f<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> (later retired as Vice Admiral), who was well<br />
131<br />
known <strong>in</strong> the Navy for his gentlemanl<strong>in</strong>ess. He would<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten compliment a task accomplished with Very Nice,<br />
Excellent! It did not take very long for the JOM (Junior<br />
Officers’ Mess) to abbreviate it to VNE. Indeed, VNE<br />
even became the Capta<strong>in</strong>’s sobriquet, and I hope he is<br />
not read<strong>in</strong>g this!!! Otherwise, I’ll have to vanish OTH<br />
(Over the Horizon) whenever he sees me next!<br />
Even families are not spared when it comes to TLIs.<br />
One smart and dynamic lady known to be the<br />
repository <strong>of</strong> all the latest happen<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> the Navy was<br />
christened ZBC (Z Broadcast<strong>in</strong>g Corporation), where Z<br />
is the stand-<strong>in</strong> for her name, which I dare not divulge!<br />
A quarter century later she still carries the TLI<br />
affectionately. Then there is the breed <strong>of</strong> NOBs (Naval<br />
Officers’ Brats) who proudly take that TLI <strong>in</strong>to their<br />
adult lives.<br />
My friends <strong>in</strong>sist that I must plead guilty to co<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
EMK (Ek Masala Kam), a TLI <strong>of</strong>ten used to pull the<br />
hostess’ leg after what was otherwise a<br />
gastronomically delightful even<strong>in</strong>g. For those not<br />
<strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ed to take this attempt at humour sport<strong>in</strong>gly, I<br />
learnt to change it quickly to the more diplomatic<br />
Excellently Made Khana. Oftentimes, my <strong>in</strong>st<strong>in</strong>ct for<br />
self preservation would tell me to stick to the safer<br />
VMT, especially when I came close to be<strong>in</strong>g struck <strong>of</strong>f<br />
the honour’s list.<br />
When I decided to swallow the anchor, I thought that I<br />
was bidd<strong>in</strong>g adieu to the world <strong>of</strong> TLIs. The feel<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
short lived as I was handed over my PPO (Pension<br />
Payment Order) and <strong>in</strong>formed that I was now an ESM<br />
(Ex Service Man), which has now been rechristened to<br />
AFV (Armed Forces Veteran).<br />
The treatise on TLIs could go on, with the result<strong>in</strong>g tome<br />
sufficiently volum<strong>in</strong>ous to be a PHD (Doctor <strong>of</strong> Philosophy)<br />
thesis. However, I am constra<strong>in</strong>ed by the word limit<br />
imposed upon me by EQD (Editor Quarter Deck) - after all<br />
it was her extreme coax<strong>in</strong>g that galvanized me <strong>in</strong>to putt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ger to keyboard <strong>in</strong> the first place.
As long as there is salt water still flow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the ve<strong>in</strong>s,<br />
TLIs will rema<strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>tegral part <strong>of</strong> a naval <strong>of</strong>ficer’s<br />
lexicon as they break down many a commu<strong>nic</strong>ation<br />
barrier. One cannot escape TLIs no matter where you<br />
go - you start your commissioned service as a SLT<br />
(Sub Lieutenant) and when you reach the masthead<br />
you become CNS (Chief <strong>of</strong> the Naval Staff). The only<br />
ones uncomfortable with TLIs are those who delight<br />
Here are some reflections on marriage, culled from<br />
many years <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>stitution.<br />
Marriage is like a soup. You must put <strong>in</strong> the right<br />
<strong>in</strong>gredients to make it truly delicious. Too much pepper<br />
will br<strong>in</strong>g tears to your eyes. Just enough salt will make<br />
it tasty. Always serve it hot. For when it cools you may<br />
not be able to stomach it. Remember to keep stirr<strong>in</strong>g all<br />
the time.<br />
It is <strong>of</strong>ten compared to a game <strong>of</strong> cricket. The teams<br />
must be equally matched. However no prior practice is<br />
necessary or advised. Generally considered a<br />
gentleman’s game, it <strong>of</strong>ten degenerates <strong>in</strong>to violence<br />
and abuse. Beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g with two primary members, the<br />
teams expand to <strong>in</strong>clude friends, relatives and even<br />
acqua<strong>in</strong>tances. The umpire is usually related to the<br />
teams. All attacks on caste and class must be severely<br />
penalized. Take as many runs as you can. Don’t always<br />
expect to make sixes. Try not to get bowled out. If you<br />
do, rema<strong>in</strong> firmly on the pitch.<br />
Marriage has <strong>of</strong>ten been compared to a new gadget<br />
usually beyond one’s means. It br<strong>in</strong>gs much joy and<br />
excitement. Soon however it doesn’t work. It is<br />
advisable to read the <strong>in</strong>struction manual before use.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>d out from other users all aspects <strong>of</strong> the gadget.<br />
132<br />
<strong>in</strong> us<strong>in</strong>g eight syllable words, and hav<strong>in</strong>g lesser<br />
mortals scurry<strong>in</strong>g for an Oxford Dictionary. But if you<br />
are a TNO (Typical Naval Officer) like me and know<br />
that good th<strong>in</strong>gs always come <strong>in</strong> threes, it’s TLIs<br />
Ahoy!!!!<br />
sunil.edw<strong>in</strong>@gmail.com<br />
The land-locked Voyage<br />
Don’t attempt to use it dur<strong>in</strong>g a temper tantrum. Most<br />
gadgets are fragile.<br />
The marriage union can be compared to a book, <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
like a mystery thriller. New characters enter and depart.<br />
The plot thickens; you may have to consult a dictionary<br />
for the correct mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the words hurled.<br />
Give priority to the ma<strong>in</strong> characters. Watch out for the<br />
villa<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> the piece. Avoid read<strong>in</strong>g the last chapter <strong>in</strong><br />
advance. Treat the book respectfully and reverently.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, wedlock is like a long land-locked voyage <strong>in</strong>to<br />
the unknown, a cruise on turquoise waters. There are<br />
formal d<strong>in</strong>ners and deck dances. New customs and<br />
traditions will be assimilated. Different attitudes and<br />
friendships will change you. Watch out for sudden<br />
storms and seaquakes. You may have to retire to your<br />
cab<strong>in</strong>, skip meals and rest quietly till the sound and fury<br />
abate. The food that was so delicious <strong>in</strong> the early days<br />
gradually loses its taste. Shark f<strong>in</strong>s and oysters no<br />
longer tickle your taste buds. The summer w<strong>in</strong>e wanes.<br />
The laughter and games may weary you. Keep a look<br />
out for pirates. F<strong>in</strong>ally when the ship docks and you<br />
come ashore you will yearn for sublime solitude and<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gle blessedness!<br />
dulciesuresh@ridiffmail.com<br />
Mrs Dulcie Suresh
DECEPTION: Pakistan, The United States And The Global<br />
Nuclear Weapons Conspiracy<br />
Reviewed by Cdr V Viswanath<br />
author: adrian Levy & Cather<strong>in</strong>e scott-Clark<br />
Here is another reason why weapons <strong>of</strong> mass<br />
destruction or their technology must not fall <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
wrong hands. Deception is noth<strong>in</strong>g less than a<br />
‘detective pot boiler’. We may have heard <strong>of</strong> Black<br />
Marketeers <strong>of</strong> ration and liquor but <strong>in</strong> the present times<br />
there seems to be a new dimension <strong>of</strong> ‘Black<br />
Marketeers <strong>of</strong> nuclear weapons technology.<br />
The book rendered by the two world renowned and award<br />
w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vestigative journalists, Adrian Levy and<br />
Cather<strong>in</strong>e Scott-Clark, is a stagger<strong>in</strong>g revelation <strong>of</strong> how<br />
AQ Khan set up Pakistan’s nuclear program with the tacit<br />
support <strong>of</strong> USA. The book was drawn together with the<br />
help <strong>of</strong> a trove <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial documents, but it was also based<br />
on hundreds <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terviews <strong>in</strong> the United States, Pakistan,<br />
India, Israel, Europe and SE Asia. It is a compell<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
complete story <strong>of</strong> Pakistan’s clandest<strong>in</strong>e nuclear program.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>vestigation follows the trail <strong>of</strong> one man, Mr AQ<br />
Khan, who because <strong>of</strong> the loop holes <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational laws<br />
and chro<strong>nic</strong>le <strong>of</strong> moral lapses, failures and oversight on<br />
the part <strong>of</strong> consecutive US Governments spread his vast<br />
tentacles <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g over n<strong>in</strong>e countries. The book traces<br />
AQ Khan’s humble beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs to be<strong>in</strong>g the ‘Father <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Bomb’ and his ultimate fall from grace be<strong>in</strong>g made a<br />
scapegoat. What is startl<strong>in</strong>g is that under the garb <strong>of</strong><br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g a butter factory and with a little espionage, AQ<br />
Khan could set up the fledg<strong>in</strong>g nuclear <strong>in</strong>frastructure for<br />
Pakistan. The fact that the entire government mach<strong>in</strong>ery<br />
backed him at every stage was even more worrisome.<br />
Over three decades despite be<strong>in</strong>g aware <strong>of</strong> the covert<br />
nuclear program <strong>of</strong> Pakistan, USA, Brita<strong>in</strong> and some<br />
European nations had colluded to cover up this entire<br />
operation for their key ally <strong>of</strong> ‘America’s war on terror’.<br />
The author’s over twenty chapters <strong>in</strong>terspaced with<br />
photographs have brought out with precise <strong>in</strong>telligence<br />
133<br />
sources the growth <strong>of</strong> Pakistan as an epicenter <strong>of</strong> global<br />
<strong>in</strong>stability which raised capital and political <strong>in</strong>fluence by<br />
sell<strong>in</strong>g weapons <strong>of</strong> mass destruction to even countries<br />
like Libya, Iran and Iraq while giv<strong>in</strong>g shelter to resurgent<br />
Taliban and Al-Qaeda. I quote a paragraph from the book<br />
to highlight their level <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestigation done, while writ<strong>in</strong>g<br />
this book. ‘The US’s private fears <strong>of</strong> a nuclear-terrorist<br />
plot, with Pakistan at its epicenter, heightened when the<br />
US-backed forces <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance<br />
marched <strong>in</strong>to Kabul on 13 November 2001, putt<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Taliban to flight. Western <strong>in</strong>telligence agencies and<br />
journalists discovered trove <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation on Al-Qaeda’s<br />
nuclear ambitions from <strong>of</strong>fices previously used as Taliban<br />
m<strong>in</strong>istries and safe houses. Most had been located <strong>in</strong><br />
Kabul’s up market Wazir Arkvar Khan neighbourhood,<br />
where the Taliban had been <strong>in</strong> such a hurry to leave,<br />
surprised by the speed and force <strong>of</strong> the US-<strong>in</strong>spired<br />
<strong>in</strong>vasion, that they had got no further than stuff<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>crim<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g paperwork <strong>in</strong>to black plastic b<strong>in</strong> bags, which<br />
had been abandoned <strong>in</strong>-situ. As soldiers and journalists<br />
combed the rubbish, they discovered that here had been<br />
a virtual campus, a terrorist university, much <strong>of</strong> it hid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong>ficial fronts, like a Saudi-f<strong>in</strong>anced orphanage<br />
that doubled as an Al-Qaeda explosives tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
department, where among the children’s books and ID<br />
documents were trip wires, explosives, grenades, a<br />
rocket and bomb-maker’s manuals.’<br />
The book is thought provok<strong>in</strong>g and tells countries to<br />
awaken to this illegal nuclear black market by<br />
strengthen<strong>in</strong>g our nuclear regulatory bodies and<br />
plugg<strong>in</strong>g loop holes <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational nuclear trade.<br />
Though disarmament sounds like a distant dream, the<br />
fact that this ‘deception’ began with an ambitious young<br />
man who could not get a job should get our<br />
Governments th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g seriously <strong>in</strong> this direction.<br />
vishy1971@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong>
author: Douglas Wallace<br />
For the millions <strong>of</strong> Americans who are born <strong>in</strong>to poverty<br />
each year, nation bleeds a darker red, white and blue than<br />
the rest. The social constructs that push a human from<br />
baby to student to graduate to career are dis<strong>in</strong>tegrated like<br />
sandcastles on a beach by the tide.<br />
Impoverished children don’t see a world <strong>of</strong> possibility and<br />
grandeur, but a barren journey <strong>of</strong> struggle, where at any<br />
moment the rage <strong>of</strong> an alcoholic father, the threat <strong>of</strong><br />
starvation, or whims <strong>of</strong> misfortune may pluck them <strong>of</strong>f like<br />
vultures before they make it seven sibl<strong>in</strong>gs who also<br />
clamoured towards adulthood under the threats <strong>of</strong> poverty.<br />
In his heartbreak<strong>in</strong>g memoir, “Everyth<strong>in</strong>g Will Be Alright”,<br />
he describes the journey that took him from a family who<br />
sometimes squatted <strong>in</strong> abandoned homes to now own<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a twenty-acre ranch and be<strong>in</strong>g the head <strong>of</strong> a successful<br />
law firm. His book relates the dual face <strong>of</strong> the American<br />
dream, which is as bright and sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as it is dark and<br />
author: malcolm gladwell<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g discussions with a relative <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>e who is a book<br />
worm like me, I discovered this ‘Gem’ covered <strong>in</strong> prist<strong>in</strong>e<br />
white. The title made me wary as I thought it was one <strong>of</strong><br />
those ‘Become rich <strong>in</strong> 100 days’ type <strong>of</strong> management<br />
books but I was proven wrong. Outliers mean<strong>in</strong>g<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g that is situated away or classed differently<br />
from a ma<strong>in</strong> or related body is written by Malcolm<br />
Gladwell who is also the author <strong>of</strong> the bestsellers ‘The<br />
Tipp<strong>in</strong>g Po<strong>in</strong>t’ and ‘Bl<strong>in</strong>k’. He is at present the Staff writer<br />
for New Yorker.<br />
The book over n<strong>in</strong>e chapters exam<strong>in</strong>es people from<br />
different walks <strong>of</strong> life from bus<strong>in</strong>ess magnates to sports<br />
Everyth<strong>in</strong>g Will Be Alright<br />
134<br />
treacherous.<br />
Reviewed by Lt T Jayanth Kumar<br />
Wallace was born <strong>in</strong>to a cycle <strong>of</strong> poverty that his parents<br />
were both from, and at first it’s the k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> poverty that no<br />
one can be content <strong>in</strong>. His mother collected government<br />
cheques from her previous husband who died <strong>in</strong> World<br />
War II and his father worked odd jobs. But, as their father<br />
descends <strong>in</strong>to alcoholism the structure <strong>of</strong> his family soon<br />
collapses. Jobs become scarcer and the Wallace children<br />
beg<strong>in</strong> to realize that their father is a violent monster who<br />
daily terrorizes their mother and refuses to feed his<br />
children.<br />
“Everyth<strong>in</strong>g Will Be Alright” is the k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> breathtak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
achievement that comes from watch<strong>in</strong>g a survivor cl<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
the smallest hope <strong>in</strong> a world awash with decay, and to<br />
have that hope rewarded. It is a remarkable and stunn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
memoir that demonstrates everyth<strong>in</strong>g that’s right with the<br />
world and everyth<strong>in</strong>g that’s wrong.<br />
OUTLIERS: The Story Of Success<br />
stars to scientists and reveals what they have <strong>in</strong><br />
common that has brought them so much success. He,<br />
<strong>in</strong> this provocative book br<strong>in</strong>gs out that success is<br />
surpris<strong>in</strong>gly simple and h<strong>in</strong>ges on certa<strong>in</strong> milestones<br />
which has a lot to do with their culture and how they<br />
have spent time grow<strong>in</strong>g up.<br />
He, analyses what is actually beh<strong>in</strong>d hugely successful<br />
personalities mov<strong>in</strong>g from Italy to Jamaica. The author<br />
is logical, conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g and has a lucid style <strong>of</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
book is very well packaged and makes an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
read which could change the perception to life.<br />
vishy1971@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong><br />
Reviewed by Mrs Lakshmi Viswanath
Remember<strong>in</strong>g two wonderful ‘Fair and Lovelys’<br />
The pass<strong>in</strong>g away <strong>of</strong> Mrs Meera Batra and Mrs Sheela<br />
B<strong>in</strong>dra brought back memories <strong>of</strong> some old days <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Service when sports were quite predom<strong>in</strong>ant among our<br />
lady wives too. Both these wonderful ladies played<br />
tennis as well as golf. The former was quite prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />
on tennis courts because Admiral Batra played too.<br />
Admiral B<strong>in</strong>dra didn’t. I particularly recall Coch<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> 1960<br />
when the Kerala Hard Court Championships were<br />
played <strong>in</strong> Ernakulam. Mrs Batra and Cdr Tralok Bakshi<br />
(a uniquely gifted ambi-dextrous player) won the Cup,<br />
Mrs B<strong>in</strong>dra and I had lost <strong>in</strong> the mixed doubles semif<strong>in</strong>al<br />
to a Malyali pair ma<strong>in</strong>ly because the male player<br />
just <strong>in</strong>structed his partner to stay out <strong>of</strong> the way as far as<br />
possible while he tried to score all the po<strong>in</strong>ts! We<br />
adopted no such cunn<strong>in</strong>g strategy and lost fairly.<br />
In later times <strong>in</strong> Delhi we all played golf at the DGC. A<br />
One could <strong>of</strong>ten see a blue high ro<strong>of</strong> Maruti Omni with a<br />
sticker Kovai Padur Express <strong>in</strong> Coimbatore. Free lift was<br />
available to one and all between Kovai Padur and<br />
Coimbatore! The owner and driver be<strong>in</strong>g an elegant<br />
elderly gentleman with a hear<strong>in</strong>g aid. It was none other<br />
then late R Adm Venkateswaran.<br />
My association with the R Adm and his wife started<br />
when I jo<strong>in</strong>ed INS Agrani. He was then the President<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Nilgiri Charter <strong>of</strong> Navy Foundation and always<br />
had the good <strong>of</strong> the navy at heart. He helped Agrani<br />
with regards to the arrangements for the Navy Day<br />
celebrations and was s<strong>in</strong>gle handedly <strong>in</strong>strumental <strong>in</strong><br />
gett<strong>in</strong>g a large number <strong>of</strong> advertisements for the<br />
Navy Day Brochure. He also helped the<br />
establishment <strong>in</strong> the arrangements for the first ever<br />
135<br />
few years ago Mrs B<strong>in</strong>dra had an unfortunate mishap<br />
with her car <strong>in</strong> the driveway <strong>of</strong> her Defence Colony<br />
house. Her gutsy response was to not give up and so<br />
still tried to play as best as she could and enjoyed it until<br />
recently. Then ill health overtook her as it does to most<br />
age<strong>in</strong>g people. My wife and I played tennis regularly<br />
with the Batras <strong>of</strong>ten, but Mrs Batra gave up tennis after<br />
her partner, the Admiral, passed away. She, however,<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued with her Bridge, hav<strong>in</strong>g learnt it quite recently<br />
as did Mrs B<strong>in</strong>dra - I was a fairly regular addition to<br />
Meera Batra’s foursome but I recall play<strong>in</strong>g with Sheela<br />
B<strong>in</strong>dra only once and remember her Bridge skills.<br />
So a fond farewell, you wonderful ladies! May your souls<br />
rest <strong>in</strong> Peace.<br />
mukundb5@hotmail.com<br />
Cmde MB Kunte (Retd)<br />
Kovai Padur Express<br />
Naval <strong>Band</strong> public performance and concert at<br />
Coimbatore.<br />
The Admiral used to collect old/condemned sports<br />
equipment and get it repaired from his own pocket. The<br />
same was kept <strong>in</strong> his house and was available to all the<br />
street boys for use <strong>in</strong> the field near his house. The only<br />
stipulation be<strong>in</strong>g that they should have some foot wear.<br />
He probably saw a budd<strong>in</strong>g sports man <strong>in</strong> these boys<br />
and felt that engagement <strong>in</strong> games will keep them busy<br />
and out <strong>of</strong> harm’s way. An ace tennis player himself who<br />
regularly played doubles.<br />
May his soul rest <strong>in</strong> peace!<br />
raj<strong>in</strong>derdass-ambala11@hotmail.com<br />
Cmde RK Dass (Retd)
“Nor law nor duty bade me fight<br />
Nor public men, nor cheer<strong>in</strong>g crowds<br />
A lonely impulse <strong>of</strong> delight drove to this tumult <strong>in</strong> the skies<br />
I balanced all- brought all to m<strong>in</strong>d<br />
The years to come seemed waste <strong>of</strong> time<br />
The years beh<strong>in</strong>d a waste <strong>of</strong> breath<br />
In balance with this life-this death.”<br />
-WB YEATS<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> you would have known our brother Simon (Mon<br />
to the family) some well, some maybe for a few meet<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
or maybe even a s<strong>in</strong>gle meet<strong>in</strong>g. So, here goes - a<br />
tribute to Simon George, as I knew him pilot, diver,<br />
horseman athlete, man <strong>of</strong> honour. I had found the above<br />
poem written <strong>in</strong> his hand, <strong>in</strong> a diary.<br />
Our father, (late) Air Marshal PS George, a fighter pilot,<br />
was stationed <strong>in</strong> Cairo from 1959 to 1961 as a Fly<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Instructor as the Indian Air Force was tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Egyptian Air Force at the time. Interest<strong>in</strong>gly, his<br />
colleague, an Egyptian <strong>in</strong>structor called Hosni Mubarak<br />
has risen to great heights. Mon was born <strong>in</strong> Cairo on 23<br />
Jul 1959, which is the ‘Revolution Day’ <strong>in</strong> Egypt. This<br />
marks the day the Monarchy was overthrown <strong>in</strong> 1952.<br />
Excited Egyptian colleagues asked that he be named<br />
‘Gamal’, after Nasser! On that day, our Dad was lead<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a 50 aircraft formation <strong>in</strong> the shape <strong>of</strong> a Champagne<br />
glass over the Nile Cor<strong>nic</strong>he (the equivalent <strong>of</strong> our<br />
‘mar<strong>in</strong>e drive’) as part <strong>of</strong> their parade. That night the<br />
whole city was lit up as if to usher <strong>in</strong> this really special<br />
baby <strong>in</strong>to the world! Little did we know that he would stay<br />
on the planet for a fleet<strong>in</strong>g period <strong>of</strong> just under 26 years<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g which he would LIVE each second <strong>of</strong> his life to the<br />
fullest!<br />
I am privileged to wear the same uniform/w<strong>in</strong>gs that my<br />
brother did and hence have encountered <strong>of</strong>ficers and<br />
sailors who served with him on his ships/Squadrons. A<br />
Lt (P) Simon George Pynumootil<br />
136<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> GP Philipose<br />
surname like ours is difficult to remember and harder to<br />
forget! Hence it doesn’t surprise me any longer for a<br />
total stranger to approach me and ask whether I was<br />
related to SIMON GEORGE and to recount some<br />
special <strong>in</strong>teraction he had with him. They were<br />
unanimous on his amaz<strong>in</strong>g spirit, grit, decency,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism and never say die attitude. His NDA<br />
year book <strong>of</strong> 1979 said it all -’galloped through to his<br />
tabs with decency as his stallion’.<br />
With Mon everyth<strong>in</strong>g was <strong>in</strong> fast forward-his speech,<br />
mannerisms, the way he rode his<br />
bike/drove/played/swam. Almost as though he knew all<br />
along that he had a f<strong>in</strong>ite amount <strong>of</strong> time and so many<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs to do. He excelled <strong>in</strong> almost every sphere-hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
been at the top <strong>of</strong> his class at Lovedale and the top 3 <strong>of</strong><br />
his course <strong>in</strong> the Navy. Mon spent five exhilarat<strong>in</strong>g years<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Navy he loved be<strong>in</strong>g a Qualified Pilot and Deep<br />
Sea Diver he flew, dived, fired his ship’s 76 mm guns,<br />
rode horses, commanded parades, played all games, <strong>in</strong><br />
short he LIVED.<br />
‘What matters is not the years <strong>in</strong> your life but the LIFE <strong>in</strong><br />
your years.’ ‘Life is not about the breaths you take but the<br />
moments that take your breath away.’...are two maxims<br />
that he obviously took very seriously.<br />
Mon suffered from asthma attacks <strong>of</strong> vary<strong>in</strong>g severity.<br />
Far from deter him from physical pursuits it spurred him<br />
on to prove (to himself) that there was noth<strong>in</strong>g he<br />
couldn’t do. He was a natural at everyth<strong>in</strong>g-he picked up<br />
any sport <strong>in</strong> a jiffy. He never drank or smoked or shopped<br />
or watched movies unless he was dragged to a theatre.<br />
Mon loved his books (always had a book with him), his<br />
music and his outdoor pursuits. On a typical day he<br />
would play, swim, sail for hours after which he would<br />
consume some five bottles <strong>of</strong> a vile tast<strong>in</strong>g flavoured milk<br />
called Energee!
He lived <strong>in</strong> an ideal world and an ideal Navy and he<br />
shared every bit <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation with me down to the<br />
smallest detail at each stage <strong>of</strong> his tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g/career.<br />
Hence when I followed him to the NDA/Navy after five<br />
years each stage was with a feel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> déjà vu. For<br />
<strong>in</strong>stance he told me how it was so great to go out there<br />
on the parade ground and command 700 men - or to<br />
command an Honour Guard. Or, the thrill <strong>of</strong> stand<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
watch at sea or jump<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f a bridge and swimm<strong>in</strong>g down<br />
the channel aga<strong>in</strong>st the tide, to fire a huge ship’s gun,<br />
handle a boat or to wear a brand new uniform each day<br />
and feel proud as though it were the first time you were<br />
wear<strong>in</strong>g these sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g whites. So there I was all starry<br />
eyed when I stepped <strong>in</strong>to this great service.... just after<br />
he died (I was writ<strong>in</strong>g my exams on completion <strong>of</strong> my sea<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g soon after he crashed.)<br />
I realised, that reality was different from the way he<br />
perceived th<strong>in</strong>gs to be. Everyone dreaded all <strong>of</strong> the<br />
above th<strong>in</strong>gs...no one volunteers to command parades<br />
or do any <strong>of</strong> the th<strong>in</strong>gs he so readily took on. Was he a<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> modern Don Quixote fight<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>dmills <strong>in</strong> an<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>ary world?? NO - I actually pity the rest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world for not see<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs the way he did - for br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g<br />
honour, <strong>in</strong>tegrity and FUN with an almost childlike<br />
exuberance <strong>in</strong>to everyth<strong>in</strong>g that was considered<br />
mundane or passé.<br />
Fly<strong>in</strong>g was everyth<strong>in</strong>g to him. He could draw or identify<br />
every known fighter aircraft when he was <strong>in</strong> Class 4. When<br />
he jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Navy he could rattle <strong>of</strong>f the entire check lists<br />
<strong>of</strong> the MIG 21 fighter (over 300 l<strong>in</strong>es) which he had<br />
memorised from our father’s Flight reference cards. He<br />
had been selected for the Air Force but our Dad conv<strong>in</strong>ced<br />
him to switch to the Navy <strong>in</strong> the unspoken hope that he<br />
would not fly. Be<strong>in</strong>g a fighter pilot who had flown 45<br />
different types <strong>of</strong> fighters he knew the risks <strong>in</strong>volved. As<br />
fate would have it, Mon flew <strong>in</strong> the Navy anyway.<br />
On the night <strong>of</strong> 17 May 1985 he crashed <strong>in</strong>to the ghats<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g a night fly<strong>in</strong>g sortie from Kochi after encounter<strong>in</strong>g<br />
severe turbulence. The R/T transcripts have his icy cool<br />
137<br />
voice say ‘(call sign) 134 experienc<strong>in</strong>g severe turbulence<br />
<strong>in</strong> this area...’ God knows he would have done all he<br />
could to save the aircraft with all his will/skill.....<br />
sometimes you cannot w<strong>in</strong> aga<strong>in</strong>st the awesome and<br />
unforgiv<strong>in</strong>g might <strong>of</strong> nature. Our memories are<br />
unblemished - he will always be the dash<strong>in</strong>g, boyishly<br />
handsome, super fit guy we knew. Our parents faced<br />
their loss with stoic dignity. My father, brother-<strong>in</strong>-law and<br />
I stood <strong>in</strong> our ceremonial Air Force, Army and Naval<br />
uniforms and saluted at Mon’s funeral which was with full<br />
military honours, to the lilt<strong>in</strong>g notes <strong>of</strong> the ‘Last Post’<br />
played by the bugler.<br />
As a Sea Cadet I stood there unfl<strong>in</strong>ch<strong>in</strong>g, salut<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
way he taught me, fight<strong>in</strong>g back the tears - eager to<br />
make sure he was proud <strong>of</strong> me, his kid brother.<br />
I have <strong>of</strong>ten thought <strong>of</strong> the utter waste <strong>of</strong> an exceptional<br />
life all the years <strong>of</strong> school NDA-tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to ride, dive, fly...<br />
all to nought? You first get very angry at the unfairness <strong>of</strong><br />
it all. You curse the world for not stand<strong>in</strong>g still. You curse<br />
the people for laugh<strong>in</strong>g and play<strong>in</strong>g and go<strong>in</strong>g on with<br />
their lives. You go <strong>in</strong>to the ‘why me’ mode. All religions talk<br />
<strong>of</strong> each person com<strong>in</strong>g to the world with a purpose. An<br />
elder once told me about how a foetus that dies <strong>in</strong> the<br />
womb also has a purpose......Then you treasure what you<br />
had. The countless lives he touched with his almost<br />
surreal aura make his 25 years worthwhile...<br />
In 1959 my Dad and Mom sailed <strong>in</strong>to Alexandria on<br />
board the P&O l<strong>in</strong>er ‘Strathenaver’. Fifty years later, on<br />
19 Jul 2009 I entered the same harbour <strong>in</strong> command <strong>of</strong><br />
330 men on a Missile Frigate fly<strong>in</strong>g the tri-colour with<br />
pride - lay<strong>in</strong>g a wreath on the memorial to the ‘Unknown<br />
Soldier’ - call<strong>in</strong>g on the Governor <strong>of</strong> Alexandria - host<strong>in</strong>g<br />
our Ambassador on board.... I sailed out on 22 Jul 2009,<br />
exactly 50 years to the day that my brother was born <strong>in</strong><br />
Cairo. (23 Jul 1959).<br />
Thank you God......<br />
pgphilipose@gmail.com
Late V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd)<br />
The Sea. S<strong>in</strong>ce it literally ran <strong>in</strong> his ve<strong>in</strong>s, it was what he<br />
constantly wanted to talk about, rem<strong>in</strong>iscence and<br />
cherish. And understandably so, for nearly half <strong>of</strong> his life <strong>of</strong><br />
80 years, was spent <strong>in</strong> active service <strong>of</strong> the Indian Navy.<br />
Vice Admiral (Retd) Sur<strong>in</strong>der Mohan Gadihoke, PVSM<br />
expired on 18 Nov 2010, after a short hospitalization at<br />
R&R Hospital, New Delhi. He is survived by his wife Mrs<br />
Shashi Gadihoke and his four children: Sabeena,<br />
Sanjeev, Seema and Sunil. He was preceded <strong>in</strong> death<br />
by his younger brother, Subhash, my father.<br />
My earliest memories <strong>of</strong> Tayaji date back to the early<br />
eighties, perhaps the first one be<strong>in</strong>g an even<strong>in</strong>g spent<br />
huddled around the radio. He was the commission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
CO <strong>of</strong> Taragiri, and on the eve <strong>of</strong> the commission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ceremony, his <strong>in</strong>terview was broadcast on AIR. The<br />
excitement <strong>in</strong> our house was palpable, as <strong>in</strong> those preliberalization<br />
days, for a family member to appear on the<br />
Government owned Doordarshan or AIR, was a matter<br />
<strong>of</strong> great pride.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g my formative years, I dist<strong>in</strong>ctly remember the<br />
family get-togethers at his well-appo<strong>in</strong>ted residences at<br />
New Delhi, first as a Rear Admiral at the NDC and then<br />
as a Vice Admiral <strong>in</strong> the capacity <strong>of</strong> Chief <strong>of</strong> Personnel.<br />
As a pensive adolescent, I was fasc<strong>in</strong>ated by his lifestyle<br />
that I found charm<strong>in</strong>g, to say the least. But <strong>in</strong> equal<br />
measure, I was <strong>in</strong>trigued by the man’s humility and<br />
unassum<strong>in</strong>g nature. Despite the perks that his high<br />
status <strong>in</strong> service accorded him, Tayaji rema<strong>in</strong>ed the<br />
qu<strong>in</strong>tessentially modest <strong>of</strong>ficer. I was however, at that<br />
stage <strong>of</strong> my life, more <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ed to notic<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
‘razzmatazz <strong>of</strong> rank’. From a teenager’s po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> view,<br />
especially one who had grown up <strong>in</strong> a civilian set-up,<br />
lead<strong>in</strong>g the life with all the trapp<strong>in</strong>gs that come with<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g a Flag Officer was a ‘big deal’ - with those<br />
resplendent bungalows, cars with flags and stars,<br />
138<br />
Cdr Neil Gadihoke<br />
dash<strong>in</strong>g uniforms with sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g medals, the polished<br />
expression, stylish company and all those lackeys<br />
fuss<strong>in</strong>g over you. This, <strong>in</strong> major part, <strong>in</strong>spired me to opt<br />
for the Navy, and I jo<strong>in</strong>ed the NDA <strong>in</strong> 1986 as a<br />
seventeen year old. It was much later that I would come<br />
to comprehend that it takes more than three decades <strong>of</strong><br />
unremitt<strong>in</strong>g hard work to make good on those<br />
aspirations!<br />
Admiral Gadihoke retired <strong>in</strong> 1988 - a good two years<br />
before I was commissioned - with his last post<strong>in</strong>g be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a long <strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs as the Chief <strong>of</strong> Personnel. However, the<br />
family surname (rare and conspicuous as it is), ensured<br />
that I got identified as his nephew at every possible twist<br />
and turn <strong>of</strong> my career. At every step I would hear<br />
abound<strong>in</strong>g praise from senior <strong>of</strong>ficers, on “Gadi’s”<br />
qualities <strong>of</strong> compassion, immense composure and<br />
extreme candour and s<strong>in</strong>cerity. The knowledge that I had<br />
to live up to his reputation was a daunt<strong>in</strong>g proposition.<br />
I also came to know <strong>of</strong> his <strong>nic</strong>kname “Sutta Gadihoke”,<br />
bestowed reverentially by his ship-mates, <strong>in</strong> recognition<br />
<strong>of</strong> his legendary <strong>nic</strong>ot<strong>in</strong>e consumption. At those<br />
moments, memories would w<strong>in</strong>d back to my childhood,<br />
to his visits to our residence <strong>in</strong> Janak Puri, and how on<br />
completion <strong>of</strong> his visit <strong>of</strong> even a few hours, we would<br />
count the disproportionate number <strong>of</strong> cigarette butts <strong>in</strong><br />
the ashtray and report to our father on how his elder<br />
brother was a “bigger” cha<strong>in</strong> smoker than him. Comb<strong>in</strong>e<br />
this with his perennial fondness for the even<strong>in</strong>g dr<strong>in</strong>k,<br />
and you are ready to debunk the theory that smok<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g cut down one’s lifespan. That tayaji lived up<br />
to the ripe old age <strong>of</strong> eighty, is a r<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g v<strong>in</strong>dication <strong>of</strong><br />
the time-honoured aphorism <strong>of</strong> liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the moment and<br />
leav<strong>in</strong>g the rest to fate.<br />
His visit to Kochi as the Capta<strong>in</strong> Commandant <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Executive branch, a few years after his retirement, was
a memorable moment for me. I was undergo<strong>in</strong>g the Sub<br />
Lieutenants’ tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g at Kochi, and was part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
audience that he addressed at his alma mater, the ASW<br />
School. Pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism and dedication, without<br />
concern for career progression, were the virtues he<br />
urged the young <strong>of</strong>ficers to imbibe, quot<strong>in</strong>g his own<br />
example. In the same lecture, I clearly remember the<br />
Admiral narrat<strong>in</strong>g wistfully his tale <strong>of</strong> nostalgia, trigerred<br />
by a drive earlier <strong>in</strong> the day, past Kochi’s ‘Harbour<br />
Term<strong>in</strong>us’ Railway station. It was on a sultry afternoon <strong>in</strong><br />
1948, as a tired, nervous but enthusiastic eighteen<br />
years old, when he first stepped onto this station, after a<br />
long journey from the north, where the country was still<br />
recover<strong>in</strong>g from the trauma <strong>of</strong> partition. For him, gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
selected <strong>in</strong> the Navy was a feel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> pure exhilaration<br />
and a moment <strong>of</strong> pride. Be<strong>in</strong>g the eldest child <strong>of</strong> a family<br />
<strong>of</strong> modest means, he recalled, there was additional<br />
pressure <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g to quickly establish himself. As he<br />
reported to the Naval Base at Kochi for the <strong>in</strong>duction<br />
formalities, he rem<strong>in</strong>isced, how awestruck he was,<br />
watch<strong>in</strong>g the sea for the very first time: a sight that he<br />
would then get bound to and behold for the rest <strong>of</strong> his<br />
life. “Even <strong>in</strong> my most outlandish dreams”, he said “I<br />
could not have imag<strong>in</strong>ed that I would rise to the rank <strong>of</strong><br />
a Vice Admiral one day”. But as the ensu<strong>in</strong>g years<br />
melted <strong>in</strong>to decades, he worked ever harder, also<br />
enjoy<strong>in</strong>g to the fullest the moments <strong>of</strong> fun and<br />
enjoyment that Navy life afforded him. What perhaps did<br />
it for him was, <strong>in</strong> his words “the avoidance <strong>of</strong> oneupmanship;<br />
and freedom to let dest<strong>in</strong>y play itself out”.<br />
In h<strong>in</strong>dsight, I see the pr<strong>of</strong>oundness <strong>of</strong> his words when<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2004, as I was selected to undergo the overseas staff<br />
college <strong>in</strong> the United States, his message to me was<br />
crisp: “You have made me proud, but do not rest on your<br />
laurels, keep up the gr<strong>in</strong>d and enjoy the ‘journey’ without<br />
bother<strong>in</strong>g about the ‘milestones’. As life speeds by, the<br />
accomplishments will happen on its own.”<br />
In the subsequent years, he would keep check<strong>in</strong>g on my<br />
progress and would always have a word <strong>of</strong> advice on<br />
how to function at the Naval Headquarters. As I write<br />
139<br />
this tribute, I am only too aware, that this is also the<br />
period <strong>in</strong> which I was guilty <strong>of</strong> not meet<strong>in</strong>g him as <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
as I would have liked. It is pr<strong>of</strong>oundly iro<strong>nic</strong>al for one to<br />
rema<strong>in</strong> engulfed <strong>in</strong> the rut <strong>of</strong> daily life and dous<strong>in</strong>g one’s<br />
own fires with little time for those near and dear. And<br />
then to express grief and sorrow <strong>in</strong> tributes written after<br />
their departure!<br />
Vice Admiral S M Gadihoke led a simple and fulfill<strong>in</strong>g life.<br />
My personal experience states that those who knew him<br />
always held him <strong>in</strong> the highest regard and esteem, both<br />
for his human qualities and his pr<strong>of</strong>essional dedication,<br />
and articulated his virtues, long after his retirement. I<br />
have no doubt that I speak for the entire naval fraternity<br />
when I say: ‘We will miss him!’ But the loss to his<br />
bereaved family will be immense and their sorrow<br />
irreparable. I pray to the Almighty to grant eternal peace<br />
to the departed soul and give strength to the family.<br />
As we attempt to come to terms with his departure, we<br />
cannot but help wonder about his next journey. To this<br />
end, a maritime analogy comes to m<strong>in</strong>d: “A ship sails<br />
and I stand watch<strong>in</strong>g till she fades on the horizon.<br />
And someone at my side says: She is gone. Gone<br />
where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as<br />
large now as when I last saw her. Her dim<strong>in</strong>ished size<br />
and total loss from my sight is <strong>in</strong> me, not <strong>in</strong> her.<br />
And just at that moment, when someone at my side<br />
says she is gone, there are others who are watch<strong>in</strong>g her<br />
com<strong>in</strong>g over their horizon and other voices take up a<br />
glad shout -There she comes!<br />
That is what dy<strong>in</strong>g is. A horizon and just the limit <strong>of</strong> our<br />
sight! Lift us up O Lord, that we may see further”<br />
As the almighty plans his next <strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs, it will probably be<br />
<strong>in</strong> the vic<strong>in</strong>ity <strong>of</strong> the place that was closest to his heart -<br />
his ‘adopted home’: The Sea.<br />
neilgadihoke@rediffmail.com
Hydrographers are the pr<strong>of</strong>essional ‘pathf<strong>in</strong>ders’ <strong>of</strong> our<br />
Navy and many a navigator will confess harbour<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
silent admiration for the surveyors at sea who frequently<br />
venture <strong>in</strong> forlorn and uncharted waters to take<br />
meticulous ‘sound<strong>in</strong>gs’ and observations that f<strong>in</strong>ally<br />
appear as detailed charts onboard ships and<br />
submar<strong>in</strong>es. The perseverance and grit displayed by the<br />
hitch-hik<strong>in</strong>g surveyors and their boats <strong>of</strong>ten goes<br />
unnoticed and unseen because they work out <strong>of</strong> sight<br />
and occasionally venture where no man has been<br />
before. In many cases this effort is not without danger as<br />
the weather and sea could make th<strong>in</strong>gs perilous for the<br />
surveyors who <strong>of</strong>ten operate <strong>in</strong> detached survey boats<br />
away from their ships, close to shoals, reefs and rocks.<br />
This piece is a tribute to one such brave surveyor,<br />
Amrendra Kumar Sharma, Lead<strong>in</strong>g Seaman, Survey<br />
Recorder <strong>of</strong> INS Investigator, who lost his life accidently<br />
<strong>in</strong> a far corner <strong>of</strong> the Indian Ocean, near a reef <strong>in</strong><br />
Cargados Carajos shoals <strong>of</strong> Mauritius, while engaged <strong>in</strong><br />
survey<strong>in</strong>g duty as a part <strong>of</strong> Indo-Mauritian cooperation <strong>in</strong><br />
the field <strong>of</strong> Hydrography.<br />
Cargados Carajos Shoals (also known as the Sa<strong>in</strong>t<br />
Brandon islands) are a group <strong>of</strong> about 16 small islands<br />
and islets on an extended reef <strong>in</strong> the Indian Ocean located<br />
about 250 nautical miles northeast <strong>of</strong> Mauritius. In March<br />
2008, INS Investigator was engaged <strong>in</strong> a survey task <strong>of</strong><br />
these islands which were last surveyed by the Royal Navy<br />
<strong>in</strong> the early n<strong>in</strong>eteenth century. As is characteristic <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tropics <strong>in</strong> the Southern Hemisphere between November<br />
and April, a tropical depression was loom<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the region,<br />
result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> choppy seas and an om<strong>in</strong>ous weather lookout.<br />
Amrendra was a crew <strong>of</strong> a Survey Motor Boat ‘SIMHA’<br />
deployed by Investigator to survey the reefs <strong>of</strong> St Brandon<br />
Islands. The SIMHA was operat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f the east coast <strong>of</strong> the<br />
shoals, an area which had rema<strong>in</strong>ed uncharted even<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the Royal Navy survey <strong>of</strong> 1846, the special note on<br />
which proclaims “This eastern coast was sketched by<br />
A Sound<strong>in</strong>g For Amrendra<br />
140<br />
Lt Cdr Yogesh Athawale<br />
Lieutenant Mudge <strong>in</strong> 1825 by boats which penetrated from<br />
the western side among the reefs, as no vessel could<br />
venture to approach its seaward face”, <strong>in</strong>dicative <strong>of</strong> the<br />
onerous responsibility which SIMHA and its crew were<br />
entrusted with. On 11 Mar 2008, at about 1645h,<br />
undeterred by the perilous weather conditions prevail<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
Amrendra was engaged <strong>in</strong> tak<strong>in</strong>g a hand lead l<strong>in</strong>e<br />
sound<strong>in</strong>g, when a large wave came and crashed aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
the boat, momentarily rock<strong>in</strong>g SIMHA violently and nearly<br />
toppl<strong>in</strong>g everyone overboard. The next moment Amrendra<br />
was gone. Even as his mates onboard gathered their wits,<br />
the Coxswa<strong>in</strong> ordered a lifebuoy and a lifejacket to be<br />
thrown for Amrendra. The SIMHA had by then moved<br />
away from the spot where Amrendra had fallen overboard<br />
and when she turned back, there was no sign <strong>of</strong><br />
Amrendra. A frantic search ensued, with other survey<br />
motor boats and the ship’s Chetak helicopter jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> at<br />
a scramble. In good time the Maritime Reconnaissance<br />
aircraft <strong>of</strong> the National Coast Guard <strong>of</strong> Mauritius were also<br />
dispatched from the ma<strong>in</strong> island to jo<strong>in</strong> the search. The<br />
boats <strong>of</strong> the local NCG post at St Brandon also pitched <strong>in</strong>.<br />
An <strong>in</strong>tense search went on for almost seven days till an<br />
approach<strong>in</strong>g cyclone forced the ship to clear the area and<br />
also kept the aircraft away. A lifejacket and a tattered<br />
uniform shirt were recovered dur<strong>in</strong>g the search but there<br />
was no trace <strong>of</strong> Amrendra. The sharp coral reefs <strong>of</strong><br />
Brandon are home to deadly sharks and barracuda.<br />
Amrendra was gone forever.<br />
Amrendra’s sacrifice did not go <strong>in</strong> va<strong>in</strong>. His ship<br />
successfully completed the survey task <strong>of</strong> an area which<br />
had rema<strong>in</strong>ed unsurveyed for almost two centuries. Naval<br />
sailors frequently serve as the foot soldiers <strong>of</strong> India’s<br />
foreign policy, undertak<strong>in</strong>g missions and tasks that leave<br />
<strong>in</strong>delible impressions on the beneficiaries. The Indian<br />
Naval ships that rushed to the relief and succour <strong>of</strong><br />
countries affected by the 2005 Box<strong>in</strong>g Day Tsunami are<br />
still remembered fondly by the distraught communities
which received timely assistance. Amrendra was only<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g the legacy <strong>of</strong> his compatriots and comrades-<strong>in</strong>arm<br />
who have shaped a positive image <strong>of</strong> the Service and<br />
the country through their benevolent efforts. A Memorial<br />
for Amrendra at St Brandon built by the crew <strong>of</strong> INS<br />
Investigator<br />
After the <strong>in</strong>cident, Amrendra’s ship left beh<strong>in</strong>d a detached<br />
survey team at Raphael Island, the only <strong>in</strong>habited island <strong>of</strong><br />
Cargados Carajos Shoals. His shipmates built a small<br />
memorial for him near the Coast Guard post on the island.<br />
The modest ‘Amrendra Smarak’ stands as a testimony to<br />
the supreme sacrifice made by a naval sailor on a distant<br />
Commodore Bishambar Nath Thapar would have<br />
celebrated his n<strong>in</strong>etieth birthday on 1st January 2011,<br />
but that was not to be. He was contemporary <strong>of</strong> Admiral<br />
Ronald Lyndale Pereira, our erstwhile Naval Chief<br />
among others such as Admirals EC Kuruvilla, SH<br />
Sarma, RKS Ghandhi, Kirpal S<strong>in</strong>gh, Swaraj Prakash<br />
and Commodore Sat<strong>in</strong>der S<strong>in</strong>gh Sodhi, all part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Royal Indian Navy then.<br />
By nam<strong>in</strong>g these <strong>of</strong>ficers, I wish to highlight the cremede-la<br />
creme, list <strong>of</strong> our ancestors <strong>in</strong> the Navy who were<br />
the illustrious staff <strong>of</strong>ficers who provided full back-up to<br />
the more senior flag <strong>of</strong>ficers who led the Navy post<br />
Independence.<br />
It is time that we carry out soul search<strong>in</strong>g what <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
like Bishambar became a part <strong>of</strong> our glorious history.<br />
We must recall the contributions by him and his<br />
colleagues towards development and consolidation <strong>of</strong><br />
the depleted Royal Indian Navy. Officers <strong>of</strong> this era were<br />
the work horses when the more senior <strong>of</strong>ficers needed<br />
their assistance <strong>in</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g for the future. The Navy that<br />
we have <strong>in</strong>herited owes <strong>in</strong> no short measure to the hard<br />
141<br />
shore, while serv<strong>in</strong>g his nation’s cause <strong>of</strong> friendship and<br />
cooperation. Every mar<strong>in</strong>er who goes to Raphael Island<br />
visits this memorial and bows his head <strong>in</strong> the memory <strong>of</strong><br />
Amrendra who gave some best moments <strong>of</strong> his youth to<br />
their safety. It will be befitt<strong>in</strong>g the tradition <strong>of</strong> naval<br />
hydrographers if a shoal, a reef or an islet <strong>in</strong> the new chart<br />
<strong>of</strong> St Brandon Islands is named <strong>in</strong> the memory <strong>of</strong><br />
Amrendra. Those who habitually go out on the high seas<br />
will agree that an Amrendra Reef on the chart would be a<br />
great honour and a last<strong>in</strong>g tribute to the departed surveyor<br />
who represented the boldest <strong>of</strong> India’s pathf<strong>in</strong>ders.<br />
yogiat007@yahoo.com<br />
Tribute - Cmde BN Thapar<br />
work put <strong>in</strong> by them. The naval fraternity <strong>of</strong> today basks<br />
<strong>in</strong> the glory set up by them. We need to dedicate our<br />
appreciation <strong>in</strong> their honour.<br />
Bishambar was great commu<strong>nic</strong>ator <strong>in</strong> the real sense <strong>of</strong><br />
the word and this he did with great aplomb at all levels.<br />
On a personal note, I was his student at the Defence<br />
Services Staff College, Well<strong>in</strong>gton <strong>in</strong> 1963. I learnt a<br />
great deal <strong>of</strong> staff work from him. It was be<strong>in</strong>g constantly<br />
hammered <strong>in</strong>to us that the solution to be produced by us<br />
must be workable and practical. I can never forget his<br />
tell<strong>in</strong>g us that the "Best" is the enemy <strong>of</strong> 'Good Enough'.<br />
I had the fortune <strong>of</strong> aga<strong>in</strong> serv<strong>in</strong>g under him as the Fleet<br />
Adm<strong>in</strong>istration Officer; with him be<strong>in</strong>g the Fleet<br />
Operations Officer <strong>in</strong> 1965.<br />
Thapars are a great and well knit family. Unfortunately<br />
Savitri, his wife passed away earlier. I hope Manju,<br />
Sushil, Mala and other members <strong>of</strong> the family follow the<br />
high ideals that Bishambar has set for them. He was a<br />
great human be<strong>in</strong>g. May his soul rest <strong>in</strong> peace. Adieu!<br />
rav<strong>in</strong>a<strong>in</strong>dia@hotmail.com<br />
Vice Admiral IJS Khurana
= 75223-K Surg RAdmNN Katariya Smt Swatantra Katariya 01 Dec 09 D-990, New Friends Colony<br />
New Delhi - 110065<br />
= 00410-F Cdr Trevor H Chowf<strong>in</strong> Smt Christ<strong>in</strong>e H Chowf<strong>in</strong> 12 Dec 09 264, Sunrise Colony Jairam<br />
Nagar (Beh<strong>in</strong>d NSD) AP Dabolim<br />
PO Goa - 401801<br />
= 01790-T Cdr KJ S<strong>in</strong>gh Smt Sangeeta S<strong>in</strong>gh 22 Dec 09 6, Mehrabad 1/594, Bhulabhai<br />
Desai Road Mumbai – 400026<br />
= 50004-W Cmde PK S<strong>in</strong>ha Shri Prasanna S<strong>in</strong>ha 25 Dee 09 A-93, Chittaranjan Park<br />
New Delhi<br />
= Cdr M Eswar Rao Smt M Toyaja Rao 05 Jan 10 B-242, Sa<strong>in</strong>ik Puri Sa<strong>in</strong>ik Puri PO<br />
Secunderabad – 500094<br />
= 00101-B Cmde BB Yadav , MVC Shri Narendra Yadav 23 Jan 10 G-40, Sector 39,<br />
NOIDA – 201301, Uttar Pradesh<br />
= 00629-B Cdr VK Mehra Smt Rachna Mehra 09 Feb 10 D-161, New Raj<strong>in</strong>der Nagar<br />
New Delhi – 110060<br />
= Cdr Sohan S<strong>in</strong>gh Sandhu Smt Gurbachan Sandhu 15 Feb 10 C/o Brig HS Sandhu<br />
Eagle Hunter Solution Ltd B-211,<br />
Okhla Phase-I New Delhi - 20<br />
= 01364-Z Cdr HS Ahluwalia Smt Jyoti Ahluwalia 15 Feb 10 139, Phase III, SAS Nagar<br />
Mohali (Punjab)<br />
= 86804-T Lt Cdr Smt Kochu Balan Nair 16 Feb 10 Sathya Sadam, Akalur PO<br />
Ottapalam Taluk, Kerala – 679302<br />
= Surg VAdm G Kuppuswamy Smt Janaki 21 Mar 10 27B , Defence Colony Indira<br />
Nagar, 2nd Stage Near Axis Bank<br />
Bangalore – 560038<br />
= 75058-K Surg Cdr Amritamoy Mookerji Smt Mandira Mookerji 27 Apr 10 146, Kankulia Road Near Gol<br />
Park Kolkata – 700029<br />
= 75121-B Cdr PS Hulyakar Smt Suprabhat Hulyakar 05 May 10 46, LILAC, Godrej Sky Garden,<br />
Takka, Panvel – 410206<br />
= 00335-K Capt Ravi Khanna Smt Amarjit Khanna 12 May 10 N 45A, Panchsheel Park<br />
New Delhi -110017<br />
= R6001-H Capt Ram Pratap Smt Kailash Pratap 23 May 10 2-C, Lohatse Build<strong>in</strong>g Ruia Park,<br />
Mahatre Marg Juhu, Mumbai - 49<br />
= 75081-N Cdr Virendra Nath Sharma Smt Shailja Sharma 24 May 10 91, Prakash Nagar, Navlakha,<br />
Indore P<strong>in</strong> – 452001<br />
= 41225-K Cdr N Raghuram Smt Shamla Raghuram 14 Jun 10 Flat No. 15, Plot No.4, Royal Villa<br />
Apartments 4th Ma<strong>in</strong> Road,<br />
Kottur Garden, Kotturpuram,<br />
Chennai – 600085<br />
142<br />
Obituaries<br />
The Navy Foundation deeply regrets the demise <strong>of</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g retired naval <strong>of</strong>ficers and wives and extends<br />
heartfelt condolences to their family members:-
= 40119-B Cdr SK S<strong>in</strong>gh Smt Vijay SK S<strong>in</strong>gh 15 Jun 10 B-381, Indira Nagar Lucknow,<br />
Uttar Pradesh<br />
= 60076-K Lt Cdr MM Krishnan Smt Sumithra Krishnan 17 Jun 10 C/o Col Ravi Shanmugam<br />
145, 4th ma<strong>in</strong>, Defence Colony<br />
Indira Nagar Bangalore – 560038<br />
= 50067-N Cdr SR Deshpande Smt Pushpa Deshpande 17 Jul 10 Pushpa Vihar Hous<strong>in</strong>g Society<br />
Bldg No. 2, Flat No. 2 Near<br />
Colaba PO, Mumbai – 400005<br />
= 00737-Z Capt David J Guido Mrs Shirley Guido 12 Aug 10 C/o Mrs RM Peris,<br />
301, Atur Terraces Cuff Parade,<br />
Colaba Mumbai - 400 005<br />
= 40151-A Cmde Manohar K Banger Smt Shreelatha Banger 10 Sep 10 11 Seagull, 21st Road Khar (West)<br />
Mumbai – 400 052<br />
= 00219-Y Cdr MD Sethuraman Smt Lalitha Sethuraman 16 Sep 10 24, Temple Road, Jawahar Nagar<br />
Chennai – 600 082<br />
= 00057-B Cdr BS Rekhi Smt Kulbir Rekhi 18 Sep 10 C-16, Nizamudd<strong>in</strong> East<br />
New Delhi - 110 013<br />
= 00030-T Cmde BN Thapar Capt Sushil Kumar Thapar23 Sep 10 C/o Dr Anil Jolly B-120, SFS Flats<br />
Sheikh Sarai, Phase-I, N. Delhi -17<br />
= 50205-A Cmde RU Nair Smt Prabha Nair 23 Sep 10 BHUVANESH, TC 13/200<br />
PRA 115, PV Lane, Munnumukku<br />
Pattor Pettah Trivandrum -695 024<br />
= 75051-W Surg Capt Jagjit S<strong>in</strong>gh Smt Jagjit Kaur 14 Oct 10 C-559, New Friends Colony<br />
New Delhi -110 065<br />
= 75072-T Surg Cmde Suranjan Mukherjee Smt Jayasri Mukherjee 26 Oct 10 A7, ALKA, IInd Floor 59/2B,<br />
Pratapaditya Road Kolkata-700026<br />
= 60073-B Cdr SP Dutt Smt Roma Dutt 08 Nov 10 B-108, Chittaranjan Park<br />
New Delhi<br />
= R 83929Y Lt Cdr Suresh Chandra Smt Saroj Chandra 11 Nov 10 403, Karlton Hous<strong>in</strong>g Society<br />
Hiranandani Estate Ghod Bunder<br />
Road Thane (W) Maharashtra -<br />
400 607<br />
= 000342-A Cdr Dilip Chaudhuri, NM Smt Ashoka Chaudhuri 19 Nov 10 1-B, Kumud<strong>in</strong>i Apartments 1st<br />
Floor, 1/1 Dover Lane<br />
Kolkata – 700 029<br />
= R 0187F Cdr Prakash Vasudeva Smt Saroj<strong>in</strong>i Vasudeva 25 Nov 10 D-224, Defence Colony<br />
New Delhi – 110024<br />
143
INTRODUCTION<br />
An African elephant loom<strong>in</strong>g large framed aga<strong>in</strong>st the<br />
spectacular snow-draped mantle <strong>of</strong> the majestic Mt.<br />
Kilimanjaro describes Amboseli best. Amboseli, which<br />
literally means dustbowl, is the second most popular<br />
wildlife safari dest<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> Kenya after the world-famous<br />
Maasai Mara. Much smaller than most national parks <strong>in</strong><br />
Kenya, Amboseli boasts <strong>of</strong> the Big Five and <strong>of</strong>fers better<br />
sight<strong>in</strong>gs, precisely due to its manageable size. The book,<br />
“Elephant Memories”, which is considered a landmark <strong>in</strong><br />
elephant research, today, came about as a distillation <strong>of</strong><br />
author, Cynthia Moss’ 13-year-long work <strong>in</strong> this park.<br />
Bustl<strong>in</strong>g zebra and wildebeest traffic and the sight <strong>of</strong> lions<br />
sleep<strong>in</strong>g soundly lost to the world <strong>of</strong> gawk<strong>in</strong>g tourists are<br />
among the numerous firsts I witnessed <strong>in</strong> Amboseli<br />
National Park, but the scene that will stay with me forever<br />
is someth<strong>in</strong>g else: a long-shot <strong>of</strong> lumber<strong>in</strong>g herd <strong>of</strong><br />
elephants with young ones <strong>in</strong> tow cutt<strong>in</strong>g through the<br />
simmer<strong>in</strong>g heat <strong>of</strong> the dustbowl <strong>in</strong> search <strong>of</strong> water. These<br />
elephants would have to walk for miles to get to the<br />
reced<strong>in</strong>g water sources and they would have to do it as<br />
fast as the pace <strong>of</strong> the youngest calf. We, who simply<br />
reach out for bottled water to soothe our parched throats<br />
or a can <strong>of</strong> coke to wet our lips <strong>in</strong> the middle <strong>of</strong> nowhere,<br />
cannot even beg<strong>in</strong> to imag<strong>in</strong>e the elephants’ predicament.<br />
The poignancy <strong>of</strong> the scene lay <strong>in</strong> the realization <strong>of</strong> that<br />
harsh reality <strong>of</strong> life <strong>in</strong> the wild.<br />
As the herd approached our vehicle the calf buckled under<br />
sheer exhaustion and lay down to rest: the clan simply<br />
stayed put <strong>in</strong> some sort <strong>of</strong> protective formation. They<br />
stood still and we waited with bated breath (our cameras<br />
whirr<strong>in</strong>g), for what seemed like an eternity, to see what<br />
would happen next. As my son <strong>in</strong>terpreted the scenario,<br />
the calf that was rest<strong>in</strong>g was the unlikely k<strong>in</strong>g, and the<br />
family <strong>of</strong> adults, the servile subjects who had to wait it out.<br />
It seemed as though the earth had stopped sp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
The Dustbowl Called AMBOSELI<br />
147<br />
Mrs Padmaja Parulkar-Kesnur<br />
that <strong>in</strong>stant was IT… for the elephants there was no past,<br />
no future; the essence <strong>of</strong> existence was the present<br />
moment.<br />
The elephant herd would pause for as long as it would<br />
take the calf to rega<strong>in</strong> its energy before resum<strong>in</strong>g their long<br />
march. We, however, had to move on so as not to cause<br />
a traffic jam on the narrow dirt track and had no way <strong>of</strong><br />
know<strong>in</strong>g the fate <strong>of</strong> the calf or <strong>of</strong> the herd. But, possibly,<br />
the entire family would have had to go without water for<br />
longer than their tolerance threshold; or perhaps I am<br />
underestimat<strong>in</strong>g their patience and endurance.<br />
The sight <strong>of</strong> an impos<strong>in</strong>g lone tusker is worth more than a<br />
pride <strong>of</strong> lions and we were lucky to see one at a distance<br />
near the Olokenya swamp. The hulk, his tusks tend<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
ground, emerged out <strong>of</strong> a thicket like a chimera. Surprised<br />
or simply gaug<strong>in</strong>g our mood as we were try<strong>in</strong>g to sense<br />
this he stood there look<strong>in</strong>g directly at us. From that<br />
distance we could feel his brute presence, a colossus<br />
strid<strong>in</strong>g the earth like royalty. Suddenly, contrary to its<br />
nature, it darted <strong>in</strong>to nearby bushes and simply vanished<br />
before our eyes. It was as though the mask had fallen <strong>of</strong>f<br />
his face and the bl<strong>in</strong>kers <strong>of</strong>f m<strong>in</strong>e as I realized how<br />
vulnerable that lone ranger was. No companion, no family,
no herd - a persona non grata ek<strong>in</strong>g it out <strong>in</strong> an unfriendly<br />
world.<br />
Despite the underp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g action <strong>of</strong> the predator and the<br />
prey, the Savanna, paradoxically, is a quiet place. At the<br />
very outset, as you enter any park or the outskirts you see<br />
little action or even little life mak<strong>in</strong>g you impatient that you<br />
may not see any game at all. All you are greeted with is<br />
the dusty track, dry wispy grass, stones and bones littered<br />
about, the latter suggest<strong>in</strong>g furtive and furious activity, but<br />
no sign <strong>of</strong> life - and no sound or sounds, whatsoever. ‘The<br />
dry Savanna <strong>of</strong> summer resembl<strong>in</strong>g a desert is deserted’,<br />
you may be forgiven for th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. And then… you see<br />
some game, a few zebras here, a few wildebeests there,<br />
and as your eyes get tra<strong>in</strong>ed to pick up the tangible<br />
shapes you f<strong>in</strong>d them <strong>in</strong> ever-<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g density and <strong>in</strong><br />
pr<strong>of</strong>usion as far as eye can reach. As the afternoon sun<br />
w<strong>in</strong>ds down towards day close you come face to face with<br />
a legion <strong>of</strong> wildlife, stretched end to end <strong>of</strong> the sprawl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
landscape. There are elephant herds m<strong>in</strong>gl<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
brows<strong>in</strong>g zebras and wild buffaloes with the hitch-hik<strong>in</strong>g<br />
oxpeckers and cattle egrets. It is a mela without an<br />
accompany<strong>in</strong>g background score. That is the th<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
hits you hard about the Savannas. Though burst<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
life there is no murmur or a whisper. Two juvenile<br />
Thomson’s gazelles <strong>in</strong>dulge <strong>in</strong> play fight<strong>in</strong>g, lock<strong>in</strong>g horns,<br />
<strong>in</strong> silent mode. Elsewhere, a wildebeest baby is ambl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
along try<strong>in</strong>g to keep pace with the mother without a wh<strong>in</strong>e<br />
or whimper. Even when alarmed, the animals simply tend<br />
to buck and run but no frightened noises; there is dignity<br />
<strong>in</strong> every action and emotion.<br />
Someth<strong>in</strong>g brownish-grey moves <strong>in</strong> the grass <strong>of</strong> similar<br />
hue; someone says it’s a lion and everyone hopes that it<br />
is. B<strong>in</strong>oculars come out and even the telephoto <strong>of</strong> the<br />
camera is tweaked to ascerta<strong>in</strong> the identity <strong>of</strong> the animal.<br />
As the tourist van pulls up closer three plump warthogs<br />
take to heels with their t<strong>in</strong>y tails upright <strong>in</strong> air! The scene<br />
provides comic relief and humbles all tourists whose<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gle most aspiration is to spot the lions. You may see<br />
hyenas and an odd fox or jackal but it is the ‘biggest’ <strong>of</strong> the<br />
big five that you are seek<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
148<br />
Our first two trips - one to Tsavo, the biggest park <strong>in</strong> the<br />
whole <strong>of</strong> Africa, and the second one to Nakuru - drew a<br />
blank where lions were concerned, but luck favoured us at<br />
Amboseli, most unexpectedly. After the morn<strong>in</strong>g’s safari <strong>of</strong><br />
spott<strong>in</strong>g all sorts <strong>of</strong> animals and birds, wildlife fatigue was<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>. To add to the plight we were lulled <strong>in</strong>to lethargy<br />
as there was no sign <strong>of</strong> life for a stretch and if it were not<br />
for a friend’s keen eye, we would have missed the two<br />
sup<strong>in</strong>e figures camouflaged <strong>in</strong> the dry grass, completely.<br />
Napp<strong>in</strong>g by the side <strong>of</strong> the tour track lay two full-bodied<br />
male lions dead to the world. We waited will<strong>in</strong>g them to<br />
wake up and raise their head to get that perfect portrait,<br />
but they did not budge. The only movement was the gentle<br />
heav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> their breath<strong>in</strong>g bodies and twitch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> noses.<br />
The driver-guide got onto his walkie-talkie to convey the<br />
coord<strong>in</strong>ates <strong>of</strong> the lion to others <strong>of</strong> his ilk as was the<br />
procedure <strong>in</strong> the parks and soon traffic began to build up<br />
and our turn was up.<br />
Of the Big five, we have seen four by now, lions, buffaloes,<br />
elephants, and rh<strong>in</strong>os, but the leopards eluded us.<br />
Leopards are the trickiest to spot for they camouflage very<br />
well and are quite shy. Of the Big Five, the African wild<br />
buffaloes are the easiest to spot as these animals roam <strong>in</strong><br />
herds and mixed groups or s<strong>in</strong>gly. I found myself willy nilly<br />
compar<strong>in</strong>g the wildlife here with that <strong>in</strong> India, as India is<br />
perhaps the only other country that can boast <strong>of</strong> such rich<br />
and varied wildlife, and a curious thought struck me. In<br />
India, over a century now, the elephant and the wild
uffalo have been tamed and domesticated; not so <strong>in</strong><br />
Africa. I am told that unlike the Asian water buffalo, the<br />
African variety is not docile, and is <strong>of</strong>ten unpredictable. It<br />
is one <strong>of</strong> the most dangerous animals <strong>of</strong> the Savanna.<br />
The Savannas revealed another unique facet <strong>in</strong> the birds<br />
it susta<strong>in</strong>s. For the first time, I saw birds - the size <strong>of</strong> small<br />
mammals - walk<strong>in</strong>g tall on the ground even as we saw the<br />
usual arboreal ones such as the starl<strong>in</strong>gs and eagles.<br />
From afar, the ostrich presents itself as a surreal vision <strong>of</strong><br />
a charcoal black chunk wad<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> mid-air. The Maasai<br />
ostrich, called thus for its tall lean-mean look, is truly<br />
gigantic and can be spotted from a distance. Every child is<br />
familiar with the ostrich and its features but to see it <strong>in</strong> the<br />
wild is someth<strong>in</strong>g else altogether. The<br />
“lifer” moment came when we spotted<br />
the Secretary bird. I learnt that this<br />
blue-grey bird with its unique head<br />
plumes, which look like “quill pens<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d a secretary’s ear” (hence the<br />
name!), can fly but prefers to keep its<br />
feet on the ground.<br />
My day was made when I got the<br />
perfect photo opportunity as a crane<br />
couple (the grey-crowned one)<br />
walk<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> step suddenly halted, faced<br />
each other and gave a beak-to-beak<br />
peck. I had heard <strong>of</strong> the cranes’<br />
monogamous nature, but here I got to<br />
see a “couple very much <strong>in</strong> love”. The<br />
149<br />
grey-crowned cranes are very colourful and elegant<br />
creatures, <strong>in</strong>deed.<br />
The ic<strong>in</strong>g on the cake, literally and figuratively, <strong>of</strong> this visit<br />
to Amboseli was the view <strong>of</strong> Mt. Kilimanjaro with its famed<br />
snow-capped mantle. For most part <strong>of</strong> the year, the peak<br />
rema<strong>in</strong>s mysteriously hidden beh<strong>in</strong>d a shroud <strong>of</strong> clouds<br />
and you have to be really lucky to get your eyeful <strong>of</strong> it. On<br />
the second day <strong>of</strong> our visit, as we set out <strong>of</strong> the lodge to<br />
embark on our safari, we saw the Kilimanjaro’s flat-topped<br />
crater dripp<strong>in</strong>g rivulets <strong>of</strong> snow much like the creamy ic<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on a cake. Ernest Hem<strong>in</strong>gway enshr<strong>in</strong>ed the legendary<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong> through his work, the anthology <strong>of</strong> stories titled:<br />
“The snows <strong>of</strong> Kilimanjaro”. Much before that the early<br />
explorers were ridiculed when they simply suggested <strong>of</strong><br />
snow on mounta<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the African country straddl<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
equator! It is fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g to note that Johann Rebmann, the<br />
first European missionary and explorer who saw<br />
Kilimanjaro with its snow cap and documented it, found<br />
himself ridiculed and abused by scholars and scientists <strong>of</strong><br />
the day! A hot air balloon scour<strong>in</strong>g the topographic<br />
etch<strong>in</strong>gs and terrestrial life <strong>of</strong>f Kilimanjaro would be an<br />
ideal safari <strong>in</strong>deed! Some day…<br />
padmaja_parulkar@hotmail.com
We picked Scand<strong>in</strong>avia as our holiday dest<strong>in</strong>ation this<br />
time. Strangely I have had people <strong>in</strong> several parts <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world ask me where Scand<strong>in</strong>avia is. Firstly Scand<strong>in</strong>avia is<br />
NOT one country…… it’s a both historical and<br />
geographical region centered around the Scand<strong>in</strong>avian<br />
Pen<strong>in</strong>sula <strong>in</strong> Northern Europe. Yes, it’s that part <strong>of</strong> Europe<br />
that does not figure <strong>in</strong> the regular tour dest<strong>in</strong>ations <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered by Thomas Cook or SOTC. We were lucky enough<br />
to track (on the <strong>in</strong>ternet) an excellent tour planner, an<br />
Indian, Rajiv Oberoi based <strong>in</strong> Stockholm who gave us the<br />
best deal and the most enjoyable it<strong>in</strong>erary to help us see<br />
what was most <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the region <strong>in</strong> about 12 days.<br />
To cover the details <strong>of</strong> a trip to four countries <strong>in</strong> a short<br />
article will not allow me to do justice to all….so here I will<br />
choose to speak about just the capitals <strong>of</strong> F<strong>in</strong>land and<br />
Sweden.<br />
Hels<strong>in</strong>ki is one <strong>of</strong> the world’s northernmost capitals and<br />
has a lengthy w<strong>in</strong>ter from Oct to April. We flew <strong>in</strong>to<br />
Hels<strong>in</strong>ki on a bleak autumn afternoon <strong>in</strong> September…… it<br />
was w<strong>in</strong>dy and chill but we were charged and ready to see<br />
what the city <strong>of</strong>fered. At the Scandic Grand Mar<strong>in</strong>a Hotel,<br />
we picked up our Hels<strong>in</strong>ki Cards (expla<strong>in</strong>ed at the end)<br />
and set out. A twenty m<strong>in</strong>ute ferry ride from the Market<br />
Square took us to a sea fortress at Soumenl<strong>in</strong>a (Castle <strong>of</strong><br />
F<strong>in</strong>land). It’s a 250 year old Fortress built dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Swedish era as a maritime fortress and a base for the<br />
Archipelago Fleet. It is built on a cluster <strong>of</strong> rocks and<br />
consists <strong>of</strong> an irregular network <strong>of</strong> bastions. Later <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Russian Era, it was a lively garrison town and dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
First World War it was extended further <strong>in</strong>to the sea. This<br />
fortress is now <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> UNESCO’s World Heritage list.<br />
Soumenl<strong>in</strong>a comprises six islands and covers about 80<br />
hectares <strong>of</strong> land and also houses F<strong>in</strong>land’s open prison, <strong>in</strong><br />
fact the repairs <strong>of</strong> ramparts, walls and build<strong>in</strong>gs is carried<br />
out by the convicts. The Naval Academy is situated on one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the islands.<br />
A Journey <strong>in</strong>to Scand<strong>in</strong>avia<br />
150<br />
Mrs Yamuna Gov<strong>in</strong>dan<br />
The next morn<strong>in</strong>g we took a sight see<strong>in</strong>g tour ride around<br />
the city. Hels<strong>in</strong>ki’s symbol is the Lutheran Cathedral<br />
(Tuomiokirkko) pa<strong>in</strong>ted white with a large green dome and<br />
four smaller domes. This church stands <strong>in</strong> the heart <strong>of</strong> the<br />
city and was orig<strong>in</strong>ally built as a tribute to Nicholas I, Tsar<br />
<strong>of</strong> Russia and dur<strong>in</strong>g the Russian regime was known as St<br />
Nicholas Church. The pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g at the altar which orig<strong>in</strong>ally<br />
was a colourful one <strong>of</strong> Christ with children was replaced<br />
with the present one which is a dark and rather gloomy<br />
one show<strong>in</strong>g Christ be<strong>in</strong>g lowered from the cross. Though<br />
a popular tourist attraction, the church is still used for<br />
regular worship services and wedd<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
One can see a lot <strong>of</strong> Russian <strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>in</strong> the architecture<br />
<strong>of</strong> most ancient build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> Hels<strong>in</strong>ki. Not far from the<br />
Lutheran Cathedral is the Uspenski Cathedral. Also built<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the Russian rule and designed by a Russian<br />
architect, the church stands on a hillock and catches the
eye with its large central green steeple and gold onion<br />
shaped dome that is supported by four granite pillars. The<br />
church has 13 smaller golden onion domes to represent<br />
Christ and his apostles. As the largest Orthodox Church <strong>in</strong><br />
North-western Europe, it impresses one with its deep red<br />
brick walls and many domes.<br />
At the Sibelius Park & Monument one comes across an<br />
unusual monument. When it was decided that the famous<br />
F<strong>in</strong>nish Composer Sibelius should be commemorated<br />
with a monument, several sculptors came up with ideas.<br />
After much debate and deliberation Eila Hiltunen was<br />
chosen to put her idea <strong>in</strong>to form. Her work consists <strong>of</strong><br />
about six hundred metal tubes, welded to superficially<br />
resemble an oversized organ (though Sibelius never<br />
composed organ music). The Monument weighs about 30<br />
tons and stands about 8.5 metres tall. Installed <strong>in</strong> 1967,<br />
ten years after Sibelius’s death, the monument shows no<br />
sign <strong>of</strong> ag<strong>in</strong>g or corrosion. Its silvery pipes reflect the<br />
change <strong>of</strong> season and light, echo<strong>in</strong>g bird songs <strong>in</strong> the park<br />
and resonat<strong>in</strong>g furiously dur<strong>in</strong>g a snow storm. People walk<br />
below it and touch the pipes and pose for pictures <strong>in</strong> front<br />
<strong>of</strong> it. Few critical locals feel this is just a gimmick to draw<br />
tourists and actually has noth<strong>in</strong>g to do with Sibelius who<br />
was better known for the music he composed specially the<br />
F<strong>in</strong>nlandia hymn. However the Monument stands as a<br />
symbol <strong>of</strong> a genius musician and the efforts <strong>of</strong> a talented,<br />
creative sculptor who added another piece to the park<br />
known as the Face <strong>of</strong> Jean Sibelius also cast <strong>in</strong> sta<strong>in</strong>less<br />
steel. The Sibelius Park is the venue <strong>of</strong> many events and<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the green lungs <strong>of</strong> Hels<strong>in</strong>ki city.<br />
Our next stop was the famous Temppeliaukio Church also<br />
known as Rock Church because it is built <strong>in</strong>side a block <strong>of</strong><br />
massive granite. Natural light brightens the <strong>in</strong>terior<br />
through a glazed dome. Because <strong>of</strong> its superb acoustics,<br />
the church is <strong>of</strong>ten used as a concert hall. The rough,<br />
virtually unworked, rock surfaces <strong>of</strong> the walls with<strong>in</strong> the<br />
church is the reason for the excellent acoustics.<br />
The Audio city tour is really worth it and covers the<br />
Presidential Palace which is located close to the harbour<br />
151<br />
and overlooks the market place. In the early 19th century,<br />
a salt storehouse stood <strong>in</strong> the place <strong>of</strong> this build<strong>in</strong>g which<br />
is now the <strong>of</strong>ficial residence <strong>of</strong> the President <strong>of</strong> F<strong>in</strong>land<br />
and also houses the <strong>of</strong>fices <strong>of</strong> various government<br />
agencies. The City Hall with its pale blue façade<br />
dom<strong>in</strong>ates much <strong>of</strong> the market square and was once used<br />
as a hotel <strong>in</strong> the early 1800s and later as a hospital dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the First World War. The Parliament build<strong>in</strong>g or the<br />
Eduskuntatalo almost resembles a classical Greek<br />
temple, due to its many grand columns and steps. The<br />
Opera House <strong>in</strong> Hels<strong>in</strong>ki is a modern state-<strong>of</strong>- the-art<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g designed to seat about 1300 people. Operas<br />
have been staged <strong>in</strong> Hels<strong>in</strong>ki for over 120 years and the<br />
tradition cont<strong>in</strong>ues <strong>in</strong> the beautiful and modern Hels<strong>in</strong>ki<br />
Opera House. One can book tickets onl<strong>in</strong>e from most<br />
countries around the world ensur<strong>in</strong>g your seat for a show<br />
well before you land <strong>in</strong> Hels<strong>in</strong>ki!<br />
Our F<strong>in</strong>nish friend Virva Haltsonen <strong>in</strong>sisted on show<strong>in</strong>g us<br />
around a bit too. The biggest department store among the<br />
Nordic countries, Stockmann, established <strong>in</strong> 1862 is<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g the F<strong>in</strong>ns like to show <strong>of</strong>f. Also enjoyable are<br />
the tram and bus rides around the city because what one<br />
can enjoy the most apart from the view, is the absolute<br />
absence <strong>of</strong> crowds and the ease with which you can f<strong>in</strong>d<br />
yourself a w<strong>in</strong>dow seat!<br />
From Hels<strong>in</strong>ki we got on one <strong>of</strong> the Vik<strong>in</strong>g L<strong>in</strong>e cruise<br />
ships that took us on an overnight journey to Stockholm,
Sweden. We were so engrossed <strong>in</strong> sampl<strong>in</strong>g the fabulous<br />
on board enterta<strong>in</strong>ment, that we hardly got a chance to<br />
luxuriate <strong>in</strong> the lovely upper deck cab<strong>in</strong> before the cruise<br />
ship entered Stockholm harbour. The approach to<br />
Stockholm harbour is breathtak<strong>in</strong>gly beautiful. It is well<br />
worth gett<strong>in</strong>g a good seat <strong>in</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the view<strong>in</strong>g lounges to<br />
watch the archipelago go by dur<strong>in</strong>g the few hours it takes<br />
to reach the city after you leave the Baltic Sea.<br />
Stockholm is the biggest city <strong>in</strong> an archipelago <strong>of</strong> more<br />
than 24,000 islands, many <strong>of</strong> which are sparsely<br />
populated. The capital city alone spans several islands. It<br />
is one <strong>of</strong> the most visually appeal<strong>in</strong>g cities you will ever<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d. It has the world’s highest concentration <strong>of</strong> museums,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the Nobel Museum. It’s worth a walk through<br />
medieval Gamla Stan. Literally translated, the “old city,”<br />
dates back to the 13th century and has narrow<br />
cobblestone streets and alleyways which are just about a<br />
metre wide! The area also straddles three <strong>of</strong> 20 odd<br />
islands that make up Stockholm. A large square <strong>in</strong> the<br />
centre <strong>of</strong> Gamla Stan is the site <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>famous<br />
‘Stockholm bloodbath’ when Swedish noblemen were<br />
massacred by the Danish k<strong>in</strong>g, Christian II. The place also<br />
boasts <strong>of</strong> a restaurant, the Golden Fleece which has been<br />
<strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess s<strong>in</strong>ce 1722 and accord<strong>in</strong>g to the Gu<strong>in</strong>ness<br />
book <strong>of</strong> Records, is the oldest restaurant <strong>in</strong> the world with<br />
unaltered <strong>in</strong>teriors! The Stockholm Stock Exchange<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g which also houses the Nobel Museum and the<br />
Nobel Library is located along the ma<strong>in</strong> square at Gamla<br />
Stan. The Stockholm Palace is also located here. This<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial residence <strong>of</strong> the monarch is said to have 1430<br />
rooms and is the largest palace <strong>in</strong> the world still be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
used by the head <strong>of</strong> state, K<strong>in</strong>g Carl XVI Gustav. The<br />
Palace itself is built <strong>in</strong> four rows, eastern, western,<br />
southern and northern. The four rows surround the <strong>in</strong>ner<br />
courtyard. Apart from the K<strong>in</strong>g’s and Queen’s suites these<br />
build<strong>in</strong>gs house, the weapons museum, exhibition Halls,<br />
banquet halls and the Treasure Chamber where the<br />
Swedish Crown jewels are kept. The chang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Guards ceremony like at most palaces, is a must watch.<br />
The Swedish Royal family is said to be existent from as<br />
early as the 10th Century A D.<br />
152<br />
Not far from the Royal Palace, on the island <strong>of</strong><br />
Riddarholmen, is the Riddarholmen Church or<br />
Riddarholmskyrkan which is one <strong>of</strong> the oldest build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong><br />
Stockholm. Parts <strong>of</strong> it date back to the 13th century when<br />
it was built as a greyfriars monastry. It has an impos<strong>in</strong>g<br />
cast iron spire built after the previous spire was destroyed<br />
by lighten<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 1835. The church is now used as the burial<br />
church <strong>of</strong> the Swedish Monarchs. The congregation was<br />
dissolved <strong>in</strong> 1807 and today the church is used only for<br />
burial and commemorative purposes. Yet another church<br />
<strong>in</strong> the vic<strong>in</strong>ity is the Church <strong>of</strong> St Nicholas or The<br />
Storkyrkan. The <strong>in</strong>terior <strong>of</strong> the Storkyrkan conta<strong>in</strong>s some<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g artifacts but the most famous is the huge<br />
sculpture <strong>of</strong> St George & The Dragon, made from natural<br />
material <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g oak and elk antlers.<br />
From Gamla Stan we moved closer to central Stockholm<br />
on to the green island <strong>of</strong> Djurgården, a calm oasis which<br />
has been royal land s<strong>in</strong>ce the fifteenth century. A big<br />
portion <strong>of</strong> Djurgården consists <strong>of</strong> green areas <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
footpaths and water front promenades among old and<br />
new upper class residences and old <strong>in</strong>stitutional build<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
many <strong>of</strong> which are regarded as historical monuments <strong>of</strong><br />
national <strong>in</strong>terest. It also is a home to several <strong>of</strong> the city’s<br />
top museums like the unforgettable Vasa Museum where<br />
one can see the recovered warship, Vasa, which sank <strong>in</strong><br />
Stockholm harbour on her maiden voyage <strong>in</strong> 1628 and lay<br />
preserved <strong>in</strong> the mud until she was recovered <strong>in</strong> 1961. We<br />
also visited the oldest open-air museum <strong>in</strong> the world,
Skansen. It gave us a peek<br />
<strong>in</strong>to historic Sweden with its<br />
traditional farms, dwell<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
a wooden eighteenth<br />
century church and qua<strong>in</strong>t<br />
restaurants where one could<br />
enjoy a smörgåsbord<br />
(typical Swedish meal),<br />
which will <strong>in</strong>clude a potato<br />
casserole, crisp bread, small<br />
meat balls, herr<strong>in</strong>g, smoked<br />
salmon, salads and a rice<br />
pudd<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The City Hall <strong>of</strong> Stockholm is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful<br />
and well known build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> Stockholm. The Blue hall on<br />
the western side is used for the yearly Nobel Banquet. The<br />
organ <strong>in</strong> the Blue Hall with its 10,270 pipes the largest <strong>in</strong><br />
Scand<strong>in</strong>avia. Above the Blue Hall lies the Golden Hall<br />
named after the decorative mosaics made <strong>of</strong> more than 18<br />
million tiles. The mosaics make use <strong>of</strong> motifs from<br />
Swedish history. The southeast corner <strong>of</strong> the build<strong>in</strong>g is<br />
marked by a monumental tower crowned by the Three<br />
crowns, an old national symbol for Sweden. The tower is<br />
106 metres high and is accessible by an elevator or by a<br />
stair <strong>of</strong> 365 steps. S<strong>in</strong>ce its creation, Sergels torg or<br />
Sergel’s square, the most central square <strong>in</strong> Stockholm has<br />
been much criticized for giv<strong>in</strong>g priority to cars at the cost<br />
<strong>of</strong> pedestrians. However it rema<strong>in</strong>s the most popular<br />
space <strong>in</strong> Stockholm for meet<strong>in</strong>g friends, for political<br />
gather<strong>in</strong>gs, for a wide range <strong>of</strong> events, and for drugdealers!<br />
A drive around Sergel’s Square helped us catch a<br />
glimpse <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful glass and steel obelisk and<br />
a founta<strong>in</strong> around it <strong>in</strong> which people celebrate every major<br />
victory by a Swedish sports team. A must while <strong>in</strong><br />
Stockholm, is a visit to Hötorget or Hay market. It is the<br />
only everyday street market sell<strong>in</strong>g fruits, flowers, food <strong>in</strong><br />
small cafes and becomes a flea market on Sundays. Not<br />
far from the Hay market is the famous Stockholm Concert<br />
Hall, which is home to the Royal Stockholm Philharmo<strong>nic</strong><br />
Orchestra and where the award<strong>in</strong>g ceremony for the<br />
153<br />
Nobel Prize is held annually, all the Prizes, except the<br />
Peace Prize, which is given at Oslo.<br />
That was about five days <strong>of</strong> our trip <strong>in</strong> a nutshell, the trees<br />
were still green and gold and there was a chilly w<strong>in</strong>d after<br />
sunset, around 8pm. We couldn’t really step out without<br />
our jackets and a scarf.<br />
Except for the elderly folk, most people <strong>in</strong> both F<strong>in</strong>land and<br />
Sweden speak English, so mov<strong>in</strong>g about town was not<br />
really a problem. We also had the advantage <strong>of</strong> pay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
advance for City Cards, which are a great help……. The<br />
card normally gives free public urban transport and<br />
discounts <strong>in</strong> Museums, leisure activities, shops and<br />
restaurants, for a duration 0f 24, 48 or 72 hours. People are<br />
friendly, helpful and so very s<strong>in</strong>cere. We had the<br />
experience <strong>of</strong> ask<strong>in</strong>g a passerby about a bus stop to take<br />
us to a friend’s place; he po<strong>in</strong>ted to one <strong>in</strong> the vic<strong>in</strong>ity and<br />
walked on. A few m<strong>in</strong>utes later the man came look<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
us to apologise and direct us to the correct stop which was<br />
at another end <strong>of</strong> the road. Of course we were thankful and<br />
amazed too at the trouble he took to retract and guide us!<br />
An hour’s flight out <strong>of</strong> Stockholm took us to the Norwegian<br />
town <strong>of</strong> Bergen…. the second largest town <strong>in</strong> the country<br />
and the start<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> our journey <strong>in</strong>to the fjords and<br />
some bits <strong>of</strong> heaven on earth!!!<br />
ygov<strong>in</strong>dan@gmail.com
Machhli-the Junior Walks the Ramp<br />
Month <strong>of</strong> June may fall way outside the tourist season, but<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers the best conditions for sight<strong>in</strong>g tigers at any national<br />
park, denuded <strong>of</strong> foliage. This was <strong>in</strong>centive enough for our<br />
daughter, to surf the net to identify the best tigers’ reserve<br />
for a quick weekend get away from NOIDA! Ranthambore<br />
was identified for its best connectivity and the short<br />
distance travel, besides reviv<strong>in</strong>g childhood nostalgia <strong>of</strong> our<br />
last visit to Sawai Madhopur, way back <strong>in</strong> 1958!<br />
Book<strong>in</strong>g accommodation <strong>in</strong> Sawai Mans<strong>in</strong>gh Lodge at<br />
short notice was easy due to <strong>of</strong>f-season. Stay at historic<br />
Sawai Mans<strong>in</strong>gh Lodge, the <strong>of</strong>ficial hunt<strong>in</strong>g lodge,<br />
established by His Highness Sawai Mans<strong>in</strong>gh, Maharaja<br />
<strong>of</strong> Jaipur, itself was fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g. The heritage lodge and<br />
the adjacent Circuit House are ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> its prist<strong>in</strong>e<br />
glory by Tata’s Hospitality Division, the Taj Group on lease<br />
from Jaipur Royalty. Old relics, furniture, tapestries,<br />
shikaar trophies and hordes <strong>of</strong> historical photographs are<br />
prom<strong>in</strong>ently on display, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>of</strong> the hunt<br />
organised for Queen Elizabeth II and Duke <strong>of</strong> Ed<strong>in</strong>burg,<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Phillip, dur<strong>in</strong>g their last Royal visit to Jaipur as<br />
personal guests <strong>of</strong> the Maharaja <strong>of</strong> Jaipur. Then HH<br />
Sawai Mans<strong>in</strong>gh and his elegant Queen, Maharani<br />
Gayatri Devi, along with then Maharajkumars Bhawani<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gh and Jais<strong>in</strong>gh, were <strong>in</strong> the photo frame with the<br />
British Royalty and their prized shoot.<br />
154<br />
Rear Admiral Sushil Ramsay (Retd)<br />
Ranthambhore is renowned for its large tiger population.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce its humble beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 1973 when meagre 60<br />
square miles was allotted by the Goverenment <strong>of</strong> India, it<br />
has expanded substantially and now re-designated as the<br />
Ranthambhore National Park. Besides tigers, the reserve<br />
has a thriv<strong>in</strong>g bird population with more than 270 different<br />
species. Census <strong>of</strong> 2005 recorded presence <strong>of</strong> 26 tigers,<br />
though this was significantly lower than the population <strong>of</strong><br />
44 tigers <strong>in</strong> 1982. Thereafter the population has <strong>in</strong>creased<br />
steadily and reportedly stood at 34 adult tigers <strong>in</strong> 2008.<br />
As the legend goes, a tigress known as “lady <strong>of</strong> the lakes”<br />
when very young was separated from her parents perhaps<br />
due to poach<strong>in</strong>g. This tigress was named ‘Macchli’ s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
she has a mark resembl<strong>in</strong>g a fish on her sk<strong>in</strong>. She grew up<br />
with a resolve to be the ‘Queen <strong>of</strong> Ranthambore’. In due<br />
course she mated and gave birth to three female cubs; one<br />
<strong>of</strong> them was christened as ‘Macchli - the junior’. This story<br />
is about Machhli -the junior, more <strong>of</strong> which later.<br />
Subsequently, the elder Macchli found another male, called<br />
Bumburam and aga<strong>in</strong> successfully mated to give birth to<br />
two cubs. Now this Queen Mother is old, weak, shy and<br />
has turned too docile to be sighted by the tourists.<br />
On day one <strong>of</strong> our safari which started <strong>in</strong> the early hours,<br />
we were allotted Zone 1 <strong>of</strong> the Park. As we entered the<br />
National Park there was much excitement based on the<br />
report <strong>of</strong> sight<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a tiger the previous even<strong>in</strong>g. Our sixseater,<br />
Maruti Gypsy was very cautiously be<strong>in</strong>g steered by<br />
the driver and the guide highly attentive to catch the<br />
warn<strong>in</strong>g call! Three hours <strong>of</strong> anxious loiter<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the jungle,<br />
bereft <strong>of</strong> foliage, on pebbled-dusty tracks turned futile,<br />
except sight<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> decomposed carcass <strong>of</strong> a big Sambhar,<br />
which had fuelled the speculation <strong>of</strong> the presence <strong>of</strong> a tiger<br />
<strong>in</strong> that Zone.<br />
Second round commenced at 3pm and we were allotted<br />
Zone 3. As we entered the National Park, disappo<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g
news was received by us that a tigress was cool<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f <strong>in</strong><br />
the water stream divid<strong>in</strong>g two Zones but on the verge <strong>of</strong><br />
Zone 2. Possibility <strong>of</strong> cross<strong>in</strong>g over to Zone 2 drastically<br />
faded as the Forest Guard <strong>in</strong>formed presence <strong>of</strong> some<br />
senior <strong>of</strong>ficials and their families from Jaipur!! We decided<br />
to roam around Zone 3, hop<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>st hope that a sight<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> a tiger would occur. But alas no such luck. By now<br />
patience was runn<strong>in</strong>g out. We returned to the entry po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong><br />
Zone 3 and tried to charm the Forest Guard to permit us<br />
entry <strong>in</strong>to Zone 2. He sounded helpless as before. We<br />
decided to wait at the Gate with a hope that once the VIPs<br />
from Jaipur vanish the Forest Guard would relent. That<br />
decision turned out worth the wait, as after some time Shri<br />
Gulab S<strong>in</strong>gh (actual name withheld), Zonal Forest Officer<br />
arrived at the spot. In sheer desperation, I decided to throw<br />
my rank on him to allow entry <strong>in</strong>to Zone 2. He deliberately<br />
kept mum for a long time. In the meantime he was<br />
receiv<strong>in</strong>g messages on his walkie-talkie on the progress <strong>of</strong><br />
VIP visit <strong>in</strong> Zone 2.<br />
After a while he <strong>in</strong>dicated to me that the tigress has left the<br />
stream and was mov<strong>in</strong>g upwards, though the direction <strong>of</strong><br />
movement was not certa<strong>in</strong>. Our guide turned out to be a<br />
smart fellow. We turned the Gypsy around to drive fiercely<br />
towards the stream from Zone 3 side. As we reached the<br />
spot, lo and behold we were bewildered to witness what<br />
was <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> our bewitched eyes! In true majestic grace<br />
Machhli - the junior was walk<strong>in</strong>g up the ramp <strong>in</strong> a laid-back<br />
style. After all she was the mistress <strong>of</strong> her territory. Our<br />
155<br />
driver cont<strong>in</strong>ued to proceed, albeit with due caution, on the<br />
same track towards Machhli - the junior, also code-named<br />
T 13. Our sheer excitement <strong>of</strong> sight<strong>in</strong>g the royal tigress at<br />
such a close quarter, was at zenith. We were watch<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
show-stopper, a real pr<strong>of</strong>essional <strong>in</strong> show<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f, a la<br />
Naomi Campbell style!<br />
She took notice <strong>of</strong> our presence, yet unfazed, made us<br />
realise our status <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>truders <strong>in</strong> her proud territory! She<br />
was at the ramp sett<strong>in</strong>g it ablaze all the way. She cont<strong>in</strong>ued<br />
her march, giv<strong>in</strong>g ample opportunities to click her from all<br />
angles. She stopped close to our Gypsy and bared her<br />
pearly teeth to caution us not to over-step the grand-stand<br />
hospitality doled-out to us! Now she moves <strong>of</strong>f the track <strong>in</strong>to<br />
the rough and soon spots a full grown Sambhar. With<br />
stealthy steps, she approaches the prey and stops about<br />
50 meters short. We watch spell bound with bated breath,<br />
as she poises to launch attack and gets <strong>in</strong>to eye-ball to<br />
eye-ball contact with Sambhar, which too had its tail up,<br />
ready to bolt but frozen <strong>in</strong> steps. This posture was<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed by the two for quite a while, as we waited for the<br />
rarest <strong>of</strong> rare sight <strong>of</strong> a tigress go<strong>in</strong>g for the kill. Monkeys<br />
were shriek<strong>in</strong>g to high heavens, as the birds were rais<strong>in</strong>g<br />
hell! Alas Machhli - the junior relents and moves away from<br />
the launch pad.<br />
She turns around and proceeds further <strong>in</strong>to the jungle. Our<br />
Guide is quick to comprehend her further <strong>in</strong>tentions and asks<br />
the Driver to move fast to water<strong>in</strong>g hole which by detour was<br />
about 2-3 kms away. He drives furiously and we reach the
water<strong>in</strong>g hole <strong>in</strong> advance to face approach<strong>in</strong>g pr<strong>in</strong>cess. She<br />
recognises our presence and aga<strong>in</strong> readies herself for yet<br />
another show. As she reaches the water<strong>in</strong>g hole she stops,<br />
turns around and enters <strong>in</strong>to the water, h<strong>in</strong>d<br />
legs first. She ensures that she is visible,<br />
bust upwards, mak<strong>in</strong>g a majestic sight for<br />
us. Cameras start whizz<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>. She<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>ks some water perhaps to give us<br />
another pose to click. She lazes <strong>in</strong> that pose<br />
for quite a while and then emerges out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
pond to go back the same way she had<br />
arrived. All this while ours was the sole<br />
Gypsy to watch this exclusive one tigress<br />
show! Hav<strong>in</strong>g fully quenched <strong>of</strong> our appetite,<br />
we decided to return to the entrance <strong>of</strong> Zone<br />
3 to <strong>in</strong>form others <strong>of</strong> this sight<strong>in</strong>g. Enroute<br />
we found two 12-seater Trekkers and three<br />
Maruti Gypsys. They all went on over-drive<br />
to reach the spots <strong>of</strong> our sight<strong>in</strong>gs, later to<br />
return heart-broken as Machhli-the junior by<br />
then had disappeared from the scene.<br />
The Last round <strong>of</strong> our Safari was early <strong>in</strong><br />
the morn<strong>in</strong>g the next day <strong>in</strong> Zone 4. This<br />
Zone has long stretches <strong>of</strong> pla<strong>in</strong>s, but<br />
nearer the brook, are very treacherous<br />
tracks and steep slopes. On reach<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
top, we waited for the signal <strong>of</strong> sight<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from three groups already congregated at<br />
the culvert <strong>of</strong> the stream. F<strong>in</strong>ally, the signal<br />
156<br />
is received and we drive down the slope cautiously on this<br />
most treacherous track. We are not disappo<strong>in</strong>ted. We<br />
could see a pair <strong>of</strong> tigers laz<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the stream, enjoy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
morn<strong>in</strong>g sun rays, but at quite a distance from the culvert.<br />
Some pictures were taken where the tigers could barely be<br />
seen. Nonetheless, we returned quite satisfied with<br />
success rate <strong>of</strong> sight<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> famous tigers <strong>of</strong> Ranthambore.<br />
How I wish we had video-recorded our sight<strong>in</strong>gs, which<br />
would certa<strong>in</strong>ly be an asset for the ongo<strong>in</strong>g ‘Save Tigers’<br />
campaign!! Adieu Machhli-the junior, may your k<strong>in</strong>gdom<br />
flourish to a glorious stature.<br />
sushilramsay@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong>
Anticipat<strong>in</strong>g a merciless summer punctuated with<br />
regular power-cuts to aggravate the suffer<strong>in</strong>g, we had<br />
planned to temporarily move to Mumbai to get a respite.<br />
It was our first ride on the recently-<strong>in</strong>troduced Howrah-<br />
Mumbai Duronto Express. Mercifully, the journey was<br />
shorter, comfortable and undoubtedly cleaner, thanks to<br />
the Railways for <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>novative auto-janitor<br />
like those <strong>in</strong> the aircraft.<br />
At Mumbai, we jo<strong>in</strong>ed our daughter’s family for a week’s<br />
excursion to Kerala first at Thekkady and then at<br />
Munnar. Air India flight from Mumbai to Madurai was<br />
uneventful except for an unscheduled plane change at<br />
Chennai airport. Driv<strong>in</strong>g partly on hilly road after<br />
cross<strong>in</strong>g Tamil Nadu border for 3 hours, we checked <strong>in</strong><br />
at Club Mah<strong>in</strong>dra Tusker Trail, Thekkady. It was a great<br />
relief from the simmer<strong>in</strong>g heat and we rushed to its<br />
d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g hall for the lavish buffet d<strong>in</strong>ner after a short rest<br />
and a quick freshen<strong>in</strong>g up. At 2700 ft. Thekkady has a<br />
pleasant weather with temperatures between 15-30<br />
degrees Celsius throughout the year.<br />
The Next day after a short and excit<strong>in</strong>g elephant ride,<br />
we took a guided tour <strong>of</strong> a spices and Ayurvedic<br />
plantation. With guide’s help we got our very first<br />
experience with all k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> spice plants and different<br />
157<br />
A Dream Fulfilled<br />
Lt Cdr Gitesh Biswas (Retd)<br />
k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> Ayur and herbal plants, which was both<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and educative. Tast<strong>in</strong>g pure honey directly<br />
from the m<strong>in</strong>i apiaries <strong>in</strong>stalled across the plantation<br />
with swarms <strong>of</strong> bees busy mak<strong>in</strong>g honey was a rare<br />
treat. But the highlight <strong>of</strong> our Thekkady visit was a boat<br />
ride on the Periyar Lake. As the crowded motor launch<br />
chugged along on the still water through the famous<br />
tiger sanctuary we were lucky to spot a wild Tusker,<br />
Sambhar and a Languor as they came out <strong>of</strong> their forest<br />
habitat, but no Tigers.<br />
On day 4, we left for our next dest<strong>in</strong>ation - Munnar. If<br />
Thekkady was known for its spices plantations, Munnar<br />
is better known for its tea plantations. The road to<br />
Munnar runs right across Kerala’s high range<br />
negotiat<strong>in</strong>g steep sharp hair-p<strong>in</strong> bends before reach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a height <strong>of</strong> 5000 ft. to end an uneasy but otherwise a<br />
memorable journey. Lake View Resort, where we<br />
checked <strong>in</strong> for the next four nights <strong>of</strong>fers a panoramic<br />
view <strong>of</strong> verdant tea estates and mounta<strong>in</strong> peaks<br />
surrounded by a veil <strong>of</strong> mist - a real feast for the eyes.<br />
With temperatures vary<strong>in</strong>g between 10-25 degrees<br />
Celsius, the hill station is an attractive dest<strong>in</strong>ation with<br />
peak season <strong>in</strong> December-January when Munnar is<br />
choc-a bloc with tourists.
Besides cover<strong>in</strong>g some romantic spots with enchant<strong>in</strong>g<br />
sce<strong>nic</strong> beauty, a visit to the Tata Tea Museum was most<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g. After an illum<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g talk followed by<br />
screen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a documentary film, tourists were guided<br />
<strong>in</strong>side a m<strong>in</strong>i manufactur<strong>in</strong>g plant where the entire tea<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g process from load<strong>in</strong>g the green leaves to the<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ished aromatic product was shown. The visit was<br />
concluded with a refresh<strong>in</strong>g cup <strong>of</strong> cardamom-flavoured<br />
tea which seemed to shake <strong>of</strong>f the day’s sight-see<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fatigue.<br />
It was time at last to say goodbye to the fun, fabulous<br />
food and wellness spa we had enjoyed at both resorts<br />
over the past week, not to speak <strong>of</strong> the pleasant and<br />
salubrious weather. Madurai and Kochi, conveniently<br />
serve as the entry and exit po<strong>in</strong>ts or vice-a versa to<br />
Kerala’s high range. It was another longer and tiresome<br />
road journey till we checked <strong>in</strong> at Taj Malabar <strong>in</strong><br />
Will<strong>in</strong>gdon Island, not far from the Naval Base. Despite<br />
time crunch, we managed to visit some popular tourist<br />
spots at Fort Coch<strong>in</strong> and shopped at Mattancherry for<br />
the Kerala’s tasty crunchy banana chips and a few<br />
attractive souvenirs <strong>in</strong> the prevail<strong>in</strong>g swelter<strong>in</strong>g heat,<br />
before head<strong>in</strong>g for the Naval Base,<br />
Curiously, we drove around INHS Sanjivani to fulfill my<br />
daughter’s long-cherished dream <strong>of</strong> someday visit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
her place <strong>of</strong> birth. Sanjivani’s current makeover from her<br />
earlier avatar 40 or so years back was truly<br />
158<br />
unbelievable. A quick run through the popular Katari<br />
Bagh was our next agenda to w<strong>in</strong>d up the excursion. But<br />
plan had to be dropped after some bra<strong>in</strong>-storm<strong>in</strong>g as<br />
none <strong>of</strong> us could recall the exact numbers <strong>of</strong> two<br />
different types <strong>of</strong> accommodation where we once<br />
resided <strong>in</strong> succession for a few years.<br />
Rather disheartened, we returned to our hotel room and<br />
cooled ourselves <strong>in</strong> the sea-side pool before prepar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for the return flight from Kochi airport on the follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
day.<br />
Our short trip to Coch<strong>in</strong> at the fag-end after a long gap<br />
was both nostalgic and reward<strong>in</strong>g for the coveted<br />
opportunity to relive many past memories. No wonder it<br />
is said that ‘past is <strong>in</strong>variably a dream <strong>of</strong> happ<strong>in</strong>ess’. All<br />
<strong>in</strong> all, the excursion was <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and excit<strong>in</strong>g, if not<br />
rejuvenat<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
gr_biswas@yahoo.com
The Western Fleet participated <strong>in</strong> TROPeX 2010 on the<br />
Eastern sea-board along with ships <strong>of</strong> the Eastern Fleet.<br />
Fuell<strong>in</strong>g with Aditya<br />
INS Betwa attended DImDeX 2010 organised at Doha,<br />
Qatar from 28 to 31 Mar 10. Her Excellency Mrs Deepa<br />
Gopalan Wadhawa, Indian Ambassador to Qatar and<br />
other dist<strong>in</strong>guished visitors from participat<strong>in</strong>g navies like<br />
Adm Chah Chawarn Amrapala, Senior Advisor, Royal<br />
Thai Navy; Col Ngang Boon Kiteng, Head Naval<br />
Underwater Centre, Republic <strong>of</strong> S<strong>in</strong>gapore Navy; Brig<br />
General US Air Force Barb Jaulkely attended.<br />
CO Betwa be<strong>in</strong>g presented a memento<br />
Patrol <strong>of</strong>f gulf <strong>of</strong> aden. Ships <strong>of</strong> the Western Fleet<br />
have been <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> Presence cum Surveillance<br />
Mission and Anti Piracy patrols <strong>in</strong> the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
Western Naval Command<br />
162<br />
Oct 2008 on a cont<strong>in</strong>uous basis provid<strong>in</strong>g succor to the<br />
Indian and International sea- farers.<br />
Escort operations by INS Mysore<br />
Operation malabar 10. Indo-US bilateral naval<br />
exercise was conducted <strong>in</strong> Apr 10. Indian Naval Ships<br />
Godavari, Mysore, Brahmaputra and Tabar along with<br />
USN Ships Shiloh, Curts, Chaffee, Lassen and<br />
Annapolis participated.<br />
The Flag Officer Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-Chief, Western Naval<br />
Command, General Officer Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-Chief,<br />
Southern Army Command and Air Officer Command<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>-Chief,<br />
South Western Air Command attended 17th<br />
Tri-service Conference and witnessed Op Demo.
The IN ship Talwar was nom<strong>in</strong>ated for 11 out <strong>of</strong><br />
possible 14 <strong>in</strong>dividual trophies at stake. The ship won<br />
the most prestigious ‘Best Ship <strong>of</strong> the Western Fleet’<br />
trophy for the second time <strong>in</strong> succession, and for the<br />
third time <strong>in</strong> last four years. The ship also won the<br />
Western Fleet Regatta Cock for the first time.<br />
INs shivalik, first <strong>of</strong> the three new ‘Stealth’ Frigates<br />
was commissioned by the Raksha Mantri, Shri AK<br />
Antony, on 29 Apr 2010. The ship commanded by<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> MD Suresh was built by Mazagon Docks<br />
Limited, Mumbai.<br />
The Naval Investiture Ceremony was held at INS<br />
Shikra. Dur<strong>in</strong>g which CNS conferred the Presidential<br />
awards. Nao Sena Medal for gallantry was awarded to<br />
Lieutenant Commander Rohit Mishra, Lieutenant Vikas<br />
Dahiya, Petty Officer Yaimachoul S<strong>in</strong>gh and Lead<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Seaman Vishwanath V Bhat for Anti-Terrorist<br />
operations <strong>in</strong> Taj on 26/11, Lieutenant Vikas Dahiya and<br />
163<br />
Lead<strong>in</strong>g Seaman Jaidev for counter <strong>in</strong>surgency<br />
operations <strong>in</strong> the Kashmir Valley and Lieutenant GB<br />
Yaduvashi and Petty Officer Sajjan S<strong>in</strong>gh (Clearance<br />
Diver First Class) for their role dur<strong>in</strong>g Anti Piracy<br />
Operations <strong>in</strong> Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden.<br />
IN Ships Ranvir and Beas and submar<strong>in</strong>e INS<br />
S<strong>in</strong>dhughosh were the recipients <strong>of</strong> Unit Citations.<br />
INsV mhadei. Commander Dilip Donde, and the<br />
Mhadei on their return from the epic voyage around the<br />
Globe, brought home, not the plunder <strong>of</strong> the world, but<br />
priceless gifts <strong>in</strong>stead….the gift <strong>of</strong> narration <strong>of</strong> the<br />
delights <strong>of</strong> distant voyage, were given a rous<strong>in</strong>g<br />
welcome by the nation.<br />
sailors Widows’ Hostel - ‘sahara’. ‘Sahara’, a<br />
residential facility for widows <strong>of</strong> sailors was <strong>in</strong>augurated<br />
by Mrs. Rajni Bhas<strong>in</strong> President, NWWA (WR) on 21 Sep<br />
10 at New Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai.
golden Jubilee <strong>of</strong> INas 300 To mark the 50th<br />
anniversary <strong>of</strong> commission<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> INAS 300, a sem<strong>in</strong>ar<br />
on Naval Fighter Aviation was organised at INS Hansa<br />
on 06 and 07 Jul 10 under the aegis <strong>of</strong> Flag Officer<br />
Naval Aviation. Commissioned on 7th <strong>of</strong> July 1960 <strong>in</strong><br />
Royal Naval Air Station Brawdy, UK, fly<strong>in</strong>g the Sea<br />
Hawk aircraft, the squadron is a battle hardened unit<br />
which has won many gallantry awards and played a<br />
sterl<strong>in</strong>g role <strong>in</strong> the 1971 war. In recognition <strong>of</strong> the<br />
yeoman service rendered by the Squadron over the<br />
past five decades, the Government <strong>of</strong> India bestowed a<br />
unique honour by releas<strong>in</strong>g a commemorative postage<br />
stamp by the M<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>of</strong> State for Commu<strong>nic</strong>ation and<br />
IT, Mr Gurudas Kamat on 07 July 2010. His Excellency<br />
Dr SS Sidhu, the Governor <strong>of</strong> Goa unveiled the blow up<br />
<strong>of</strong> the commemorative postage stamp. The C<strong>of</strong>fee<br />
Table Book - “White Tigers on the Prowl”, reflect<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
glorious past <strong>of</strong> the Squadron was released by His<br />
Excellency, Dr SS Sidhu.<br />
164<br />
asv<strong>in</strong>i turns 60. INHS Asv<strong>in</strong>i which is one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
historical landmarks <strong>of</strong> Mumbai has completed 60th<br />
year <strong>of</strong> service to Indian Navy on 18th Sep 2010. The<br />
hospital set up as the K<strong>in</strong>g’s hospital for British Sailors<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1756 and amalgamated with the Sepoy hospital for<br />
Indian soldiers later, the hospital has been provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
medical care to the Mumbai Garrison for over two<br />
centuries. The grand arcaded build<strong>in</strong>g which stands<br />
proud even today was built <strong>in</strong> 1899. After<br />
Independence, the hospital was commissioned as<br />
Indian Naval Hospital Ship Asv<strong>in</strong>i, the first hospital <strong>of</strong><br />
the Indian Navy on the 18th <strong>of</strong> Sep 1951. Over a period<br />
<strong>of</strong> time, the hospital evolved <strong>in</strong>to one <strong>of</strong> the f<strong>in</strong>est <strong>in</strong> the<br />
city <strong>of</strong> Mumbai and one <strong>of</strong> the preferred centers for post<br />
graduate tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g under the Maharashtra University <strong>of</strong><br />
Health Sciences. A modern hospital complex with 825<br />
beds was built fac<strong>in</strong>g the Mumbai harbour <strong>in</strong> 2001. The<br />
multi-storey new build<strong>in</strong>g at the harbour mouth is a<br />
landmark for mar<strong>in</strong>ers.
Flood Relief Operations. The ENC relief teams<br />
participated <strong>in</strong> rescue and relief operations <strong>in</strong> the<br />
affected districts <strong>of</strong> Krishna, Kurnool and<br />
Mehboobnagar <strong>in</strong> Andhra Pradesh. Apart from<br />
transport<strong>in</strong>g relief materials, the teams also ferried<br />
the Andhra Pradesh M<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>of</strong> State for Small Scale<br />
Industries, Ms DK Aruna<br />
‘Kalanjali’ Inter school Cultural Fest. Flag Officer<br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-Chief, Eastern Naval Command<br />
<strong>in</strong>augurated Kalanjali- 2009, the two day Inter School<br />
Cultural extravaganza organized by Navy Children<br />
School, Visakhapatnam 29 Oct 09. More than 1200<br />
students from 22 schools <strong>of</strong> the city, <strong>in</strong> different age<br />
Eastern Naval Command<br />
165<br />
group participated <strong>in</strong> 18 Competitions.<br />
Visit to INs Jalashwa. INS Jalashwa, hosted special<br />
children from various schools <strong>of</strong> Visakhapatnam on<br />
14 Nov 09. Over 143 Special children <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g wheel<br />
chair-bound children and 40 faculty members from<br />
‘Sankalp’, ‘Arunodaya Special School’, ‘Lebenshilfe’,<br />
‘Omkar and Lions School for Deaf’, ‘Sunflower<br />
Special School’, ‘Bethany School’ and ‘Pavani<br />
Institute’ visited the ship.<br />
CNs Visit. CNS accompanied by Mrs. Madhulika<br />
Verma, President NWWA, visited Visakhapatnam<br />
from 20 Dec 09, on a two day visit. CNS reviewed the<br />
Eastern Fleet at sea dur<strong>in</strong>g his stay.<br />
Mrs. Madhulika Verma <strong>in</strong>teracted with the ladies <strong>of</strong><br />
the ‘Sahara’ Group and with the Executive Body <strong>of</strong><br />
the NWWA, Eastern Region and attended a ‘Milan’.<br />
eastern Fleet Pull<strong>in</strong>g Regatta-2010. The Eastern<br />
Fleet Whaler Pull<strong>in</strong>g Regatta was held on 19 Jan<br />
2010, <strong>in</strong> which a total <strong>of</strong> 22 teams competed. INS<br />
Jalashwa emerged the w<strong>in</strong>ner and received the<br />
coveted ‘Cock’ from C-<strong>in</strong>-C, East.
‘sankalp’ Celebrations. ‘Sankalp’, the Navy School<br />
for Special Children, under the aegis <strong>of</strong> NWWA<br />
(Eastern Region), celebrated its twentieth<br />
anniversary on 29 Jan 10. The Flag Officer<br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-Chief, Eastern Naval Command,<br />
congratulated the children on putt<strong>in</strong>g up a delightful<br />
performance and gave away prizes.<br />
Change Over – asD(V). Rear Admiral Vijaya Kumar<br />
Namballa, took over as ASD (V) from Rear Admiral<br />
Raman Prabhat, at a formal ceremony on 19 Mar 10.<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gapore Naval ships’ Visit. As a part <strong>of</strong> ‘SIMBEX-<br />
10’, Jo<strong>in</strong>t Naval Exercise between Navies <strong>of</strong> India<br />
and the Republic <strong>of</strong> S<strong>in</strong>gapore <strong>in</strong> the Bay <strong>of</strong> Bengal,<br />
two ships <strong>of</strong> the S<strong>in</strong>gapore Navy, RSN Intrepid and<br />
RSN Victory with Command<strong>in</strong>g Officers and Colonel<br />
Giam Hock Koon Tan Kai Hoe onboard, visited<br />
Visakhapatnam on Saturday, 10 Apr 10.<br />
166<br />
Injured <strong>of</strong> anti-Naxal Operations evacuated.<br />
Respond<strong>in</strong>g to an appeal from District Collector <strong>of</strong><br />
Visakhapatnam, Government <strong>of</strong> Andhra Pradesh on<br />
10 May 10, the Indian Navy evacuated casualties<br />
from Ch<strong>in</strong>tapalle Mandal, over 95 kilometers from<br />
Visakhapatnam. A UH-3H helicopter <strong>of</strong> the ENC<br />
airlifted six casualties, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g three ladies with two<br />
<strong>in</strong> critical conditions. The personnel were seriously<br />
<strong>in</strong>jured dur<strong>in</strong>g Comb<strong>in</strong>g operations aga<strong>in</strong>st Maoist<br />
rebels near the forests <strong>of</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>tapalle Mandal.<br />
“Little angels school” at Dolph<strong>in</strong> Hill. The Little<br />
Angels school at Dolph<strong>in</strong> Hill was <strong>in</strong>augurated by Mrs<br />
Nani S<strong>in</strong>gh, President NWWA (E/R) on 18 Jun 10.<br />
Decommission<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> INs Vela. INS Vela, was<br />
decommissioned on 25 Jun 10, at a ceremony held<br />
at the Naval Base. INS Vela had served the Indian<br />
Navy for the past 37 glorious years. The
Decommission<strong>in</strong>g Ceremony saw a traditional ‘Pay<br />
Off’ <strong>of</strong> the Submar<strong>in</strong>e as the Naval <strong>Band</strong> play<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
‘Last Post’ with the haul<strong>in</strong>g down <strong>of</strong> the National<br />
Flag, the Naval Ensign and the Decommission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Pennant at sunset.<br />
IN ships CaNKaRsO & KONDUL Commissioned.<br />
IN Ships Cankarso Kondul, Water Jet Propelled Fast<br />
167<br />
Attack Craft were commissioned by His Excellency,<br />
Shri ESL Narasimhan, Governor <strong>of</strong> Andhra Pradesh,<br />
on 29 Jun 10.<br />
Visit <strong>of</strong> air Chief. Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, Chief<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Air Staff and Chairman, Chief <strong>of</strong> Staff<br />
Committee (COSC) visited Visakhapatnam on 29 Jul<br />
10 for a two-day visit to the ENC. On arrival, the CAS<br />
attended a brief<strong>in</strong>g on the role and functions <strong>of</strong> the<br />
ENC.<br />
Raksha Rajya mantri Visit. Shri MM Pallam Raju,<br />
Hon’ble M<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>of</strong> State for Defence <strong>in</strong>augurated the<br />
All India Sa<strong>in</strong>ik Schools Pr<strong>in</strong>cipals Conference on 16<br />
Sep 2010 at Sa<strong>in</strong>ik School, Korukonda. Shri D<br />
Manikya Varaprasad, Hon’ble M<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>of</strong> Education,<br />
Govt <strong>of</strong> Andhra Pradesh was the Guest <strong>of</strong> Honour. A<br />
visit to Ships and Submar<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong> harbour was<br />
organised on 18 Sep 10.
medical Camp at Lakshdweep Islands. A 23member<br />
medical team led by Surgeon Commodore<br />
Girish Gupta, Command<strong>in</strong>g Officer <strong>of</strong> INHS<br />
Sanjivani, conducted a medical camp <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Lakshadweep Islands from 27 to 30 November<br />
2009 as part <strong>of</strong> the Navy Day celebrations.<br />
armed Forces Tribunal, Kochi Bench<br />
Inaugurated. The Kochi Bench <strong>of</strong> the Armed Forces<br />
Tribunal was <strong>in</strong>augurated on 06 Dec 2009 at Kochi<br />
by Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur, Chairperson <strong>of</strong><br />
AFT at INS Dronacharya. Hon Chief Justice <strong>of</strong><br />
Kerala Justice SR Bannurmath was the Chief<br />
Guest on the occasion.<br />
Southern Naval Command<br />
168<br />
Visit <strong>of</strong> J&K students. 23 students from J&K,<br />
accompanied by two teachers, and personnel from<br />
322 Air Defence Regiment <strong>of</strong> the Indian Army<br />
visited SNC. The children were from the Iqbal<br />
Islamia Model High School, Baramulla.<br />
NBC Defence sem<strong>in</strong>ar 2010. A sem<strong>in</strong>ar on ‘New<br />
Advancement <strong>in</strong> NBC Defence Radiological Safety<br />
Practiced On Board Ships and Submar<strong>in</strong>es’ was<br />
conducted at NBCD School, INS Shivaji from 22-23<br />
Mar 2010. 125 delegates from three services,<br />
DRDO Lab, BARC, SFC and Civil Industries<br />
participated. Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan,<br />
Chief <strong>of</strong> Material was the chief guest.
Brave Divers’ memorial. ‘Jalveer Smriti’, a<br />
Memorial dedicated to the Underwater Warriors <strong>of</strong><br />
the Indian Navy who achieved Martyrdom was<br />
<strong>in</strong>augurated by the Flag Officer Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-<br />
Chief, Southern Naval Command on 11 May 2010.<br />
Renovated modular Blood Bank. A newly<br />
renovated modular blood bank was <strong>in</strong>augurated at<br />
INHS Sanjivani, Kochi by the Flag Officer<br />
Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-Chief, Southern Naval Command<br />
on 16th June 2010. A Blood Donation camp was<br />
also <strong>in</strong>augurated by Smt Letha Sushil, President<br />
NWWA, Southern Region.<br />
Commonwealth games Baton. The<br />
Commonwealth Games Baton was accorded a<br />
befitt<strong>in</strong>g reception on 29 Aug 2010, led by the Flag<br />
Officer Command<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>-Chief, Southern Naval<br />
169<br />
Command. International and national level sports<br />
persons from the Indian Navy, naval personnel <strong>in</strong><br />
uniform and scores <strong>of</strong> students from Navy<br />
Children’s School were present. The Baton was<br />
received by Bibu Mathew, Chief Petty Officer,<br />
Bronze medalist at the Asian Athletic<br />
Championship <strong>in</strong> Triple Jump. The Baton was then<br />
handed over as a relay, by Shijas P Mohammed,<br />
Master Chief Petty Officer who was the Capta<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
the National Volleyball team, LJK S<strong>in</strong>gh, Petty<br />
Officer, Bronze medalist <strong>in</strong> Kayak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Asian<br />
Championship, and Naresh Yadav, Petty Officer,<br />
Gold medalist <strong>in</strong> Athletics at Asian Grand Prix.<br />
Lieutenant Commander K George (Retd) Age 70, a<br />
veteran Navy athlete f<strong>in</strong>ally handed over the Baton<br />
to C-<strong>in</strong>-C who then handed over the Baton to<br />
Shubhangi Swaroop, National Champion <strong>in</strong><br />
Taekwondo, as well as Arjun Chaudhury, Kerala<br />
State team basket ball player and a student <strong>of</strong><br />
Kendriya Vidyalaya II.<br />
INs Kalpeni Commissioned. The Latest Fast<br />
Attack Craft, INS Kalpeni was commissioned by<br />
Hon’ble Mr Justice Jasti Chelameswar, Chief<br />
Justice, High Court <strong>of</strong> Kerala at Naval Base. The<br />
ship commanded by Lieutenant Commander<br />
Subhal Nathan, was conceived, designed and built<br />
<strong>in</strong>digenously at Garden Reach Shipyard, Kolkota.
AGM Navy Foundation<br />
Bangalore Charter<br />
A get-together <strong>of</strong> members and their spouses was held<br />
on 4th October 2009. A presentation on comfort homes<br />
for Veterans was given. Navy Nite was organised on 19<br />
December 2009, as a part <strong>of</strong> Navy Week celebrations.<br />
A popular band and DJ music was organized.<br />
A get-together was aga<strong>in</strong> held on 21 March 2010. This<br />
event was co-sponsored by Trident Hyundai. Latest<br />
models <strong>of</strong> Hyundai cars were displayed and a free<br />
check-up <strong>of</strong> vehicles <strong>of</strong>fered.<br />
Election <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fice bearers were held on 27 June<br />
2010. Cmde KSK Prasad (Retd), President, Cdr GJ<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gh (Retd), Vice President & Secretary and Capt<br />
Saikumar (Retd), Treasurer were elected. R Adm<br />
172<br />
Charter News<br />
SRS Gopal (Retd) and Cmde FH Dubash (Retd)<br />
were elected as co-opted members. Capt AK Wason<br />
from DESA attended the AGM and gave a<br />
presentation on the various welfare schemes for Exservicemen.<br />
Bhubaneshwar Charter<br />
This charter meets every two months alternately <strong>in</strong><br />
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Dur<strong>in</strong>g these meet<strong>in</strong>gs all<br />
circulars/<strong>in</strong>formation received from NHQ and other<br />
sources were read out. These get-togethers were<br />
followed by a lunch on each occassion.<br />
Delhi Charter<br />
The AGM was held on 20 Feb 2010 and this was<br />
followed by the annual Gala D<strong>in</strong>ner and Dance.<br />
Get-together <strong>of</strong> members Annual Gala D<strong>in</strong>ner and Dance
Lecture Ch<strong>in</strong>a, US, India and the Strategy <strong>in</strong> Asia<br />
Luncheon get-togethers were held on 11 Jul 2010 and<br />
20 Nov 2010. On 11 Jul 2010, a Talk on “Ch<strong>in</strong>a, US,<br />
India and the Strategy <strong>in</strong> Asia” was delivered by Mrs.<br />
Indrani Bagchi, Senior Editor, Times <strong>of</strong> India.<br />
Admiral RD Katari Memorial Lecture was organized on<br />
20 Nov 2010 at the DRDO Bhavan. Shri Shiv Shankar<br />
Menon, National Security Advisor to the Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister<br />
<strong>of</strong> India spoke on “Strategic and Economic Issues for<br />
the Future”.<br />
Hyderabad Charter<br />
Quarterly Meet<strong>in</strong>gs were conducted on 17 Jan, 18 Apr,<br />
18 July and 10 Oct 2010. Commodore MVS Kumar,<br />
PDESA/Secretary Navy Foundation attended the<br />
meet<strong>in</strong>g held on 18th July 2010.<br />
Navy Golf Cup Tournament consist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> 8 Teams from<br />
Army, Navy and Air Force Units at Hyderabad <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
2 Teams from our Navy Foundation was organised on<br />
19th January 2010. On completion <strong>of</strong> Tournament,<br />
Lunch was hosted for all the participants.<br />
Kerala Charter<br />
In Feb 2010 the members had a memorable getaway,<br />
by way <strong>of</strong> a pic<strong>nic</strong> to Kumblangi, a back water village<br />
tourist spot.<br />
AGM <strong>of</strong> the Charter was held on 16 May 2010. V Adm<br />
R P Suthan was elected as the President. Cmde A J<br />
173<br />
AGM <strong>of</strong> the Kerala Charter<br />
Paul Raj, a dist<strong>in</strong>guished member, was felicitated on<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g conferred Padma Bhushan. Scholarship cash<br />
award <strong>of</strong> Rs 3000/- each were given to six students for<br />
merit <strong>in</strong> the academics.<br />
The festival <strong>of</strong> Onam, was celebrated at the NWWA<br />
Kala Kendra, Katari Bagh on 26 Sep 2010 with C-<strong>in</strong>-C,<br />
South and Mrs. Letha Sushil as the chief guests. The<br />
Onam celebrations ended with a sumptuous traditional<br />
Onam sadya on planta<strong>in</strong> leaves. In outreach program to<br />
assist the needy and poor through voluntary donations,<br />
the Govt. Old Age Home at Thevara was the first<br />
beneficiary. The essential needs <strong>of</strong> the Home and the<br />
<strong>in</strong>mates were identified and met.<br />
mumbai Charter<br />
23 May 2010 - Annual General Body meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Charter was held at IMSC, Dhanush. R Adm Arun<br />
Get-together <strong>of</strong> members
Musical Chair Pic<strong>nic</strong> at Cdr DD Naiks Farm<br />
Auditto (Retd) was elected as the new President <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Mumbai Charter and Lt Cdr F Tarapore as the new<br />
Hony, Treasurer.<br />
The follow<strong>in</strong>g lectures were organised by the The<br />
Maritime History Society:<br />
- “Heatlth <strong>in</strong> the French Navy <strong>in</strong> the 18th century<br />
and its Impact on Naval Operations <strong>in</strong> the Indian<br />
Ocean” by Mr. Peter Greenwood <strong>of</strong> the Ch<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Land Power Company, Hong Kong.<br />
- “Sagarparikrama - Solo Circumnavigation” by<br />
Cdr. Dilip Donde.<br />
- “The North Indian Ocean Trade <strong>in</strong> the Ancient<br />
Period” by Dr. Sh<strong>in</strong>u Abraham <strong>of</strong> St. Lawrence<br />
University, New York.<br />
- “Visit <strong>of</strong> Foreign Travellers to the Konkan Coast<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Medieval period” by Dr. Neeta Khandpekar,<br />
HOD <strong>of</strong> History, Sommaya, College ,Mumbai.<br />
Veteran’s v/s Serv<strong>in</strong>g Naval <strong>of</strong>ficers Golf<br />
tournament was held at the US Club Annexe on 20<br />
Nov 2010. Serv<strong>in</strong>g Naval Officers won the<br />
Tournament. This event was sponsored by the<br />
CMD, MDL.<br />
Pune Charter<br />
AGM <strong>of</strong> the Charter was held dur<strong>in</strong>g which Cmde<br />
(Retd.) P K Malhotra –Chairman and Cdr (Retd.) P<br />
Rawat--Vice Chairman were elected unanimously.<br />
The Charter also organized a pic<strong>nic</strong> at Cdr D D<br />
Naik's Farm House on the outskirts <strong>of</strong> Pune.<br />
174
V Adm MP Awati (Retd) 05<br />
V Adm JN Sukul (Retd) 09<br />
Late Cmde MK Banger (Retd) 10, 45<br />
V Adm Parvesh Jaitly (Retd) 13<br />
Capt Haridasan (Retd) 16<br />
Capt Sunil David (Retd) 19, 130<br />
Cdr TS Trewn (Retd) 22, 51<br />
Cmde HML Saxena (Retd) 23<br />
Mrs Usha Sukul 24<br />
Cdr JK Sharma (Retd) 27<br />
Mrs. Ruma Purkayastha 28<br />
R Adm SK Das (Retd) 31, 106<br />
Capt PN Mathur (Retd) 35<br />
Admiral RH Tahiliani (Retd) 41, 90<br />
R Adm YN Inamdar (Retd) 43<br />
Admiral Jayant Nadkarni (Retd) 47<br />
Cmde MB Kunte (Retd.) 49, 135<br />
Cdr Noel Lobo (Retd) 52<br />
V Adm V Pasricha (Retd) 53<br />
Cdr BS Hothi (Retd) 55<br />
Lt Cdr Mathew Joseph (Retd) 59<br />
Mrs Manju Gupta (nee Manju Rajan) 63<br />
R Adm SK Das (Retd) 64<br />
Cmde JP Carneiro (Retd) 66<br />
V Adm RKS Ghandhi (Retd) 67<br />
Cdr RM Verma (Retd) 68<br />
Cmde RS Malia (Retd) 69<br />
Surg Cmde Ranjit Das (Retd) 70<br />
Capt NV Sarathy (Retd) 72<br />
Cdr VK Mohan (Retd) 73<br />
Lt Cdr GA Mathew 74<br />
V Adm Har<strong>in</strong>der S<strong>in</strong>gh (Retd) 74, 85, 115<br />
V Adm PS Das (Retd) 75<br />
Cmde Rajeev Sawhney (Retd) 77<br />
Cmde RPS Ravi (Retd) 79<br />
V Adm RN Ganesh (Retd) 82<br />
Cmde RK Dass (Retd) 84,135<br />
V Adm AK S<strong>in</strong>gh (Retd) 86<br />
176<br />
List <strong>of</strong> Contributors<br />
V Adm Vijay Shankar (Retd) 88<br />
Capt Srikant B Kesnur 92<br />
Admiral VS Shekhawat (Retd) 94<br />
Dr Anuradha Kunte 95<br />
Mrs M<strong>in</strong>ni Sharma 96<br />
Cmde Ravi Sharma (Retd) 97, 105<br />
V Adm KV Bharathan (Retd) 98<br />
Cdr K Kutty (Retd) 100<br />
Surg Cmde JK Gupta (Retd) 102<br />
Cmde SM Sundaram (Retd) 103<br />
Late V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd) 107, 108<br />
Cdr NA Mullerworth (Retd) 110<br />
Major General Subroto Kundu (Retd) 111<br />
Cdr R Ganapathi (Retd) 113<br />
Col NS Rawat (Retd) 116<br />
Dr CT George 118<br />
Cdr Tushar Dutt (Retd) 119<br />
V Adm Pradeep Kaushiva (Retd) 120<br />
R Adm Subir Paul (Retd) 121<br />
Cdr Manav Handa 122<br />
Mrs Grace George 123<br />
Mrs Jhilmil Sengupta 124<br />
Mrs Veryam Kaur Trewn 125<br />
V Adm AC Bhatia (Retd) 126<br />
Cdr Vikram Arab 127<br />
V Adm Ganesh Mahadevan 128<br />
Mrs Dulcie Suresh 132<br />
Cdr V Viswanath 133<br />
Lt T Jayanth Kumar 134<br />
Mrs Lakshmi Viswanath 134<br />
Capt GP Philipose 136<br />
Cdr Neil Gadihoke 138<br />
Lt Cdr Yogesh Athawale 140<br />
V Adm IJS Khurana 141<br />
Mrs Padmaja Parulkar-Kesnur 147<br />
Mrs Yamuna Gov<strong>in</strong>dan 150<br />
R Adm Sushil Ramsay (Retd) 154<br />
Lt Cdr Gitesh Biswas (Retd) 157