HOW GETTING A CREDIT CARD CAN BE MORE PAINFUL IN A PRIVATE SECTOR BANK

PUBLIC SECTOR BANK OUT PERFORMS PRIVATE SECTOR BANK

About two years ago, I shared my poor experience with ATM machines belonging to a private sector bank. It was titled, "Deceived by ATM or Bank?". It was  so well received that the Bank in question reacted to the public pressure  on social media and resolved the issue which until then appeared to have been buried without an answer!. The Bank also was sensitive to posts on FB and apparently had an efficient method of following complaints on social media.

The private sector bank now in question, has so far shown little concern to customer relations. I shall name the bank at the end of the article. Here goes my story.

A multinational bank which was handling my accounts was scaling down operations in India, which urged me to look for a private sector Indian bank to fill the void. I selected a bank with which we had no previous experience and one which needed to be tried based purely on its performance data available from open sources. Customer relations per se in India is yet to come of age. Poorly trained staff  appear to be the malaise in almost all sectors of Indian Industry and the private sector as a whole. My very first visit to a newly opened branch, confirmed my fears on the subject. Hence I decided to test the efficiency of the bank  over a period of time before committing more of my savings and investments after retirement. The financial sectors have realised that the best customers are retired pensioners who have very few financial burdens to carry.They are hence targeted for "lucrative schemes" as seen by the bank.

Having maintained a healthy balance in my savings account, I thought it was time to apply for a credit card of the same bank. An interesting category called "Business Regalia first" was my choice. My inquiries were well received and in a reasonable time frame, an agent arrived at my residence. Having satisfied himself that I am indeed an account holder, he got the paperwork completed briskly and claimed that under 10 days I should be a proud owner of the card.

In about three weeks, the card arrived by post. An impressive set of papers accompanied the card. It had detailed instructions on about four methods of obtaining the pin to operate the card. The tearless and digital friendly procedures outlined in the document lulled me into sanguinity-a state best avoided while dealing with such matters- as I was to discover soon.

Needless to say not one of the methodologies outlined in the instructions resulted in generating a pin.A standard response told me to visit an ATM or a branch to do the needful. Having failed at an ATM which would blank out at the very last step, I had no option but to visit the branch office. By now I had invested considerable time and effort to generate a pin.

The staff, more than one,tried all that was possible, including getting the customer care to help.You are all familiar how an automated message guides you to press various numbers just reach an operator.  I was left with no option but to visit the Manager. He too went through repeated attempts without success. He neither had the powers nor the ability to reach out to a senior officer of the appropriate section to help his own customer. So much for efficiency and delegation of powers to solve problems.


The point to note is that a pin was to arrive by mail for the additional card to be  activated. It never did.

After a few attempts on another day, 'Bingo' screamed the Manager. We got a four digit pin!! It was like a lost man in a desert who just found some waterhole which is not a mirage. Praise the Lord!!
I rushed to see whether it works at an ATM. It generated my balance statement using this very precious card issued by no less a bank than HDFC.

The very next morning, I used my card at an outlet for shopping. Rejected on three attempts for incorrect pin,I rushed to the manager to give him this news. Saturday, the second of the month,Bank closed! ATM has no money even to use my debit card. Incidentally, the ATM at this branch is mostly out of cash. Four out of five times, I use the ATM of another bank,located next door to get cash without fail.

Come Monday, I present myself to the horrified manager who has no answers but throws more questions as if to crucify me. Convinced that the issue which had become a riddle,was beyond the capabilities of the manager of a new branch opened at a business friendly center, I embarked on the next logical step.

Any well meaning organisation would have easily accessible, customer- friendly assistance mechanism. Not our bank. Try to complain and you will know what I mean. It starts at the lowest rung of the ladder and worse it will tell you why no action can be take for the next three days. The next mail will tell you what you already know and  in fact you are no wiser. But here is the catch. It will provide another mailing address which is a rung higher, should you have the patience to list your grievances all over again. You now express your deep resentment, for, only a yogi can survive with no anger for all the ill deeds and no apology from the bank. What is a month of inaction for a customer who has all the time to chase a four digit number?
The bank is always right -not the customer!!

In the interim i was flooded with messages that if i enter a temporary number until such and such date, I would be instantly blessed with a four digit number which will open the gates to heaven. My suggestion for a pin by mail was never implemented. Having made many such attempts at ATMs, I was not inclined to chase another mirage.

After well over a month of this tortuous journey,  this morning I received a call asking my concurrence to send me a pin by mail-a suggestion that I alluded to at every stage.. I told the lady at the other end that I was not begging for a credit card and I have come to the conclusion that I am banking at the wrong bank. SBI my parent branch has never given me cause to complain.

I merely told the poor lady that I had found a good shredding machine which at my command would instantly shred the revered Business Regalia card and give me immense pleasure.

I forgot to add, I visited the FB page of the bank, only to see scores of complaint pending for action. When I found a more discrete mode on FB, which promised early action, I received a message to state that I could reveal the branch details and that my identity would be fully protected if I state the facts as they unfolded. When will they overhaul the customer care process to make it flat and address the grievance of the customer-not protect the inefficient and insensitive people who tenant it?

An Eulogy to a hero and leader par excellence-Cdr BN Kavina,Vrc

My Speech on the occasion of immersion of ashes of Cdr BN Kavina Vrc on 24 July 2017

   

I stand before you as a member of the prestigious Killers Family which has been in existence since the attack on Karachi during the 1971 hostilities with Pakistan. We have now lost another of the few remaining decorated sailors of the original Killer squadron, who lived to tell a tale. A tale of dedication, bonding ,camaraderie and professional competence.

Undoubtedly that level of bonding and loyalty to the squadron  would not have been achieved without the difficult conditions under which we were trained in a remote part of Vladivostok, that too on an island in 1969/70. Sequestered as we were with no liberty to leave the island except for a few hours on weekends, the secret nature of the city itself  and given the extreme temperatures of -32 C in winter, we learnt to survive together. Survival under harsh conditions, as the Army would tell us, bonds people like no other activity in ones life.

 Letters from home took more than a month to reach us via the embassy.  Married officers and sailors had no means to contact their families since telephones were rare to find and the cost of a call unaffordable. That is where we became comrades in arms. We learnt to eat what was served, live with scanty winter clothes and celebrate any occasion that would keep us happy. Thus living together and sharing  common spaces and joint activities helped us to bridge wide gaps  in seniority. It also enabled us to assess each other's strengths and weaknesses. The entire contingent at Vladivostok learned to trust each other. The fact that we were poised for combat operations further cemented our camaraderie.

LtCdr Bahadur Nariman Kavina  was one of the handpicked Commanding officers among the eight. I was the XO of the eighth boat , later to be named INS Veer. Our association commenced in 1969 and continued to grow even after his premature retirement in 1981.

As I now gather from Mrs Kavina , Farida, to us, just a day prior to his passing away, he enquired about the health of my wife Gita who is recovering from a surgery. That tells you how our association went well beyond retirement and even death as some would say.

Much has been said and written about the Killers. Let us not forget that Cdr Kavina was later the Commissioning Commanding officer of INS Hosdurg a Missile Corvette.   Capt, then Lt Prabhakar (Pubs)recalls that the Commanding Officer managed to maintain a smiling face and that he never saw him angry throughout the 28 months he served under him. However Cdr Kavina was known to be firm when required. One such example was when he refused to accept Hosdurg  from the Russians as one of her engines was sub optimal in performance . No amount of pressure from Delhi and Moscow would make him relent until the engine was changed.

Earlier when the Commissioning crew was being mustered at Mumbai and was preparing to complete departure formalities, Pubs had to face a dilemma. His wedding had been fixed during the pre departure preparation. Torn between the desire to commission a new powerful unit and his impending wedding, he apologetically broke the news to his Captain. To his utter surprise his CO said, "Pubs don't worry. Your wedding is more important in your life. Proceed on leave forthwith ." Pubs left two weeks before the wedding date with orders to return a week after his wedding.

Pubs goes on to add, when the ship was returning to India, soon after crossing the Suez canal, he was summoned to report to Captain's cabin. It was there that Pubs was told that his father at Bengaluru was very serious and that arrangements had been made for disembarking him at Aden from where he would fly back to India via Cairo. Capt Prabhakar declares that he practised what he learnt from Cdr Kavina during his command of Dunagiri. That is a great tribute to Cdr Kavina.

The 22 missile vessel squadron has from time to time invited us to partake in the annual Killers day celebrations during the navy week . Fortunately, many of us had gathered here in 2015 and that was the last speech delivered by Cdr Kavina to the Killer squadron. He was later given the opportunity to be present at the decommissioning ceremony of INS Nipat  as he was in Command of the original Nipat.

Coming now to the event today, I recall two quotes of General Patton during the second world war. "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived" unquote. It is the same General who had earlier said, " It is not your duty to die for your country. Your job is to make the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. " The Killer squadron did just that. In both operations Trident and Python, we lost not a single ship or sailor. The enemy  lost ships and sailors and Karachi was left burning.

Bahadur Kavina who later became a guide and guardian to both my wife and me, with whole hearted support of Farida, has shared every joyous occasion in our lives and equally our sorrows too. Young Carl and his sister Roshni gave us great pleasure  of babysitting them at Kochi in 1972.

 On a solemn occasion like this when the serving community has joined us to complete the formalities of Cdr Kavina's  last journey, I must clarify that ceremonial funerals and their procedures are laid down in our orders. Immersion of ashes is however left to the family as a private affair. In this case an exception has been made since he died in Australia during his annual visit to his children and grand children. That the navy accepted my suggestion to immerse his ashes from a Missile boat, speaks well of their credo, "We care."

To the serving community I have two messages. First, let me restate what  George Washington said a long time ago." The willingness with which young people are likely to serve in any war no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by the nation." 

To which I will add that until our nation as a whole learns to do that, let us, both, the serving and retired community, honour our heroes to the best of our abilities. The presence of men in uniform at functions such as these, is vitally important for morale of the fighting forces. The larger the gathering the more forceful will be our message that we care.

"Although no sculptured  marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stones bear records of their deeds ,yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honoured"

Second,  what is it that kept relations between my generation and Cdr Kavina's  going for so long, defying time and space.?

It is, I believe, as I quoted Gen Pershing on another occasion recently, " In a social order in which one person is officially subordinate to another, the superior if he is a Gentleman never thinks of it and the subordinate if he is a Gentleman never forgets it." Most such long lasting relationships of mutual trust and faith in each other's intentions have perhaps followed that adage or aphorism.

 Let us rise and give Cdr Kavina the most befitting "Teen Jai".

A true story of little Chiya and of tri-service cooperation

Little Chiya returns to our fold

A True Story of Tri-Service Camaraderie and Loyalty

At my request that an officer from the Army or Air force be assigned to me as my Staff Officer, on my assumption of duties as Commandant of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) in 2003, Squadron Leader Manish Jha reported to me. I was quite at home  with the tri-service culture having just relinquished my duties as the first Deputy Chief of Operations of the newly formed Integrated Defence Headquarters.NDA being the first tri-service training academy in the world, it was steeped in tri-service traditions and culture. Manish slotted in and hit the deck running to keep pace with hectic activities of the Academy.

This story is about  Chirul, affectionately called Chiya, his four year old daughter. In a matter of months, Anu, Manish's wife and Chiya became an extended family with Chiya accepting my wife Gita as naani and I, Naanu.

Tempus fugit-it was time to say goodbye. We were moving to the Southern Command of the navy and Manish was posted to the squadron at Jorhat, in the North East. It was then that the subject of a small apartment that I owned at an Army housing society at Pune came up for discussion. Sensing that we were unlikely to settle there, Manish proposed to buy it from me. We had no objections and the paper work was done expeditiously. Manish departed after he took over possession of the house. None of us knew what was in store for us!

We were updated on their progress on occasions of festivals and birthdays and all was well till the bad news arrived.

A cryptic message stated that Manish was no more. We remained in touch with Anu and Chiya through her, even as they wound up and moved to Lucknow, the house of Manish's parents.  I was in touch with my colleagues in the Air force during which, I shared some sensitive family details about Manish's parents and his apprehensions about their inability to care for the granddaughter. The Air force followed the legal procedures and preserved a copy of the will left behind by Manish.

         

A week later we were informed that Anu passed away under mysterious circumstances. The  case till today is sub judice. The last we heard was that Chiya was taken away by her maternal grandparents which tallied with the wish expressed by Manish in his discussions with us. That was 13 years ago. Chiya remained in our thoughts and prayers albeit with no communications or coordinates.

It was on 10 Jul this year that I received a call from Chiya. She was sobbing and trying to reach out to me. We never thought that a four year old would remember enough about us to recall every event at NDA with great clarity. She was finally the rightful owner of the house bought by her Father. An invisible hand with the support of well wishers from the Air force had ensured that her legal rights were protected. "Could you please come over to be present during the paper work?" she pleaded. I did not have the heart to tell her that her "Nani" was recovering from a surgery and was not fit to travel even the short distance that now separated us.

Chiya ran into my open arms. Here was a young teenager as old as my own granddaughter! That is when the third arm of the Indian armed forces entered the scene. Right through the legal battle to deprive Chiya of her rights, a retired Colonel who had ,by a strange coincidence worked with me at NDA and was known to Manish held the crucial honorary chair of the Secretary of the Army Welfare housing society which housed Chiya's flat. He firmly and resolutely refused to compromise on the conditions of Manish's will which clearly identified Chiya as the inheritor of the property. He was instrumental in giving my contact number to her and reuniting us. He stood by our side during all the paperwork ably supervised by her present guardian-the maternal grandfather.

Chiya had to be brought home to meet her "Naani". Needless to say it was a tearful reunion-tears of sadness and yet of joy.

Chiya astounded us in the presence of her grandfather by unfolding her memories of NDA. Every happy occasion, the clothes that were worn, the gifts that she received, the car that I drove and so on. Never in our wildest dreams did we credit a four year old to have such vivid memories and a strong resolve to reunite.

She goes back to Mathura to continue her college education. She wants to be a part of the Indian Airforce. Manish and Anu must be happy wherever they are!

This is the strength, bonding and camaraderie that exists in our Armed forces. We tend to look at all the negatives of our lives while forgetting that the real strengths are those that will see us through till our final journey.

God bless you Chiya!

Miracles Do Happen-From Malignant to Benign

A story of faith and hope

Not being a product of strict religious beliefs and having a family from various parts of India and abroad, my journey in the armed forces of India for four decades was a seamless transition. Gita, my life partner for 46 years too came from a similar mixed family. Consequently we had our own freedom to follow and practice what appealed to each of us-that included the faith that our children followed.

The first time I used the word miracle was when Sam, our African Grey, flew away from our home and was found 18 kms away after a month, that too in the  most crowded part of our city. No one could scientifically or logically explain how we were reunited and hence the word miracle.

Some years down the line, Gita became a diabetic which was discovered in a routine bi annual blood test  that we opted to do. It came as a surprise to all that a perfectly healthy individual was afflicted with blood sugar levels of phenomenally high levels- virtually overnight. The endocrinologist began the medication as a routine measure. About a few months later she developed symptoms which cloned drug reactions to the medication commonly prescribed for diabetes. Aversion to food, bloated sensation, loss of weight and nausea followed in quick succession. These were attended to by various specialists but the pain increased with time till she could not tolerate it. Modern diagnostic tools of ultra sound, endoscopy etc, revealed nothing. Her blood reports were as perfect as ever.

It was at this stage, I sought the intervention of the Naval Hospital INHS Asvini located about 180 kms from my town. First handed over to the navy in 1952, this hospital had grown both in quality and size to become one of the most modern and efficient hospitals of India. I was to consult a very impressive, articulate and  communicative specialist in the medical field. An immediate CT scan was suggested even before I moved my wife to Mumbai.

The moment of realisation followed the CT Scan undertaken by a very reputed private hospital. It revealed the presence of a fairly well developed tumour in the pancreas. Traces were seen in the liver too. Question- how do I communicate this to her when she was already in considerable pain? Trained to assess pros and cons of all possible options before arriving at the best course of action, I decided to move her to Asvini and in small installments to prepare her for the worst case during the journey by road. We now knew what caused the agony but were yet to discover the damage caused within.

Quite unexpectedly, she took it in the chin much like a seasoned boxer. "OK", she said, "I have it, so let us get on with the biopsy". I realised then and there that we had won half the battle. The battery of oncologists and medical experts who received us at INHS Asvini, well after working hours, quickly poured over her case sheet and evaluated all the radio-logical documents. It looked ominous and many were leaning towards the worst conclusion. However, the biopsy was the only way to pronounce a judgement. The  immediate family was informed.

Then followed an even more grueling week of repeated efforts to reach the main source located at a critical junction of the pancreas. Having exhausted all scan aided procedures and after due consultations with other experts in the field, surgery was the only option to tap the requisite material for biopsy. In the mean time, PET scan revealed that there was no damage to the liver as suggested by the first CT scan.

Post surgery, Gita had to be observed at the ICU for at least 24 hrs while the pathologist commenced the lab tests. When it rains, it often pours during monsoons at Mumbai. At about  6AM the next day I was informed that  my wife had severe chest pain and that the cardiologist would need to eliminate any heart condition, since she had lived with a minor one all her life. The CO who is a renowned cardiologist had just arrived the previous night and was on his morning run which took him to the ICU. Within the hour she had been moved to the cardiology ward and an angiography completed. Things that were not possible during my days in the navy. Cleared of all doubts she was wheeled back to the ICU

Back in the ward after three days at ICU, we now had to await the results of biopsy. Ramzan was round the corner and a long week end much needed for the Doctors and staff was a necessity. We decided to move Gita to my son's house for the week end. Just when we were ready to depart, there was a cryptic message that the chief coordinator and the Doctor I had alluded to earlier, would like a word with us. My son, daughter-in-law and the two of us were seated in the room which reminded me of those who await their sentence.

The smart, well turned out and composed Surgeon Captain who had assumed the role of our guardian entered the room and with his characteristic communication skills, began to sum up the case. "The good news is" he said, "the tumour is benign, but the bad news is that it is there and has led to a non functional pancreas with all its attendant ramifications". It had to be medically treated and a close watch kept on the patient.

It took a few seconds for all of us to digest his message. My daughter-in-law broke the ice by rushing and hugging Gita. I stood still as I was trained to. My wife had a smile as if to say what else when so many are praying for me. All in all it was a solemn and almost a military occasion when emotions were to be exhibited in private.

The Doctor was inundated with questions about the future. He invited more, till all were answered. My wife asked, "What are the odds when such a result, defying predictions, occurs? Is it a miracle?"

The seasoned Doctor, by now well accepted within the family, smiled and said, " You can say that Ma'am-you can say that!". Hence the story.

Women in combat roles

http://www.firstpost.com/india/indian-army-to-allow-women-in-combat-roles-gender-sensitisation-operational-caveats-must-before-implementation-3520071.html

My views on the above subject posted on Firstpost.com today

CHINA AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OPERATIONS-INDIA HAS FIVE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE

CHINA'S ACHILLES HEEL   (Courtesy Firstpost. 24 May 17)

Much has been written by experts, both within and without, on the perceived isolation of India at the recent Belt and Road conference in China. One set of strategic analysts suggest that we could have effectively voiced our concerns at the conference rather than refusing to attend. As always, multiple view points are held by those who neither have the responsibility to face the repercussions of their suggestion nor the courage to admit that they were wrong in assessing the situation.

Governments are equipped to take decisions based on historic and a long term perspective of the problem . Irrespective of how they arrive at a decision, which is more often by consensus resulting from inputs received from a wide array of competent specialists and from those on the ground; they are accountable for their actions. In the extant case, most experts tend to give China the edge on almost all actions taken by Xi. It is not often that decisions and actions taken by the Indian Government are appreciated and supported .

Having been associated with affairs maritime and forging relations with littoral nations, this article attempts to discuss just one aspect of maritime related activities and initiatives-while being fully aware that there are several others that need elaboration to substantiate my assertion.

While regular exercises with USA, Japan, France, Russia and Australia are known to us, a lesser known fact is that Singapore has had close maritime relations with India for many decades. The latest  joint exercise between the two navies is currently in progress in the South China sea. The Indian naval presence in South China Sea is a regular feature in annual deployments to the East. This is often forgotten when the occasional Chinese ship is deployed in our back yard. The presence of a Chinese submarine in our neighbourhood is projected as a military disaster by those who are unaware that Submarines in peace time are deployed often in areas that become relevant in war. This is a universally accepted and practiced concept, which ipso facto justifies the very induction of these stealth platforms. There are no exceptions to this rule.

The Chinese Aircraft carrier programme has been in the news. That the Indians have been in this business for over five decades is invariably  glossed over. Why is it relevant?

Just preparing pilots for carrier operations demands intense basic training ashore under simulated conditions, followed by a crucial phase of training them to operate at sea with confidence on a moving platform. Consolidation in day operation in varying visibility and weather conditions is followed by dusk operations and night flying. Dark night operations with minimum deck lighting  then leads to 24/7 combat flying with appropriate payload.

Emergency drills on board to handle aircraft engine failures, crash on deck and scores of other incidents are mandatory processes.

Gaining proficiency in carrier flying thus requires time and a generation of pilots need to continuously hone their skills before they can claim full combat readiness.

The ship too needs to attain combat readiness while flight operations of fixed and rotary wing aircraft are progressing apace. She has to train her aircraft controllers, flight deck personnel, sensors and weapons crew, engineering ,electrical and metrological departments and logistics and medical sections.

That our carrier borne teams have performed consistently well, as reflected while operating with other advanced navies, is attributed to decades of experience hard-gained by the integrated crew.

 Now the piece de resistance. The Chinese not having had this background realised early in their carrier induction cycle that training of aviation branch technical sailors and officers by itself was a challenge that needed resolution. In 2005, they made a request to the Indian Government to provide access to a team of Chinese navy aviators lead by an Admiral to visit our aviation training facilities at Kochi.

Their request was granted and a team arrived at Kochi to see class room instructions imparted to our sailors. This was followed by discussions on the training methodology. The Admiral was completely and visibly impressed that our sailors were being taught in English and that they were proficient enough to handle their class room instructions on relatively advanced and scientifically designed computer assisted courses.  He found that the Russian method of imparting instructions and indeed the subjects being taught were quite in variance, since Carrier flying was a relatively new subject for the Russians who were still evolving their syllabus.

The Indian navy had stolen a march with knowledge gained through close interaction with leading carrier operating navies such as the Royal British ,the French and the US navies over five decades of combat flying.

The Chinese respect our combat skills at sea more than any other navy. Our regular presence in the disputed South China Sea is a challenge they have had to live with,  in the backdrop of their rejection of the recent judgement of ICJ on Chinese claims in the South China sea .

If China continues to challenge the rights of those who have ratified the United Nations convention of the laws of the seas of which she too is a signatory, how can she be trusted to honour the rights of those who participate in the complex concept of Belt and Road initiatives, which have the potential of violating basic rights of participating nations?

There are chinks in the Chinese armour.

 

Maritime History Society Mumbai- 40th year under Adm MP AWATI

MHS COMMEMORATIVE MARITIME SYMPOSIUM

“PROMOTING INDIAN MARITIME HERITAGE AND HISTORY

MARITIME HISTORY SOCIETY – A REPRISE”

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

BY VICE ADMIRAL SCS BANGARA (RETD) PVSM, AVSM

PATRON – MARITIME HISTORY SOCIETY

I consider it a great privilege to be standing here at the commencement of the 40th  year of Maritime History Society. That the Society has survived for so long is a tribute to the creator of this concept who has inspired so many. To tweak what Churchill said after the second world war, "Never in the history of this navy has one man contributed so much, with so little, to benefit so many."

In the course of my opening remarks, I have chosen to narrate two anecdotes on Admiral Awati so that the younger generation of officers get to know more facets of his overall personality. Therefore, I am going to talk off the cuff, impromptu or extempore, while narrating two true stories. The dramatis personae of these stories are here today – I suspect not by coincidence, but by serendipity or fate as you may call it.  

In 1977, when I was appointed as FTASO now called FASWO of the Western Fleet, I was a Lt Cdr with under a year of service in that rank. In June 1978, the Western Fleet with FOCWF was on a cruise to Seychelles, Mombasa and Dar-e-Salam.

 Having become independent just an year ago, and Seychelles being a strategically important port, the country celebrated  her National Day in the presence of ships from US Navy, the French and Russian Navies, all of whom had a permanent interest in the IOR. We too ensured that we were well represented for the occasion.

Soon after we anchored at Port Victoria, I was informed that I would be officiating as Flag Lt in addition to my duties as the incumbent had been transferred for watch keeping duties to one of the ships in harbour. During my tenure later that year, I was also asked to perform the duties of Secretary to FOCWF. I do not know of anyone else who has performed three-in-one  duties on the Fleet Staff. Suffice it to say that the Admiral thought well of me.

Now then, the dilemma faced by President Francis Rene was, which of the Admirals present in port should coordinate the ceremony. Being conscious of various interests and a vibrant Indian diaspora the wily President who finally handed over power only in 2004, casually asked the Admirals to sort it out among themselves.

The American Admiral was a tired listless officer with some Pollyanna notions about world affairs. He did not make any bid to lead the men of war in harbour.

The French invited us for lunch.  The French Admiral was rather dumb struck with the proficiency of the Indian Admiral in matters maritime, flora and fauna, maritime history and what have you. After a two-hour session he gracefully suggested that Admiral Awati could consider leading the Independence Day ceremony.

Admiral Yassakov, leading the Soviet contingent was tall, cocky and boastful. In order to establish his credentials, he invited the Indian Admiral for a discussion on his powerful destroyer at about 1030 hrs. I happened to be familiar with Russian customs and traditions having lived in Russia to acquire the Missile boats before the 1971 war. I briefed Adm Awati on what he could expect in terms of the proceedings at which copious quantities of Vodka would form an integral part. Being a teetotaller, he pondered over it and asked me to invite the former Flag Lt to also be present at this meeting.

Yassakov, as it turned out, went overboard with his hospitality. The table was lined up with bottles of Scotch and Vodka, packets of Dunhill and Rothman cigarettes, caviar, et al. As predicted, Yassakov made a long introductory speech, rather badly translated by a hastily selected interpreter. He then reached out to the bottle of Scotch and poured a very generous quantity of it in two glasses. That was meant to be gulped down by both Admirals at the end of a toast. Having made a politico-military speech, Yassakov stood up and suggested that bottoms up was the next move. All eyes were on Admiral Awati and there was just a fleeting moment of silence! He stood up, looked purposefully at the former Flag Lt who was blissfully unaware of his role, and in a gunnery voice said, "Flags, drink it up". The flamboyant, handsome Flag Lt who was as skilled in elbow bending as his handsome personality, displayed how down-the-hatch is exercised by seamen.

Quite naturally the Russians went into a huddle to decipher what this strange Indian tradition meant. Not to be caught unawares, Yassokov nonchalantly continued his second and third toasts. All three attempts were met with the same response and alacrity by our young Flag Lt. After a quick huddle in which the hosts came to the conclusion that they needed to have a greater understanding of Indian customs and perplexed with "the power of command" on display they wound up the discussions on a meek note.

Thus ended the last "battle" before the Indian ships were formally declared leaders of the ceremony-which of course was faultlessly executed.

2

The second story is when the Western Fleet entered Basra (Iraq) the same year after a very successful visit to Bandar Abbas (Iran). The ship secured at about 2100 hrs in a poorly lit harbour. The Admiral and I were walking on the Quarter deck of the Flag ship when he abruptly turned to me and said, "A white horse at 0600 hrs, Good Night."

We were trained never to argue with an Admiral. A foreign port with aliens and non English speaking interlocutors- a white horse? Serendipity some may say. Out of the darkness appears an Iraqi naval officer. "Sir," he says, "I am .... You were my training officer on INS Kirpan. What can I do for you, Sir?" I hugged him and said, "White horse at 0600 hrs. Good night."

So indeed was a white horse at the gangway at 0545 hrs. What next? At 0600 hrs the forward superstructure door opened and out came this grand person attired in full riding kit of ‘The Master of Fox Hounds'.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Defence Services Staff College at Connoor near Ooty, there exists even today a Hunt club.  Originally meant to hunt foxes which are now extinct, the club goes through the process of the hunt along with the hounds. The Master and the Committee members are normally attired in a special rig consisting of;

HUNT CAP WITH CHIN STRAPS, WHITE OR CREAM STOCK TIE SECURED WITH GOLD PIN, BLACK OR TAN GLOVES, CREAM OR WHITE VEST, CORUSCATING SCARLET LONG HUNTING JACKET WITH BRASS BUTTONS, WHITE OR TAN BREECHES AND BLACK DRESS RIDING BOOTS WITH GARTERS.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Admiral was immaculately turned out in that rig. He mounted the horse and rode into the port city of Basra. Soon curious onlookers started to line up on both sides of the road and either through curiosity or awe started to spread the word that a Prince had arrived on a visit to Basra. Not surprisingly, by the time the official engagements of calling on the local dignitaries commenced later in the day, the streets were full of cheering citizens and school children of Basra. The visit by the Western Fleet ships was termed as an outstanding success by the hosts.

If you are wondering what cemented this relationship between the Admiral and his three-in -one staff officer with an age gap of 20 years and  which continues to blossom, I can attribute it to a quote from Gen Pershing. He said, "In a social order in which one person is officially subordinate to another, the superior if he is a Gentleman never thinks of it and the subordinate if he is a Gentleman never forgets it."

Let me welcome the Admiral who taught me that pusillanimity, pussy footing and gerrymandering do not make a good leader....

Put your hands together to welcome Admiral Awati on stage.