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The Rediff Special/ Admiral J G Nadkarni (Retd)

A time to heal

The Indian Navy at the time of Independence was a small coastal force. It consisted of a few World War II sloops and minesweepers and commanded less than three per cent of the defence budget. The people had heard about the exploits of their Army in the war but hardly anyone knew about the Navy.

From that humble beginning the Navy was built up slowly and steadily over the next forty years until it became the most formidable maritime force in the Indian Ocean. It was the combined work of many wise men. The Navy was fortunate to have such leaders at the helm of affairs in those formative years. Katari, Soman, Chatterji, Nanda, Kohli and Cursetji. People who knew how to handle ships and how to handle men. Leaders who knew how to tackle the politicians and the bureaucracy. Above all they knew how to win wars. Each took the Navy a step further. Fortunately for the Navy, they were not "thinking" admirals. They believed instead in doing things.

Some put into practice pragmatic but far-reaching plans. Some managed to get us much needed ships despite financial and other obstacles. Some made the Navy three-dimensional by inducting submarines and aircraft carriers. Some encouraged indigenous production. Some fine-tuned the personnel and training policies to make the Navy an efficient and close-knit fighting machine. All this finally resulted in the Navy's all-time hero, Admiral Nanda, leading the service to its most famous victory over Pakistan in 1971. It made the Navy a household word.

In the President Naval Review of 1989 more than 80 ships stood proudly in line on a February morning. Two aircraft carriers headed a formidable force. One whole line consisted of nine Indian built frigates. The Indian Navy made it to the Time cover and India was called the next superpower. The Indian Navy became the cynosure of the world.

No longer. Sadly, these leaders were replaced by men of little character and less ability. Unable either to handle ships or men, they became "thinkers" and "visionaries." They could wax eloquently on strategic concepts and brought out wonderful books on "future maritime strategy." Personal ego became more important than service and the nation.

Events of the past few months have considerably tarnished the Navy's reputation. Bickerings in the media, the wild and irresponsible allegations in and out of court, the open and public defiance of the government which ultimately led to the unfortunate sacking of the Naval chief have all damaged the magnificent edifice built by earlier leaders. Fortunately, the damage is likely to be only temporary. People have short memories and Navy's sailors are quite resilient. Admiral Sushil Kumar, the new chief, has his work cut out for him. He will have the envious and difficult task of restoring the Navy's credibility and regaining the confidence of his men.

The Navy is going through traumatic times. The fleet is getting old and depleted. A number of ships are believed not to be fully operational. The only major ship to join the fleet in the last ten years is the destroyer Delhi. Although many ships are due for decommissioning in the next few years no new orders have been placed on India's defence shipyards for ten years. Instead we have bailed out the Russian defence industry by placing a Rs 45 billion order on them. The Vikrant has been decommissioned. The Viraat is already 40 years old and in her final years. Yet no replacement is in sight.

It is the Navy's good fortune that they have the right man for the right job. Admiral Sushil Kumar has no pretensions to be a "visionary," a "thinking admiral" nor a great strategic brain. Like the early leaders, he is a pragmatic man, full of common sense and the ability to get things done. He has already demonstrated this by his magnanimity, humanity and concern for the individual. He has begun the healing process by applying balm to hurt feelings.

He is also lucky to have a fine lot of officers. At Naval Headquarters and in the commands to help him. The task will not be easy but it is already half done when one has a supportive and competent team to help.

In the rebuilding process both the media and the people can help. To salvage his ego the retired chief, with the help of the media, has projected himself to be honest, upright and fearless, a great martyr in the cause of justice. He is very simple, lives in a small flat like Jawaharlal Nehru, is being persecuted like Lokmanya Tilak.

In the bargain, the rest of the Navy has been projected as a bunch of nitwits, in the pockets of arms dealers, selling appointments "for stocks and shares," most of the senior officers not having any "strategic concepts." The media has had its two-penny sensation. It can now help by projecting a true picture of the Navy and the honest, intelligent and hardworking people who man it. Not one put out by spin doctors.

Many citizens know someone in the Navy. They know that essentially the Indian Navy is a fine force which will once again be their pride. Many armed forces in the world have gone through scandals but have been resurrected by the people. It is time for the people to reassert their faith in the Navy.

Even Admiral Bhagwat can help the Navy he professes to love. A continued and bruising battle in court will only delay the healing process. Salvaging the Navy is far more important than salvaging personal ego, pride and honour. If the Admiral's 400 page writ petition of 1990 and the utterances and wild allegation after the dismissal are any indication his memories are likely to trigger off another round of recriminations through the media. Rather than a self serving account of the last nine months he can satisfy his urge to write by writing one on maritime strategy. That too can salvage his pride and honour.

The Rediff Specials

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