Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Sindhurakshak, I weep for you.

It's been a bad day for all of us who love the Indian Navy dearly. A series of explosions, sometime around midnight, ripped through INS Sindhurakshak, one of our front line submarines from the herd of the Kilo class. She was berthed at the naval dockyard in Bombay and was due to return to her home port of Visakhapatnam shortly.

I shall not go into the postmortem of the terrible accident because a Board of Inquiry has already been instituted to study the pros and the cons. And I'm sure that the cause and the prevention of recurrences of a similar nature shall be the final outcome.

18 personnel seem to have perished in the unfortunate accident. They'd have been on duty faithfully going about their jobs as is expected of them and for a few among them, the situation must have presented itself while they're asleep being off duty at that particular 'watch'(a four hour duration of duty)! The remaining crew would have been scattered all over the naval residential areas, in and around Colaba and in the shore complex that house the off duty personnel and their families. They'd be the saddest lot, in that, they'd be cursing their luck for not having been on board to face that moment of peril along with their beloved submarine - a sentiment that can only be understood by a mariner!

Commissioned into the IN on 24 Dec 1997, I refuse to believe that Sindhurakshak is passe because of the horrible accident. I'm absolutely sure that she'd be brought back to her full fighting efficiency and that she'd continue to fly the 'colours' for many more years to come, of course, carrying the pain of this horrible night in dignified silence grieving for the valiant men who'd tended her with great pride and affection.

Here's me saluting the brave men who'd given up their lives in their hour of duty. And may god give adequate strength to their families to help them tide over their stressful times.


Tailpiece.

And may the incident further enhance the IN's high state of professionalism. All the same, I weep for you Sindhurakshak!    

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