Had got the message that Cmde THR Iyer had passed into the mist of time, this morning. He's survived by his wife, Sasi Iyer, daughter, Hema and son, Sridhar. He had been ailing for the last two years, with problematic lungs. Years of chain smoking Charminar, followed by Charms, had taken its toll! He was discharged from the hospital a few days back and realising that his mom wouldn't be able to handle the situation, Sridhar had taken his parents to Thiruvannamalai. I could speak to him today and it was he who had filled me in with the details. The Commodore had breathed his last, in sleep, sometime during the wee hours of the morning. Hema and her family, living in the US, will not be coming in for the funeral, due to the current pandemic situation as she herself is a doctor!
Shall go back in time to remember a few incidents and moments that I was fortunate to experience, along with the Commodore, way back towards the mid '80s at INS Agrani, in Coimbatore.
* * *
Towards end '83, INS Agrani - the school of Leadership and Management for all sailors - had gone through two courts martial back-to-back and the Naval Headquarters was hell bent on getting the establishment out of the blues. Captain Thinneum Harihara Rangaraja Iyer - an alumnus of the RIMC and the NDA - soon after his command of the landing craft INS Sharabh was awaiting his new appointment. The then DOP (Director of Personnel), his schoolmate and course mate had called him over to New Delhi, given him the Navy List and asked him to choose his officers to do spring cleaning of the establishment. The newly appointed Commanding Officer, however, had asked for six months to observe and evaluate the existing staff before asking for his team and the NHQ had consented to his request.
By Jun '84, his entire team was in place and I was the last to join up, on completion of the 3rd Long Logistics and Management Course (LLMC). I was assigned to look after the then existent Master Chief Petty Officers Pre-promotion Course as the new 'Management expert'! My students - Chief Petty Officers cleared to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officers - used to be presented the new rank on completion of the 4-week course - at the ceremonial Captain's Requestmen table.
The CPO Management Course
The first course of the MCPOs - that I handled - gave us a feedback that the course should be given to all sailors, immediately on becoming CPOs for the betterment of the service and not at such a late stage as they'd got. This aspect was put across to the inspection team led by the FoC-in-C Southern Naval Command and I was asked to state my frank opinions to the inspection team by the Captain. The Chief Petty Officer Management course began soon after, bringing the curtains down on the MCPO Pre-promotion course. I used to be on my toes as the Captain used to sit in my classes and go through the entire proceedings; at times, even getting the guests who visited the establishment and I suppose we never, ever let him down.
Revamping the CSA
The Coimbatore Sailing Association (CSA) was another department to be revamped. The staff studiously stayed away citing long distances but in private, admitted that they were disgusted with the manner in which the civilian members were pampered by the CSA hierarchy. With the CO as its 'Commodore' and me as its secretary, we ensured that the civilian members and our staff were given equal importance and put everyone through standard sailing procedures. The Walayar lake and dam site were our area of operations - about 35 km away from the base - where we visited every Sunday by 9, in the morning, did sailing and returned, after lunch, to the establishment. The participation had jumped manifold, as the sailing activities became extremely popular and care was taken to conduct the sailing and other related activities in an orderly and service like manner.
Divisions and X-Country
Since it was a training establishment, we had Divisions every Friday and X-country every Saturday. I was usually the OOG 1 (Officer of the Guard 1) and it would be after a great party in the previous evening. Whenever I reported to him that the ceremonial guard was ready for his inspection, he'd ask, "How are you doing" and augment it with a wink before beginning to inspect the guard.
Similarly, many of us used to struggle to be on time for the early morning x-country fallins on Saturdays but he used to be there, after his bath, much before us. Again, after a get together during the previous evening!
One-to-one Interactions
One evening - I'd completed exactly a year at Agrani - while we were in the Ward Room, he told me that I was slated to go as a commissioning XO of an LST(M) from Poland. But since the DOP was his friend and course mate, he had asked me to be retained for one more year. I remember telling him that it was the price for doing things sincerely and was very upset over the next few days. Consequently, I kept away from many things other than the group games and official activities.
And then, one evening he called me from my cabin to play squash and beat me to pulp.
Expected No Frills
Once an officer, along with his family, had newly reported. As was the custom, the Captain and his wife made a customary call on them and put them at ease, offering all assistance to them in settling down. The officer, soon after, went to the Captain's house and handed over a bagful of goodies to the bewildered lady.
A trifle later, an agitated Captain came to my cabin and handed over that bag of goodies. I saw two containers of chicken soup cubes and uttered, "Sir, he doesn't know you" and pat came his retort, "Yeah, he doesn't know that I'm a vegetarian"! I'd returned the goodies back to the concerned officer saying that the Captain abhorred anyone playing up to him.
A Taut and Well Run Establishment
His favourite drink was 'rum-paani' and he puffed on Charms cigarettes during those interactions and he used to let us be free with our ideas and suggestions. The social get togethers were aplenty and everyone in the establishment was happy and contended. Agrani had turned a new leaf with 'Thanga Iyer's team'.
The help provided by the establishment to the needy service personnel transiting through Coimbatore was legendary. In '85, then Captain Sushil Issacs, his wife and daughter who were making an early morning transit from St Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ooty - after attending the alumni day of their school - to board the flight to Bombay, met with a tragic accident in the outskirts of the city. The tempo van carrying about 18 passengers had hit an oncoming passenger bus of the Cheran Corporation. Ms Ayesha Isaacs was one of the casualties who died, on the spot, on impact. There were three deaths and many injured; the Captain and his daughter were seriously injured and were in the trauma ward of the CMC Hospital when the XO and I visited the place to take stock of the situation, after receiving the information!
The relatives and the guests of the family were looked after by the establishment, including the settling of the knotty issue of Ms Isaacs' funeral which was sorted out by Captain Iyer and Admiral BA Samson, who happened to be there at that time (Captain Sushil Issacs went on to become the CNS later, known to all of us as Adm Sushil Kumar).
Surprise Muster of Accounts
I used to follow what he'd taught me while I was there. He used to fetch up at the account holders' offices and muster the cash that was held by the accounting officers. I'd seen quite a few officers struggling to tally the amounts subsequently! It was a valuable lesson learnt.
On my transfer from INS Agrani to the command of INLCU L 36, at Kochi, his terse message to me was, "Rajeev, come straight to Venduruthy House and stay with me till you take over your ship". And that was that. He had taken over as CO, INS Venduruthy at Kochi three months before my movement out of INS Agrani.
RIP Commodore Iyer sir. My tears, prayers and tribute to a no-nonsense leader with great qualities. May your near and dear ones have the strength to tide over these stressful times.
PS.
Thanga Iyer's team. LCdr AC Jose (XO), LCdr Ravi Ponappa (LogO), LCdr PK Banerjee (Training Officer), LCdr L Radhakrishnan (Education Officer), Lt (SDG) GS Deol, Lt HS Sidhu, Lt K Rajeev Nair, Lt DS Kannan, Lt RBG Nair(All Syndicate officers), Surg Lt G Vishwanath (Medical Officer) and Lt (SDAE) SR Murthy (Oi/c A & EHU).
Lt Col CT Somaiah, the OC of the nearby TA Battalion was living in our Mess and was an active participant in all our activities and social gatherings! It's rumoured that he married Vaidehi, the wife of Lt BR Sampath Kumar, who died in a tragic road accident soon after playing Holi, in 1986!!
Of those named above, Cdr AC Jose, Lt DS Kannan and LCdr (SDAE) SR Murthy are no more with us as they have passed into the mist of time. Have also come to know that Col Tyag Somaiah had passed into the mist of time about four years back due to cancer.
EPILOGUE
Lekha and I had halted for an overnight stay at the Officers' Mess at INS Agrani in Jun '91, on our drive to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington in Ooty, as I was slated to undergo the 47th Staff Course. Many of the civilian staff of the establishment dropped by, at the mess, to meet us. I can never forget what many of them had told me then and I quote, "Sir, your time, here, were the golden years of this establishment. You please come back after your promotion, sir". They were endorsing Thanga Iyer's team's accomplishments at INS Agrani in the mid '80s.......and I felt proud to have been part of that team!
Tailpiece.
Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.
It was a quiet day.
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