This morning, I'd spoken to Dr. KK Muthanna at Mysore, to offer my condolences on the passing away of his wife. He did take his time to place me and then, he wanted to know as to what I was doing. His outgoing nature had come to the fore but when I queried him about his wife, he'd got emotional.
From the gist of what he'd told me, she was diagnosed with a cancerous growth on the apex of her lungs. Chemotherapy was ruled out because of the inaccessibility to the malignancy and oral chemo was resorted to. Heavily under sedatives and pain killers, he only hoped that she didn't go through too much of pain and it was then that he'd choked.
Ms. Gauri Muthanna had passed into the mist of time on 02 Feb. How can I ever forget her? When I'd joined the Sainik School, Kazhakootam on 28 Jan '67 in class VII, I was assigned to the Prasad House of which Mr. KK Muthanna was the House Master. Since they stayed on the first floor of the building, many of us used to approach her for personal requirements rather than going to our matron. Slightly, on the heavier side, she was beautiful and kind hearted. I can never forget the flavoured tea that she'd given me to tide over my cold.
She and her husband are educationists in Mysore and are known and respected for their work in the field.
RIP Gauri Muthanna ma'am. You shall always have that special place in my heart. My tears and prayers!
* * *
My Sagardhwani years(3) Contd.......
A test of leadership
1. When I'd embarked earlier on board for 'on job training' or OJT, I'd observed the following:-
(a) While the ship cast off to sea from the harbour, the naval complement used to be smartly
dressed in uniforms, deftly carrying out seamanship evolutions while the civilians from
the scientific community used to be sloppily moving about on the upper decks, in slippers
and in colourful attire.
(b) The technical staff that assisted the scientists used to move in and out of the Officers'
mess(Ward Room) in casuals and used to dine out there.
(c) The Commanding Officer had, I understand, permitted it.
This was corrected from the first sortie of my command. What gladdened me was that the civilians were only too pleased to follow my instructions and I'd introduced the early morning briefing for the day's activity and a debrief at the end of the activities. It helped everyone to understand as to why costly probes used to be streamed over the shipside and the importance of retrieving it safely on completion.
* * *
2. On my first address to the officers and men, I'd told that I didn't consider anyone indispensable, including myself and that people could proceed on leave on genuine requirement.
A few days later as we're getting ready to sail, my navigator, Mukul Chaturvedi, put up a 10 day leave requirement and I promptly approved it though my second-in-command was of the opinion that the youngster did not really require it. I met him quite morose, the next day at the gangway and wondered as to why he was so when he should have been happy going on leave and it was then that he blurted out that he'd expected me to call him and ask him as to whether he really required to go on leave! He was even willing to forego his leave that I'd cleared but I was insistent that he went.......there were no more telegrams from home and no more flimsy requests for leave!
* * *
3. We're out at sea for the acceptance trials of the thrusters with the OEMs and on clearing them, I'd wanted to see the reaction time of my crew to change over from the main machinery(The diesel engines) to the auxiliary machinery(The thrusters) and accordingly passed the order. The evolution required the stopping of the main engines in a deliberate manner, wash off the prevalent speed to 2 to 3 knots before connecting up the thrusters, which could give me a max speed of 7 kts! I found that the reaction time of my crew was 13 mts - without previous experience and had mentally jotted it down for toning down through subsequent exercises.
We'd, then, reverted to steering by main engines when my Engineer Officer, BD Maheswari, had barged into the bridge, quite worked up, with the 'ship's data book'. The thick black bound book carries every information about the use of the machinery and the orders passed along with the time and all entries are made in pencil except for orders of grave importance, which were to be in ink. My 'chiefy' insisted on recording that order of mine in ink and I simply complied....was he flabbergasted? A few days later he'd apologised to me regarding his insistence and even offered to remove the page and I told him to retain it as it was because I was clear that I'd passed a right order as I was only 'pressure testing' the system!
* * *
4. There was this sailor whom I used to sight every time during my rounds of the 'between deck spaces' of the ship and I queried my no.2 man as to whether he'd a problem. His reply was the usual, "Oh sir, SP Singh, a 26 year old sailor, was wanting to go on leave and he'd just returned from his home, at Munger in Bihar last week. Something told me that his problem was far more complicated
and sure enough, it did come out on my 'defaulters' table, where he was marched up a week later. He'd got married a couple of months before and his wife was staying with his parents. His father - quite a tyrant in the house - was forcing himself upon her and hence, his requirement for frequent leave as he felt that his presence would deter the old man from the incest. Now that he'd told me his problem it had become mine. I wrote to the Collector and the SP of the place about the problem, to advise the father of dire consequences if he continued to play truant and had asked them to ensure that the lady was sent along with the sailor when I sent him on leave, a fortnight from then.
As I write this, I still remember his grateful and smiling face when he'd reported back on duty. His wife had come along with him!
* * *
5. As a matter of policy, I'd always shown the reports that I'd written on my officers and men without worrying about the reactions because the junior had every right to know as to what I thought of him. Accordingly, my new chiefy, JWS Kumar was shown his on the eve of his transfer. I'd given him a 7.4 pointer annual confidential report and on perusal, he blew up saying, "Sir, I'm sorry that I've served under you. All my previous commanding officers have given me 9s and this is of no consequence to me....." I'd, then, asked him to correct my observations where he thought I'd erred but refusing to do so, he continued the harangue. His outburst did sadden me but I was sure that I hadn't erred.
Two months later, he'd come to invite me for his stripe wetting party - he'd got promoted to his next rank with the strength of the sea report that I'd rendered upon him - but I expressed my regrets. He'd subsequently come home, along with his wife, to invite me yet again but I chose to raise a toast then and there at my place, but once again regretted the invitation to the party!
Tailpiece.
They were experiences of a different kind, indeed but made me a better person!
From the gist of what he'd told me, she was diagnosed with a cancerous growth on the apex of her lungs. Chemotherapy was ruled out because of the inaccessibility to the malignancy and oral chemo was resorted to. Heavily under sedatives and pain killers, he only hoped that she didn't go through too much of pain and it was then that he'd choked.
Ms. Gauri Muthanna had passed into the mist of time on 02 Feb. How can I ever forget her? When I'd joined the Sainik School, Kazhakootam on 28 Jan '67 in class VII, I was assigned to the Prasad House of which Mr. KK Muthanna was the House Master. Since they stayed on the first floor of the building, many of us used to approach her for personal requirements rather than going to our matron. Slightly, on the heavier side, she was beautiful and kind hearted. I can never forget the flavoured tea that she'd given me to tide over my cold.
She and her husband are educationists in Mysore and are known and respected for their work in the field.
RIP Gauri Muthanna ma'am. You shall always have that special place in my heart. My tears and prayers!
* * *
My Sagardhwani years(3) Contd.......
A test of leadership
1. When I'd embarked earlier on board for 'on job training' or OJT, I'd observed the following:-
(a) While the ship cast off to sea from the harbour, the naval complement used to be smartly
dressed in uniforms, deftly carrying out seamanship evolutions while the civilians from
the scientific community used to be sloppily moving about on the upper decks, in slippers
and in colourful attire.
(b) The technical staff that assisted the scientists used to move in and out of the Officers'
mess(Ward Room) in casuals and used to dine out there.
(c) The Commanding Officer had, I understand, permitted it.
This was corrected from the first sortie of my command. What gladdened me was that the civilians were only too pleased to follow my instructions and I'd introduced the early morning briefing for the day's activity and a debrief at the end of the activities. It helped everyone to understand as to why costly probes used to be streamed over the shipside and the importance of retrieving it safely on completion.
* * *
2. On my first address to the officers and men, I'd told that I didn't consider anyone indispensable, including myself and that people could proceed on leave on genuine requirement.
A few days later as we're getting ready to sail, my navigator, Mukul Chaturvedi, put up a 10 day leave requirement and I promptly approved it though my second-in-command was of the opinion that the youngster did not really require it. I met him quite morose, the next day at the gangway and wondered as to why he was so when he should have been happy going on leave and it was then that he blurted out that he'd expected me to call him and ask him as to whether he really required to go on leave! He was even willing to forego his leave that I'd cleared but I was insistent that he went.......there were no more telegrams from home and no more flimsy requests for leave!
* * *
3. We're out at sea for the acceptance trials of the thrusters with the OEMs and on clearing them, I'd wanted to see the reaction time of my crew to change over from the main machinery(The diesel engines) to the auxiliary machinery(The thrusters) and accordingly passed the order. The evolution required the stopping of the main engines in a deliberate manner, wash off the prevalent speed to 2 to 3 knots before connecting up the thrusters, which could give me a max speed of 7 kts! I found that the reaction time of my crew was 13 mts - without previous experience and had mentally jotted it down for toning down through subsequent exercises.
We'd, then, reverted to steering by main engines when my Engineer Officer, BD Maheswari, had barged into the bridge, quite worked up, with the 'ship's data book'. The thick black bound book carries every information about the use of the machinery and the orders passed along with the time and all entries are made in pencil except for orders of grave importance, which were to be in ink. My 'chiefy' insisted on recording that order of mine in ink and I simply complied....was he flabbergasted? A few days later he'd apologised to me regarding his insistence and even offered to remove the page and I told him to retain it as it was because I was clear that I'd passed a right order as I was only 'pressure testing' the system!
* * *
4. There was this sailor whom I used to sight every time during my rounds of the 'between deck spaces' of the ship and I queried my no.2 man as to whether he'd a problem. His reply was the usual, "Oh sir, SP Singh, a 26 year old sailor, was wanting to go on leave and he'd just returned from his home, at Munger in Bihar last week. Something told me that his problem was far more complicated
and sure enough, it did come out on my 'defaulters' table, where he was marched up a week later. He'd got married a couple of months before and his wife was staying with his parents. His father - quite a tyrant in the house - was forcing himself upon her and hence, his requirement for frequent leave as he felt that his presence would deter the old man from the incest. Now that he'd told me his problem it had become mine. I wrote to the Collector and the SP of the place about the problem, to advise the father of dire consequences if he continued to play truant and had asked them to ensure that the lady was sent along with the sailor when I sent him on leave, a fortnight from then.
As I write this, I still remember his grateful and smiling face when he'd reported back on duty. His wife had come along with him!
* * *
5. As a matter of policy, I'd always shown the reports that I'd written on my officers and men without worrying about the reactions because the junior had every right to know as to what I thought of him. Accordingly, my new chiefy, JWS Kumar was shown his on the eve of his transfer. I'd given him a 7.4 pointer annual confidential report and on perusal, he blew up saying, "Sir, I'm sorry that I've served under you. All my previous commanding officers have given me 9s and this is of no consequence to me....." I'd, then, asked him to correct my observations where he thought I'd erred but refusing to do so, he continued the harangue. His outburst did sadden me but I was sure that I hadn't erred.
Two months later, he'd come to invite me for his stripe wetting party - he'd got promoted to his next rank with the strength of the sea report that I'd rendered upon him - but I expressed my regrets. He'd subsequently come home, along with his wife, to invite me yet again but I chose to raise a toast then and there at my place, but once again regretted the invitation to the party!
Tailpiece.
They were experiences of a different kind, indeed but made me a better person!
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