Recollections of a Communicator

On the day the first indigenously built aircraft carrier INS VIKRANT is launched, it would be appropriate to remember the first aircraft carrier of the same name that was inducted into the Indian Navy half a century ago.

As a young officer, I had the privilege of spending three days on board the aircraft carrier off the western sea coast as a part of the media team deployed to cover the activities of the ship. Along with me was defence photo officer Major G. S. Pablay, and Films Division cine cameraman Abnashi Ram.

We boarded the aircraft carrier embarked in the Arabian Sea near Cochin. We were airlifted to the carrier in a naval helicopter. It was a scary experience for us. The carrier looked like a postage stamp in the vast ocean.

We were allotted cabins for our stay in the carrier. I was happy to note that my cabin was spacious, unlike the cabins on board frigates and other naval ships. I wondered whether it had anything to do with my rank of Captain, which in the Navy was equivalent to a full Colonel in the Army.

Dinner was preceded by a few drinks at the bar. Those days it was a privilege to have Scotch on board a naval ship. I met a few pilots, Naval Aviation officers. Incidentally, one of them, Lt. Acharya, happened to hail from the district where I hailed from.

Next day, the carrier 'sailed' into the Arabian Sea and we took some pictures of the aircraft - Seahawks and Breguet Alizes-in the 'hangars'. We were soon told that flying activities would commence and to locate ourselves to observe how the aircraft would catapult off the carrier.

It was a thrilling experience to watch aircraft catapulted (taking off) and arrested (landing). I was told that the activities would continue throughout during the day.

I had not bargained for the shock that I had to witness. One of the Seahawks plunged into the sea soon after catapulting. All action came to a close. I thought there would be no flying on board the carrier.

I saw the carrier stop and divers trying to locate whether there was any chance of saving the pilot of the Seahawk. After some time, the search operation was abandoned. The captain of the ship, Captain Krishnan, came to his station on board the ship and briefly addressed the sailors on board. He said that the aircraft had met with a mishap, and the pilot could not be saved. He asked all to observe two minutes silence in memory of the dead pilot, who happened to be Lt. Acharya, whom I had met the previous evening. After observation of silence, Captain Krishnan announced: "Operations will recommence. Proceed to your stations".

And the flying activities continued.

I spent two more days on board the carrier before returning ashore. I admired the way the officers and sailors continued their activities during the next two days. Accidents were a part of their lives. Much more challenging would be operations during a war.

Incidentally, my article was published in the Illustrated Weekly of India, a rare privilege those days.

INS Vikrant saw action during the war with Pakistan in 1971. It was based in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and when the operations started moved closer to then East Pakistan. The Seahawks conducted air raids on Cox Bazar and Chittagong. East Pakistan harbours were completely neutralized by INS Vikrant.

The Pakistan Navy tried to attack the carrier, but the submarine was attacked and sunk by the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal.

INS Vikrant remained an important part of the Indian Navy and my recollection is that the FOC-in-C Western Naval Command used to fly his flag on the carrier. When I was posted in Bombay, I had the privilege of attending many receptions held on board by the then FoC in C, Vice Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda. My recollection is that the "Dream Girl" of the Indian cinema, Hema Malini, was invited on one occasion.

Admiral Nanda, later became the Chief of Naval Staff and led the service during the war with Pakistan in 1971. One of the pilots, Ram Tahiliani, also later became the Chief of Naval Staff.

Vikrant was decommisioned on January 1991. There was talk that it would be turned into a museum and people could go round the carrier anchored in Mumbai harbour.

Vikrant, means bold, or courageous.

Incidentally, the first INS Vikrant was bought from the United Kingdom in 1957 as HMS Hercules and after modernization was commissioned into the Indian Navy by our High Commissioner in the United Kingdom Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Pandit on March 4, 1961.

Mr. I.Ramamohan Rao is a former Principal Information Officer, Government of India. He maybe contacted at his e-mail raoramamohan@hotmail.com. By I.