THE BACKPACKER

Pioneers travel the roads less traveled by motley humans. The destiny keeps them on their toes and they never reach their wits end. The spirit of adventure and will to move beyond the fog keeps their imaginations locked onto newer and newer targets. They just move on. This story is about one such pioneer- Sardar Sham Singh.

Sham Singh was born in 1890 in Village Purkhali of Ropar District of undivided Punjab into a Jat Sikh family. The family owned a small tract of land and used to till the lands and rear a few buffaloes to sustain their living. He was all of 19 years when he came to know about farming opportunities in Burma (Myanmar of today). His mother wanted him to get married and settle down like the other boys of Village Purkhali. Sham Singh had other ideas. The spirit of adventure to the unknown lands of Burma had overtaken him and in January 1910 he set course for a 4000 Kms journey from Ropar to Burma. He was the only one in all the adjoining villages to have set on this journey. Holding his frugal belongings and modest money, he bade goodbye to his parents and started the journey to Delhi. As the images of his village fell behind, his mind drifted to the future that beckoned him. Crossing the vast plains of Punjab which would one day bear the City of Chandigarh, he reached Delhi. Resting in Gurudwara Sarais, Sardar Sham Singh began a hard toil towards Burma from Delhi.

Crossing the states of UP, Bihar and Assam, Sham Singh finally reached Imphal, Manipur in late April 1910. He had hopped from place to place, working along the way and generated money to ensure his sustenance during the journey. At Imphal, Sardar Sham Singh took the directions for moving into Burma. A small caravan of bullock carts was shaping its journey towards the hamlets of Moreh and Tamu. The international borders had not been drawn when Sham Singh reached Tamu after a 5 days journey from Imphal to Tamu. Language became his biggest barrier but that did not deter the tough 19 year old lad to scale his way up inside Burma. Finally, traversing miles away from Ropar, Punjab; Sardar Sham Singh reached Lashio in upper Burma. Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about 200 kilometres northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. Lashio was the administrative center of Lashio Township and Lashio District and was also the administrative center of Shan State (North). At Lashio, Sham Singh finally dug his anchor and soon he picked up an employment with a generous Burmese gentleman named U Maung.

The tall and strapping Sham Singh was soon tilling the lands of U Maung and learning the new language and culture. He was by now almost 4000 kms away from his home. U Maung was also very happy with the hard working Sikh and adopted him as a part of his family. Sham Singh had turned 25 when U Maung suggested that he marries a local girl and settle down in Burma. U Sham, as he was popularly being called agreed to the matrimony and soon he married a Shan girl. U Sham raised his family and soon he had land holdings of his own. His wife bore him 3 daughters and a son Mehar Singh in 1932. Young Mehar was an energetic child and would visit the fields with Sham Singh. Soon, the news of fighting forces of the Japanese Imperial Army started reaching Lashio state. U Maung and Sham Singh were very worried as the clouds of the big war were nearing them.

To cut off China from Allied aid, Japan went into Burma, captured Rangoon on 08 March 1942, cutting the Burma Road lifeline to China. Moving north the Japanese took Tounggoo, Burma, and then captured Lashio in upper Burma on 29 April 1942. U Maung had bid goodbye to his good friend U Sham and his family in Feb 1942 and promised to look after his properties and belongings. Sham Singh and his wife trudged back the same route that Sham had taken almost 03 decades back. Crossing into Manipur, Sham Singh and his family crossed the British Indian troops and received the news of Punjab from the troops belonging to Punjab. Finally, in May 1942, Sham Singh arrived at Village Purkhali, Ropar with his family. It was a tearful reunion with his kith and kin. His mother had expired a decade ago waiting for him. His father was not keeping very well. Sham Singh went back to tilling the meagre lands that the family held. His wife and children, meanwhile, were trying to adjust to the new surroundings, language and food barriers. The only common subject was the fertile lands of Burma and Punjab.

The clouds of partition and the pangs of new atmosphere kept Sham Singh unsettled in Punjab. A letter from U Maung arrived in 1946 and Sham Singh prepared to move back to Lashio. As the family moved out of Purkhali towards East, they crossed scores of families which were displaced towards the West. U Maung and U Sham had a tearful reunion at Lashio and true to his words; U Maung restored all the lands and belongings of U Sham. Once again, U sham began tilling his lands. His son Mehar Singh had no interest in the lands and wanted to open his own shop. The location of Lashio is unique and the population comprised of Shan, Chinese and Burmans. Mehar Singh soon set up a shop of textiles along with U Maung’s youngest son and the business prospered. He married 02 of his daughters to Burmese men and settled their families and the third daughter was married in Punjab.

The events of life turned again in 1962 and the geo-politics of Burma took a new turn. Once again, Sham Singh and his family had to shape course towards Purkhali, Ropar. U Maung once again took charge of the family’s belongings. Back at Purkhali, Sham Singh and his family came to known as ‘Burma Wale’. Sham Singh had got his meagre share of the family’s lands and got down again to stitch his life. In 1966, he got the news of U Maung’s illness. He and Mehar Singh along with the ladies started back for Lashio. India and Burma, by now, had an International Border. Reaching Manipur, Sham Singh had a tough time reaching Moreh, Manipur. Moreh, by now had become a closed establishment and one had to have a permit to visit this border outpost. Sham Singh struggled his way through and crossed over to the Tamu town on the Burmese side. Using all his links with the affable Burmese, Sham Singh and Mehar Singh reached Lashio. They got resident’s permit in Burma and once again cleared the dust from their locked house and shop. U Maung breathed his last in the lap of U Sham and now it was U Sham’s turn to look after his friend’s family as an elder. The family continued to stay till U Sham suffered a minor stroke in 1982. He was 92 years of age. It was his grand wish that he wanted to die in Purkhali, Ropar. Mehar Singh brought Sardar Sham Singh back to Ropar in 1983 and the state was in its own turmoil. The big locks in front of houses silently told the widespread migrations towards the East from Purkhali but not as far as Burma. The city of Chandigarh was by now touching base with Ropar. The bustling activities and migrations did not miss Sham Singh’s much travelled wisdom and in 1984 he persuaded Mehar Singh to move out of Purkhali and return to Lashio once again. As he bade farewell to Mehar and his family, Sham Singh knew that he would not meet his son again. In Jun 1985, the night had blacked out Village Purkhali. Sham Singh lay on his cot in his mud house at Purkhali. Soon, the day’s heat melted into the night’s cold and Sham Singh’s soul left his body. His grandson Balbir Singh found him lying with a smile on his lips as he tightly held his sacred “Guru Granth Sahib”. The strong Sardar had finally left for his last journey at the age of 95.

Mehar Singh reached Purkhali locking his shop and properties and handing them over to U Maung’s son. The family had now decided to settle down forever in Purkhali. The connect with Burma remained through Mehar Singh’s 02 sons who had settled down at Moreh, Manipur. Balbir Singh, the eldest son of Mehar Singh married Jagjit Kaur from Moreh. She too had a Burmese connection as her mother is also the Kayan tribe of Burma. Mehar Singh never liked the tilling of lands and kept his interest alive in business till he passed away in 2007. Balbir Singh has great passion for tilling of lands and the affable Burmese looking Sikh continues to till his meagre lands in Village Purkhali. The see-saw of life is unique and Balbir’s son Manmeet has no interests in tilling of lands and desires to join the Army.

Lying almost 09 Kms away from the main road leading from Rangeelpur to Ropar, Purkhali bears a testimony to the epic journey undertaken by the Backpacker Sardar Sham Singh. Criss crossing 4000 kms, Sham Singh always came back to Purkhali to settle down. Each time, the circumstances pushed him to his limits and he had to find his solace at Lashio, Burma. His family has continued to be spread from Punjab to Manipur to Burma. His surviving grandchildren are still struggling to settle down their lives as they still remember their Lashio connect and U Maung’s family which is still waiting for their return. Balbir Singh wishes to take Manmeet to Lashio to show him the closed shop and their house. The Backpacker’s genes are turning into small tides and who knows if someone from Purkhali again undertakes the arduous journey!! All the best Manmeet....

PS:- This story does not end here. We traveled to Village Purkhali, Ropar on 23 Aug 2014 to link up with Sardar Balbir Singh and his wife Jagjit Kaur. Jagjit happens to be a childhood friend of my wife Aparna from Moreh, Manipur. Jagjit was absolutely hale and hearty when she saw us off from Purkhali on 23 Aug 14 after we went around the village shrouded in olden images. As I was completing this story on 31 Aug 14, we got the tragic news that Jagjit Kaur expired today (31 Aug 14) after a fever of a few hours. The root cause is not yet known and the warm welcome accorded by Jagjit and Balbir are still fresh in my mind. RIP Jagjit.

 

THE IRON COFFIN'S SENTINEL

In July 1898, a small boat fell beneath the waves in New York Harbor, off Staten Island. The event caused great celebration. For the boat was called the Holland, and she was designed to sink. And she did this so well that on April 11, 1900, Holland was bought by the U.S. Navy and thus was the world's first successful submarine service born. Holland’s first dive was only to 12 feet, and it lasted for just 11 minutes. These days, submarines easily go deeper than 1,000 feet, travel to the farthest reaches of the planet's oceans, sidle up close against enemy shores and often stay submerged for months at a time.

 

John Lowe, the first submariner and the man at the helm during Holland's first dive, had much in common with the nearly quarter of a million men who have served on the submarines over the last 106 years, men who proudly call themselves "bubbleheads'' and who, for the most part, believe that they are all a little bit nuts. Why else would anyone purposely sign up to serve on a ship knowing he was going to risk not just enemy torpedoes and depth charges, but also asphyxiation, drowning or implosion under crushing ocean pressures. Submariners have always been a completely volunteer force, a group of men struck with a brand of patriotism that outweighs their own sense of survival. They go because they've asked themselves the question, "What else?" 

 

The tragic loss of any submarine around the world has a special kind of impact on the nations operating these technological marvels. A special kind of sadness erupts around the globe, mixed with universal admiration for the men who choose this type of work. One can not mention the submarine and its gallant crew without observing in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a boat dies at the bottom of the sea and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk. Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment. Actually, there is not evidence that this is so. What is it then that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them?

 
 Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the so called "Silent Service". In a Submarine, each man is totally dependent upon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for top performance but for actual survival. Each knows that his very life depends on the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them that both challenges and comforts them. All of this gives the submariner a special feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elite corps. The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent. The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men to serve on submarines. It certainly is a test of a man's prowess and power to know he can qualify for this highly selective service. However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinity is not pathological, as it might be in certain dare-devil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop. 

There is nothing dare devilish about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service. He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so to practice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can get to failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. On the contrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle the danger, to minimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safety rather danger, is maintained at all times. Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibility of sudden tragedy is constant? The glib answer would be to say they are. It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities. They know themselves a little better than the next man. This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk. They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence. We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do, these men are. The country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea.

 
 In the early days of the Submarines, John Lowe was convinced that only submarines - a fleet of 50 at least - could protect the nation's shores should an enemy do what he was certain any enemy would. The idea of subs as the ultimate coastal picket, guarding against all enemies who may venture near, lasted until World War I - when German U-boats demonstrated in a lethal campaign against merchant shipping that submarines could be very effective as a blue-water force. Submarines were equally deadly during World War II - and it wasn't just Hitler's Navy that posed the threat. U.S. submarines crippled the Japanese Navy and destroyed Tokyo's merchant fleet, mounting their first successful attacks within days of Pearl Harbor. Along the way, the United States lost 52 submarines and 3,500 men.

After the war, submarines fell out of the spotlight, but the calculated insanity that sent men out beneath the waves never diminished - nor did the question, "What else?" If anything, both reached new intensity during the Cold War, in missions that were just as much a question of life and death as they had been during the years when depth charges routinely blew holes in the Pacific.

These new missions were so deeply cloaked in secrecy that thousands of men went out - often for months at a time - never telling anyone where they were going, or why. They didn't tell their wives, their children, their parents, their best friends. And for good reason. The mission had moved beyond one of mere stealth to one of utmost secrecy. And submariners had become more than hunters. They had become spies. It was their job to venture to the shores of the enemies, sometimes straight into the enemy’s harbors. It was their job to trail,
a push of a button away from sinking, the enemy submarines.

To do this, submariners suffer from confinement and from the dangers of the ocean depths. Submariners stood by as many submarines were lost with all hands - and they watched as many of their own families fell apart from the imposed distance of time and silence. Their own families think that they are involved in mere exercises, perhaps in a few "cat-and-mouse games". The public is generally told that the submarines themselves are technological marvels almost able to drive themselves. What is left out is that these marvels often are held together with shoestring, spit and the creativity of the men who ride in them.

Submariners have always made up their own rules, their limits are often drawn on the spot by victory and disaster. There is no other way. They are always attempting feats that had never been considered possible, moving as quickly as their technology and the technology of their adversaries and allow - dreaming it up as they go along.

Amidst all the controversies, the Silent Service has managed time and again to reinvent itself - and has been proving that submarines can play a crucial role in the kind of high-tech wars that will be fought in the 21st century. Today, spy satellites scour the surface of the globe, but still can't effectively peer under- water. Submarines remain the best of the nation's stealth weapons. This is far from the world that John Lowe could have imagined when he guided Holland into New York Harbor a century ago. But it is a world that the Silent Service is well-equipped to dominate well into its second century. It's the modern answer to the old question: "What else?''

Happy Birthday.

(Courtesy:- Internet Research) 

The Chief of Smoke, a true jagirdar of the World Wars

The Chief of Smoke, a true jagirdar of the World Wars

THE PRICE (OR PRIZE!!) OF FREEDOM

At the stroke of the midnight hour, India became free on 15th Aug 1947. It then remained a dominion of the British Empire till 26th Jan 1950 when the Constitution of India declared India as finally a sovereign Nation. A price had to be paid for achieving the Independence and the prize of Independence continues to ask for the price even today.

                

Early in the 20th Century, Ernest Shackleton, a British Adventurer, set out to explore the Antarctic. This was the one remaining conquest- crossing the continent via the southernmost tip of the Earth. The land part of the expedition would start at the frigid Weddell Sea, below South America, and travel 1700 miles across the Pole to the Ross Sea, below New Zealand. The cost of the expedition was estimated to be about USD 250,000. The World War-I was raging and with limited finances, Shackleton set out with a crew of 27 men on his 350 Ton Ship Endurance. The ship got stranded in harsh winter and icy conditions, drifted off North and finally got crushed under the pressures of ice.  She sank on 21 Nov 1915 and the crew evacuated themselves to the tiny Elephant Island. Shackleton left 5 men behind and embarked on a 800 miles of journey through rough seas to find help. Eventually, he found help and rescued his entire crew. Not a man died and not a man mutinied.

                

Somewhere in 1986 and in Shackleton's mould, Alok was a strapping young Captain from the Corps of Engineers. Bubbling with energy, Alok would meet each challenge head on. In 1986, he got married to Neena who dreamt of being a lawyer.  Soon, they were blessed with a charming girl- Aneela. A year after the birth of Aneela, Alok's posting came to Border Roads and he was posted to the remote Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh to make the first of the motor-able pathways. After settling in Anini, the district headquarters of Dibang Valley, Alok came on a short leave to fetch Neena and little Aneela to his remote location. With dreams still in her eyes, Neena was happy as she undertook the journey to Dibrugarh. Soon the three passed Itanagar and met with the Blue colored Border Roads Jeep. Alok's driver was an affable old Sikh. Alok's helper loaded the family's luggage onto the Jeep's top and the family soon commenced their journey to their destination- Anini.

               

was amused as Alok sat between her and the driver and the Jeep circumvented the boulders and dirt tracks. After over 4 hours of bumpy ride, where at many places the luggage from the top fell down as the Jeep created steep angles of inclination, they reached a river bed. Neena thought that they must be trying to wash the Jeep. Her amusement increased as she saw an approaching river raft. The Sikh driver drove the Jeep onto the Raft and the family set out on a winding 2 hour journey down the winding river. Finally, the Jeep set for another hard patch of journey through the boulders and then came across a large pond. The Sikh driver got down and knelt in front of the Pond. Neena was highly amused and Captain Alok sat still as young 1.5 year old Aneela maintained her sleep due to the constant yaw , pitch and roll!! After a silent prayer, the Sikh driver started the Jeep, clutched the 4 wheel drive and waded through the Pond. The Jeep waded into wheel deep water and came out safe at the other end.

               

Soon, Neena and Alok settled down into their Border Roads Accommodation at Anini. Alok moved on with his pioneering works of creating roads in the most inhospitable terrains and Neena would wait days on end before Alok would come back home. Young Aneela was Neena's constant companion. A clear weather at Anini would mark the arrival of the Indian Air Force's medium lift MI-17 choppers. The chopper would land at the helipad near Neena's house. The humming sound of the big blades of MI-17 would make the entire town run towards the helipad. The MI-17 would be loaded with all sorts of assorted items including the animals which were being moved from place to place. Neena would pick her share of fresh but shriveled vegetables and an occasional letter. Young Captain Alok was an influential name in the area and soon the IAF Pilots developed a high regard for the young lady with her small daughter. The chopper's next stop used to be the site where Alok was blasting through the tough terrains to make the motorable road. At times, Neena and little Aneela would hitch a hike amidst the goats, hens and other locals to visit Alok for a small picnic rendezvous. These rare family re-unions were cherished with a quick bite along-with the brave IAF Pilots who kept their rotors turning before the weather packed up. The MI-17 would again lift up and drop Neena and Aneela at Anini before shaping course for Dibrugarh.

               

Finally, the day came , when Alok laid the last piece of the road and connected the Eastern most tip of the Dibang Valley with the mainland India through a maze of roads. He became the pioneer as he powered his vehicle up the road to the last point on the Indo- China Border. The news of his achievement was rewarded with a posting to Pune. Neena and 04 year old Aneela mazed their way back from Anini to Pune via Dibrugarh along-with Alok.

              

The independence of India is a gift of the toil and hard work of many many Indians. They all contributed in their own ways to achieve the independence and the contribution has continued through the 68 years since Independence. The Independence would continue to demand many more sacrifices. There are still roads to be laid and there are still places where a hovering Helicopter stirs the citizen's frenzy.  I have not seen our venerable freedom fighters, but for sure, I have met Alok Sir and Neena M'am. Aneela is now married and settled with her husband in Pune. Alok Sir has since retired and is now at New Delhi. We spent the Independence Day's eve with Col Alok Bajpai/Fox/52 and Neena M'am and re-lived their fond remembrances of the tough times at Arunachal Pradesh. Today, the town of Anini is a favorite tourist destination and it is due to the grit of many an Indians who have enabled the transformation.
               

Do you have it in you? If yes, then keep the prized freedom intact and continue to pay the price for enabling this freedom as it is a never ending process.

             

Jai Hind.
  

THE SUBMARINE CALLS

Submarines have been an integral part of my life. My first brush with the Submariners was during the Mumbai riots of 1992, wherein, I and my venerable Course-mate Late Lieutenant Pravin Rana got waylaid by Mumbai Police whilst on our way back to Lonavala from Mumbai on a heady night and due to the non-recognition of a temporary Identity Card. The first encounter with the 03 Submariners held by the Mumbai Police in the Colaba Police Station and the grand entry of a Submariner Officer Lieutenant Debasish Saha to rescue his Submarine mates, got etched forever in my cranium's crevices. He finally rescued his sailors and along with them- me and Rana. The Submarines became my passion and all through my Naval Engineering College days and the follow-up phase of Specialization into Electronics and Communication at Jamnagar, my focus kept on diverting back to the Submarines. Finally, the opportunity came for me to join Submarines and I plunged into the Pressure Chamber to clear my aptitude for the Submarines. The first Pressure Chamber Dive to 30 meters was followed by a quick descent to 100 meters. It all felt exciting and soon I was shortlisted for the Submarine School at Visakhapatnam.

The 06 months at the Submarine School flew by and in no time I was appointed to the oldest Kilo Class Submarine Sindhughosh. Fresh from a well earned leave, I reported on-board Sindhughosh with my other Submarine School mates and by virtue of seniority, I was the senior most Officer under training on-board the Submarine. The majestic boat was under a long refit activity and 04 of us reported on-board whilst she was being rejuvenated at the dry-docks. To my utter surprise, I found the first of the 03 Submariners whom I had met at Mumbai, on the dry dock jetty. Holding a cigarette, he was standing with his one leg on the Jetty's Bollard (a strong post as on a wharf or quay or ship for attaching the mooring lines). He turned out to be Master Chief Petty Officer-II VPS Chauhan (MCPO), the Submarine's Coxswain (A person who usually steers a ship's boat and has charge of its crew). He met me with great warmth as I introduced myself and was taken aback when I reminisced the Mumbai events!! He then candidly admitted that the other two Submariners whom I had met on that fateful night at Mumbai were also on-board this Submarine. I happily stepped on-board after saluting the National Flag.

MCPO took us straight to the Executive Officer of the Submarine and soon we were trying to trace the pipes and cables inside the Submarine as the Executive Officer started our acclimatisation and training in the right earnest. The Executive Officer’s first advice was to be mentally agile and physically fit when on Submarines and to give the best energy to the boat. In the course of the first day, I also met Leading Seaman Satyadev and LEMP Gaikwad, the other two accomplices of MCPO at Mumbai. Satyadev was a stalwart of the Torpedo Systems on-board the Kilo and Gaikwad was a senior electrical mate on-board.

The destiny had its hidden plans and two days after my reporting on-board the Kilo, the venerable Electrical Officer of the Submarine fell sick and was admitted to the Naval Hospital for a surgery. The circumstances of the Submarine were tough and it is indeed a herculean task to rejuvenate the individual systems and then to integrate them into well oiled machinery which can withstand the rigors of the dark depths of the seas. Due to a shortage of the Electrical Officers in the Submarine Fleet, the Executive Officer decided to take the matters into his hands and appointed me as his able Deputy Electrical Officer. Thus, within two days of joining the boat, I was amongst the thickest of the action along with my primary job- which was to learn about the systems and engineering of the Submarine. I got onto the tasks of managing the Electrical Department and started putting in mid night hours to maintain my Training Journal. The days were hot and tough and the nights became longer, but that is what the life on-board a Submarine is all about. The sweat, the toil and the tempers- all ran high simultaneously many a times even as Sindhughosh continued to get bound together into a lethal war fighting machine.

Soon, we commenced our sorties into the sea after clearing the harbour checks in one go. I was extremely happy to clear the harbour checks of the Electrical Department without wearing the mandatory DOLPHIN BADGE as my sea qualifying board was not yet over. The Executive Officer stood firmly behind me and ensured that I carried out the duties of a Head of Department without being a qualified Submariner. We used to close up on the Submarine at 0630 Hours each day and the evenings stretched to 2300 hours on most days. Finally, the day came when we fired the first torpedo from the Submarine and she was declared fully operational to meet the designed commitments. I had also earned my DOLPHIN BADGE in between this phase and my Qualifying Exam went like a well rehearsed song. Each of my Qualifying Board Members had seen me operating on-board the Kilo and gave me a Thumbs Up report. My three Submarine Mates were very thrilled when I offered the mandatory Rum Punch to the Submarine's crew. The punch line of the MCPO was always a simple rhetoric- "Sahab, Pandoobi (Submarine) bhi sunati hai!!". This literally translates into- THE SUBMARINE TOO LISTENS!!

​Finally, one day, the night fell on the Bay of Bengal. It was 2000 hrs and Sindhughosh was snorting. The diesels were humming and the generators were rotating seamlessly to charge the juices of the Submarine's batteries for a deployment. Suddenly, I heard the Executive Officer's voice on the microphone system and he wanted me to come to the Control Room. I had finished a "Watch Under Observation" with the Submarine's Senior Engineer Lieutenant AB Mukherjee. I reached the Control Room and found the MCPO sitting on the Submarine's planes (Planes control the diving and surfacing of the Submarine) along-with Satyadev. The Executive Officer was on the Officer of the Watch chair (OOW Chair) and the Commanding Officer was sitting on his big Chair. The Executive Officer told me to sit on the OOW's Chair and carry out the evolutions as per the CO's orders. I sat down on the Chair and the CO, Commander BK Patnaik ordered stopping of the snorting and diving of the Submarine. MCPO turned back and shook his head in affirmative and I gave out the crisp order to Stop Diesels and Dive the Boat. As I went through the motions of the orders, I could feel the 3000 Tonnes Kilo respond to my inner self. Soon, the Depth Gauges started moving as the Engines stopped and the batteries took over the power control of the Submarine. The big main motor which LEMP Gaikwad operated 03 compartments behind the Control Room hummed and Sindhughosh glided down with ease as my successive orders and actions followed and MCPO on the planes executed them with finesse. I settled the Submarine to the Periscope Depth. The CO took a deep periscope sweep and soon I took the boat down for my first independent deep dive.
 

At deep depth, a glass of chilled sea water served by the Submarine's Steward LSTD Bheem Prasad went down my throat and the DIVED WATCH KEEPING CERTIFICATE was granted to me by the venerable Commanding Officer. This certificate still remains an integral part of my Navy Memorabilia collection and will be cherished till my last breath. The MCPO shook my hand and saluted me for a dive well executed.

The time is again ripe. I am into a school again, albeit into a B-School (MDI, Gurgaon) and without a Uniform. The learning phase is about to be over and the deep dive beckons. The old adage -The Submarine Listens is playing loud and clear in my mind. I am ready for the call and will again execute the mission with my best energies and intent.  My Executive Officer Rear Admiral Soonil Bhokare is now the FOSM, MCPO has peacefully retired , Satyadev is a successful entrepreneur and Gaikwad is sailing on the high seas with the Merchant Navy.

         

The call to the Control Room beckons as the clock ticks by and given a chance I shall dive again with perfection and finesse. The chilled sea water's salty taste has rekindled the taste buds- I am alive folks........  

MAINTENANCE- THE KEY TO HEALTHY OPERATIONS

Prologue

1.  The critical aspects of maintenance need to meet the challenges of future operational environment. It is an accepted norm worldwide to get maintenance right first, coupled with a robust logistics and to top it up with trained manpower. Maintenance of systems, therefore, comes right at the start of the ladder and cannot be by-passed by any other norm. The challenge, therefore, is to assimilate the maintenance norms correctly and avoid time lags in equipping the operational environment both with material and trained manpower.

2.       As, the Indian companies define their new roles and missions to meet the perceived challenges in their business environment, the article attempts to lay out a philosophy of Maintenance- The Key to Healthy Operations.

Introduction

3.       Planned and correct maintenance at the right time is bound to ensure ticking platforms. The coupling of maintenance by skilled manpower and a robust logistics network can ensure achievement of operational goals. Companies worldwide have established various internal sub-departments/agencies which maintain a vigil on various aspects of maintenance and also are a repository of vital information.

4.       Due inputs from OEMs are to be incorporated and relevant maintenance documents are to be in place for equipments sustaining operations. The beauty of every production unit is the amalgamation of various equipments from various OEMs. Most of the OEMs lay tough stipulations in their maintenance recommendations and it is difficult to achieve operational synergy if those regimes are to be followed in principle. Moreover, the preliminary repair pattern of machines revolves around refurbishment and cannibalization as a major component of upkeep and maintenance policy. This is a but natural concept and hinges on the bare fact that most of the equipment is sourced from OEMs abroad and logistic backbone is always in a learning and procurement curve as the spares requirements are arbitrary and all the spares cannot be made available off the shelf. Another vulnerability of Indian scenario is that concepts like JIT even in their improvised forms cannot be practiced unless financial powers are divested further to enhance over night fast track procurements from the foreign OEMs.

5.       The above lacunas bring us to the core issue of what type of maintenance is required? Do we cater for maintaining the functionality of the manufacturing line or maintenance of individual systems? It’s a tricky choice as it involves certain crucial decisions involving a matrix which looks at whether the consequence of failure affects the safety, operational factors, non-operational factors or cost. It does lead towards the concept of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Methodology. However, the cascading effect is that RCM can only function if it is derived and delivered coherently.[1]

6.       The first line of defence in the maintenance field is the ground crew. All defects and their remedial measures are to be noted in the relevant equipment passports. The passports offer a vital clue to the overall system health and the methodology and spares consumed to maintain the system. These details can be recorded in this document. The promulgated safety returns can be easily prepared based upon the data available in the passports. The returns can be then utilized by the nodal agency to prepare a coherent and focused maintenance information acquaint for each system. It is a well known fact that information regarding defects should be shared between all the stakeholders so as to forecast the maintenance scenarios. This would also help to generate an End to End Maintenance Strategy.

7.         The usage of the equipment is crucial to derive the correct maintenance. This data base can be developed and the required level of maintenance schedule can be followed. For example, considering the vintage of the equipment, the rotating machinery would need a thorough maintenance after fixed operation hours and not merely a passing glance or waiting for the next big routine maintenance. The older the equipment, the more would be the maintenance.    This eventually leads us into the realms of Reliability Engineering which is sub-discipline within Systems Engineering. Reliability Engineering focuses on costs of failures caused by system downtime, cost of spares, repair equipment, personnel and cost of warranty claims. Eventually this should strive to produce greater safety and environmental integrity coupled with improved operating performance and maintenance cost-effectiveness.

8.       There has to be a careful blend of both corrective and preventive maintenance to achieve operational synergies. It is so because in a pure corrective environment, the operator has the key to the equipment. In the pure preventive environment, the maintainer holds the key of the equipment. Hence, a middle path has to be followed to achieve the maximum system stability and availability. Also, the maintenance pattern has to be user and maintainer friendly and provide maximum bang for the buck spent.

9.       However, the over arching factor would be that maintenance should not be deferred. In today’s systems, majority of software driven modules are not inter-changeable. Any shifting of modules between systems is neither prudent nor advisable to maintain system integrity. The systems would need to be tackled by properly trained personnel and with proper documentation. The inventory of spares can never be complete and this would continue to put systems at a disadvantage.

10.     The optimum maintenance needs to be delivered in a coherent manner and it is directly coupled to strong logistics. Every demand needs to be chased in a pro-active fashion and Minimum Spares have to be maintained. The software based systems and modules sourced from foreign OEMs would continue to pose a series of maintenance/upkeep issues including system tuning. It would be imperative that the foreign trained personnel are carefully nurtured and ensure that their knowledge is disseminated. The envelope for system maintenance is expanding fast with the new technology. There is a need to stress upon the new generation concepts of maintenance and evolve a careful strategy wherein correct maintenance can be imparted.  

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[1] “Where Does My Maintenance Come From? David Webb, RCM Technical Analyst, Maritime Maintenance Support Group.