here is an odd significance
to 31 October, the day Admiral Sureesh Mehta assumes office as the new
Naval Chief. He, like Admiral Arun Prakash, is a naval aviator and
there is a connect to that date because the mantle of Prime Minister
fell on the shoulders of a distinguished flier, Rajiv Gandhi,
following the brutal gunning down of Mrs Indira Gandhi. The then Naval
Chief Admiral RH Tahiliani was also a naval aviator and a test pilot.
Thus it came about that a green signal was given for the Navy's Sea
Harriers to fly on 29 January 1985 in Delhi, in spite of some
reservations of the Indian Air Force. The Air Force, who rightly
consider airspace as their own exclusive turf, were not too pleased
with the idea of naval fighter aircraft stealing the show. Their
objection was that the Sea Harriers were single-engined and hence an
endangered species, posing a risk to spectators. But, with two
distinguished fliers in the cockpits of the Nation and the Navy, it
was smooth sailing and thus history was created by then Commander Arun
Prakash. He led a flight of the most modern, new technology,
variable-geometry aircraft over Vijay Chowk. To the delight of crowds
gathered for the Beating Retreat ceremony, a flight of four of these
magnificent jump-jets arrived over Raisina Hill. And then, in the
backdrop of the majestic domes of North and south Blocks, they
executed 'a hover' at zero speed before flying off at super-sonic
speed towards India Gate.
It is the first and only time it happened and
demonstrated the capability of the silent service to reinforce its
credentials as a blue-water navy. And incidentally, but for the
visionary ideas of a young Prime Minister, the Navy wouldn't have so
readily got the second aircraft carrier Indian Naval Ship (INS)
Viraat nor the nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra.
Our Prime Ministers have generally been sympathetic
to the needs of the Navy. Nehru, a towering figure with a vision to
take the Nation forward in the international arena, recognised the
importance of maritime power. Panditji chose to sail to Indonesia in
the cruiser INS Delhi and wrote in the ship's visitors' book, "As I
gazed at the receding coastline of India and thought back centuries
ago to the times when India was invaded from the north but never
enslaved and how when the Englishmen came from the sea they made us
into a colony. How sea power was critical for our survival as a free
nation."
Lal Bahadur Shastri, perhaps influenced by his Army
Chief, may have kept the Navy out of action in the 1965 War but Indira
Gandhi more than made up in 1971 allowing a stellar role for the Navy.
When Admiral Nanda proposed a plan to attack Karachi with sea-launched
missiles, she did not hesitate to give approval.
The Janata Party under Morarjee Desai and Charan
Singh, the Janata Dal under VP Singh and Chandra Shekhar, and the
United Front under Deve Gowda and Gujral had very brief encounters at
governance and made little impact for the Navy.
Mr Narasimha Rao had a full term but in his Chanakyesque style,
also known for his cost-cutting ways, was sympathetic to no one. That
included the Navy too, which came down quite a few notches having once
climbed to global heights, according to a 1989 Time cover
story. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) under Vajpayee was navy
friendly, in spite of the unceremonious sacking of the then Naval
Chief because of a willful Admiral and an equally willful 'Bolshevik'
Raksha Mantri. However, under their 'feel good' and 'India
shining' phase, the Navy did not figure high on priorities. The United
Progressive Alliance, under Dr Manmohan Singh, just halfway through
their Parliamentary innings, is showing promising ideas having
approved acquisition of a second aircraft carrier
INS Vikramaditya and the indigenous third carrier being
prepared for launching from the Cochin shipyard. As also, among other
projects, building the 'Scorpene' class submarines.
The Navy under the helm of another aviator should
be smug in spite of recent adverse publicity. That naval forces play a
key role in a nation's foreign policy has been proved in the two Gulf
wars. Efficacy of sea power was also abundantly established in the
Falklands and Balkans. The latest example is the mission of evacuation
by our ships in Lebanon.
An effective security system is best based on a coherent and well
founded foreign policy encompassing a three dimensional navy. As Nehru
said, "To be secure on land you have to be supreme at sea." Words that
have been used by successive naval Chiefs to get favourable budgets
for ship building and strengthening the Navy. Maritime power at and
from the sea is an all time necessity. Admiral Gorshkov, heading the
Soviet Navy for a quarter of a century, used to constantly remind his
politburo that the Navy has its task cut out 'as an instrument of
