An evening to remember

DATING BACK to 1874, the `Bella Veu' stood majestically. With the old fortified structure forming an illustrious backdrop, the well laid out lawns of the Navy House was buzz with activity on Saturday. The 100-odd Navy officers -- dressed immaculately -- and with spouses in tow stole the show.

For them, it was reception to commemorate one of the greatest moments of their force. December 4 it was, when the Navy invaded the high seas and attacked the Karachi harbour inflicting irreparable damage to the enemy during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

The evening saw different wings of the defence forces coming together and joining the Navy in its glory. As a miniature model of a watch tower kept blinking in a corner, the cool evening was enlivened as a unit of the Eastern Naval band belted out popular filmi numbers of yesteryears. It was nostalgia all the way for many retired service personnel as `Aankohon hi aankohon mein ishara ho gaya...' was played.

Stopping by a miniature model of `INS Sindhughosh', the former Army Chief, Gen. K.V. Krishna Rao, gushed: "A friend of mine was on this ship..." Dotted along the lawns were several miniature models of warships, destroyers and submarines. There was `INS Rana' and also `INS Kora' with missiles, launchers, torpedoes and helicopters. Naval officers were only too eager to explain the motley crowd of civilians the intricacies involved with a sub.

Wasn't listening to them reminded one of reading Alistair Maclean's `The Ice Station'?

By T. Lalith Singh

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