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Arms and the man
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For Vice Admiral Harinder Singh, life has taken full circle. Aggressive, affable and ambitious, he believes that rarely has he sailed in troubled waters. In Kochi for almost a year and a half now as the Chief of the Southern Naval Command, he has now put in his papers for reasons that are purely `personal'. Humble yet dignified, polite yet prudent. With elan, he fields questions from VIJAY GEORGE and SUNIL NALIYATH, in an exclusive interview for The Hindu Metro Plus. Excerpts:
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Vice Admiral Harinder Singh
When did you first feel that you wanted to have a career in uniform?
You are asking me a very difficult question (laughs). In fact I knew when I was 11 years old that the Navy was my forte. And by the time I was 12, I had gone to RIMC, Dehradun, and thereafter it was one step leading to the next. Later I joined the NDA and before long, I was in the Navy.
What do you think are the highlights of your career?
Actually, it's very difficult to say what the highlights are. For everything is a highlight for its own time and space. But I would say that the first one was when I first got the command of a ship. As far as the Navy is concerned, the `real Navy' is the ship. Life in an office, like the one now, pushing files, is the most unhappy and uneventful one when compared to life on a ship.
I got my first command in 1973 on INS Nipat, the missile boat which had earlier led the attack on Karachi harbour in December 1971. And subsequently I was in command of a fleet which is a sort of a benchmark. That was very interesting.
Besides we had a lot of operations including Operation Leech III about which a lot has been written about. Then I went on to become the Dy. Chief of Naval Staff which again was another eventful phase because, as you know, the Dy. Chief looks after the whole of naval aviation and all naval operations, be it aircraft or fleets.
And during the Kargil operations, I was looking after the Navy's entire operations.
How conducive was the ambience of your childhood in making you successful?
I think it was not much different from any other family. My parents were very supportive. They wanted me to join the Army but my mind was always with the Navy.
I have had a very happy childhood and at the age of seven, I went to the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla as a boarder.I don't think that there was anything that was left wanting.
Actually we migrated from Pakistan. My father belongs to Rawalpindi. He was a civil surgeon posted at Lahore. And I was born there. We came over to India in 1947.
How do you relax when you find time to?
I read a lot. I enjoy playing Bridge and occasionally, golf.
Which is your favourite book?
The Memoirs of Gen. Mac Arthur, undoubtedly the greatest man any armed forces has ever produced. He has been a great influence in my life also.
It is often said that the higher you climb up the career ladder the lonelier you become. Is that true?
That's true in the Navy too. Especially when you are in command of a ship or a fleet.
Can you say something about your family?
Well, my wife is a post graduate in nutrition and she associates herself with the activities of the Navy Wives' Welfare Association and is also into some social work. My daughter is an MBA working in Delhi and my son is a management student in the US.
What are your contributions as the chief of Southern Naval Command?
Last year we had adopted a village in Jamnagar and completed total rehabilitation in record time. Then, the review of the training syllabi for the staff has been another remarkable achievement which gave a lot of stress on IT and information warfare. And it is always an ongoing process.
The Navy is in a crucial phase now. Don't you think that your decision to retire early will affect those projects?
I don't think my retirement is going to affect the Navy in anyway. I have put in my papers to suit in my personal convenience.
Do you still feel that there is any room for any reformation in the Navy?
Yes, with the change in time and technology we need to bring in newer concepts. For us the major change in recent years has been in the training of our personnel.
The quality of sailors that we are getting into the Navy is truly outstanding. ....The training duration has been cut short. We have brought in computers. The Indian Navy has undergone a fundamental change in terms of both sailors and our hardware (ships). We are fast transforming from a brown water navy to a blue water navy.
What are your reflections of Kochi, the city?
The city has undergone a sea change since my maiden visit in 1962. We have been here for the last seventeen months and I have found Kochi to be very attractive.
People here are very friendly and the quality of life here is remarkable. And we thoroughly enjoy Kerala food. Especially Appam, karimeen. Still, the only Malayalam word I use quite often is `choodu vellam'.
What are your future plans?
Just to retire and to settle down at Noida, play golf and bridge, meet friends and travel a lot...
Success and controversy always go hand-in-glove. What has been your personal experience?
I guess it's true to some extent. In my career I had no controversy up my sleeves till the Vishnu Bhagawat episode came on the scene. And that was not a controversy of my making.
What keeps you sailing in a crisis?
Firstly, the support from my family and friends. Secondly, the fact that in the final analysis nothing but the truth prevails and finally, destiny.
Are you an ardent movie-buff? Who are your favourites?
I used to be one. Now I don't have much time for it though. I am a great admirer of Suraiyya. Of the new brigade I share my preference with M.F.Husain, that is, Madhuri Dixit.
What is the worst aspect of being a defence personnel?
Of course the frequent transfers. It adversely affects the studies of one's children. But the transfers cannot be done away with.
Now that you have put in your papers, how would you describe your current state of mind?
Very relaxed. The only pressure is to complete the ongoing projects that I have initiated. I am also authoring a book on the history of the Navy.
While making an early exit you wish to be remembered as ...?
Surely as a man committed to naval operations.
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