I first sailed to Andaman and Nicobar islands in 1983 on board landing craft INS Ghorpad as an under trainee ‘watch keeping officer’ . This training period is the most essential and critical part of an ‘executive cadet’ in order to earn the ‘watch keeping certificate’ to qualify to keep independent ‘watches’ in harbour and at sea .
Well! I looked forward to it , prior to that we had practised our landing in the beaches of ‘Kakinada’ in Andhra Pradesh. ‘Beaching’ is an evolution in which a ‘Landing Craft’ lands on the beach in order to disembark troops and equipment in enemy territory . It is a special ship with flat bottom to facilitate landing on sand . For such an operation the beach has to be surveyed to ensure smooth gradient and no rocks and shoals . Soon a company of Gurkha soldiers arrived on board as we were to sail with them to Andamans for Amphibious exercise and land them at ‘Indira point’ in Great Nicobar island which is also the southernmost point of India .
I was given the responsibility to train the Gurkha troops on the continental beach of Vizag where we were stationed. It was called ‘ wet shod training’ where they were to be acquainted with sea and how to step out of the ship in waist deep water with their rifle and back pack . The beach was about 3 KM from the ship and we would march early in the morning for the exercise which was for a week. The ship’s divers were also there to help in training . The experience was wonderful as the troops were thrilled to be near the sea for the first time and to learn something never done before . I was very impressed by their sense of duty and discipline .
One day we sailed with the troops , one Major Thapa was their company commander, at sea he would daily talk to his men and motivate and acquaint them with sea precautions and their maiden mission . Our Captain would tell us to see how diligently the Major was preparing his men for the mission in order to show us how men should be trained and prepared. Since this was a joint exercise involving all three services one Airforce Flight Lieutenant , a Canberra pilot also embarked us , all this was quite exciting for me and two of my course mates as we were three for the ‘certificate’. After retiring to our bunks at night we would be eager to hear the stories of Army and Air Force and a good bonding was formed during the sailing period. We first reached Port Blair which was beautiful harbour and the colour of the sea was so pure and dark blue. Other ships and units had also landed there and the Army troops were now in tents on the jetty . At that time many of the precious shells were available and there was hardly any regard to protect wild life , marine life and ecology . The ‘Coral’ was easily available and even deer meat ( venison) was eaten . It was later we realized the devastation which was caused to the sea wealth and strong restriction were imposed and things settled down.
Most of the locals in Port Blair were descendants of the freedom fighters who were lodged in the ‘cellular jail’ . The list of people who were convicted there included large numbers from Bengal but also from Punjab. U P and Tamil Nadu . The people there well versed in Hindi and there was no communication problem.
At Port Blair the unit of Major Thapa invited us for dinner to their tented accommodation ashore. It was conducted in a traditional Army manner . Men were squatted on the ground cross legged and till such time we had not been served they waited and only lifted their mugs on the command of Major Thapa . It was good to observe such ‘command and control’. From Port Blair we sailed with the troops to Nicobar islands south of Andamans and after a few days sailing touched ‘Indira Point’ where there was a jetty where we disembarked the Gurkha troops. A temporary ‘Air field’ also existed near the jetty where small size fixed wing air craft could land . Some of the farmers were Sikh ex service men who were given land grants by the Government to encourage populate the islands, they grew potatoes there . There the Armoured regiment of Army was in action and I witnessed for the first time T-72 amphibious tanks moving on water and took a ride in one of them as some officers had now embarked our ship. And therefore the stories of their regiments were in circulation for few days. After the exercise Major Thapa presented each of us with a ‘Khukri’ which is the personal weapon of all Gurkhas .
Again in the year 1984 I sailed on board Vindhyagiri a multi purpose frigate and then the front line ship of Western Naval command . It was again a joint amphibious exercise and our ship’s role was to dummy fire on the beach to soften it so that the troops could land un unopposed . This was followed by a ‘Dummy torpedo ‘ firing in Nicobar island waters at an appropriate place . It was a test demonstration of a new torpedo developed in India. I was a ‘watch keeping officer ‘ and perhaps among the junior most officers and therefore I was given task to lower the boat after the torpedo had been fired from the torpedo tube and surfaced . There was no ammunition( war head) in the torpedo, just an ignitor to send the torpedo out of the tube and move on the designated path and then surface .
At the appropriate time in the bright and sunny morning the torpedo launch was executed and after some time we sighted it at a little distance ahead of the ship . We lowered our boat and quickly moved toward the torpedo . A team of divers was there to assist and the exercise was completed quickly and the dummy torpedo was recovered safely. But then to our shock surprise and horror we found on the surface hundreds of dead fish floating on water . They had apparently died on account of the shock of the underwater sound . I was mesmerised by the sight as I had never seen such colourful variety of fish even in books . There were colours which I had never seen in addition to the usual red , yellow, blue , orange , black , green , violet and their shades.. It was in various sizes ranging from half kg to 5 kg. After the initial shock and excitement we picked up as much as we could in our boat and exhibited on the deck of the ship. The Commanding officer came smilingly lifted one colourful fish and said ‘ this I will have’ . He then asked for the ship’s cook and ordered him to cook which ever fish was edible. Though till that time there was no environment preservation consciousness in me but I did not consume any fish .
Later as I was lying on my bunk I would think that this small blast created such marine tragedy then how much devastation was being caused by so many under water trials all round the world ? So many underwater torpedo and missiles are fired and tested by so many countries with no regard to marine life . It is indeed an irreparable loss. The curse on me was that I have never seen such colourful marine life thereafter, ever , though I have been to Andaman and Nicobar and to other oceans and seas on other occasions.
This conflict and dilemma between ‘beauty and utility’ , ‘conservation and greed’ , ‘ duty and conscience ‘ has to be resolved by every person himself alone , and live with a burden or head held high!
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
