Naval officers get nostalgic as Viraat sails into history

As the sun set on 6 March 2017, and the Naval Ensign and Commissioning Pennant were lowered for the last time on-board INS Viraat, it was the end of an epic era for many who witnessed it. Moist eyes and warm hearts bid their final adeiu to India’s longest serving aircraft carrier. Just a day ago, she had hosted her last party on-board. And untold tales of valour, grit, tension, fun had filled the air. Nostalgic men in white laughed, got emotional, greeted each other. A felicitation programme of the outstanding Naval officers and staff had set the mood for the evening. A father-son duo walked on the dais first to be felicitated for serving on-board Viraat. 

“Our family’s two generations have served her. When I was serving here, my boy was barely a few years old. I still have a photograph where he is sitting on my laps on this very deck. Years later, he served on the same ship. What do I say? It is a great honour and privilege,” Commodore S.S. Sinsunwal (retired) told The Sunday Guardian. Flanked by his young son Sharad Sinsunwal, who currently serves in the Directorate of Personnel, he flaunted the citation received by them. 

He had served on-board as the second-in command, during 1989-91. That was the period when Operation Jupiter was conducted. It was India’s peace-keeping operation off the Sri Lankan coast. “At that time, we had embarked an entire batallion of Garhwal Rifles. They had never seen the sea before that. So, the entire batallion was quite anxious. But we took care of them for one-and-a-half months. Imagine, they had come with everything including idols of their Gods. We made them feel at home. At times, the entire batallion used to tap its feet on-board the ship. It gave us quite some tense moments. But look at our luck. Ultimately, the Garhwal Rifles adopted us, INS Viraat,” he said.

India’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba recounted his days on-board the ship during 1996-97. He narrated how a new pilot had made the hearts of the officials skip a beat when his sortie came down so fast that it looked like it sank. “We were watching the deck one night. A rookie pilot was flying a Sea Harrier. It was a solo swift sortie. He got a bit over-confident, probably. He came too fast, and overshot the deck in that speed. Our hearts skipped a beat. We thought, he sank. But he slowly emerged from below the flight deck,” the Naval chief recalled.

Rear Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, who was the 18th Commanding Officer of Viraat, recalled how the ship had won the unit citation during his tenure. The ship had also completed her 25 years in service then. “Koi nahi hai takkar mein, Kyon pade ho chakkar mein? Murga kiska – Viraat ka!” his entire team shouted in unison, while posing for their last group photograph on-board INS Viraat. “We used to sing this aloud together then. Those were the days!” an officer of the team sighed wishfully. 

Charu Singh, wife of Real Admiral Singh, recalled the packed deck during a blood donation camp they had organised to mark INS Viraat’s 25 years. “I am very proud of my husband. I am very proud of our Navy for having such a great old lady,” she said.

Rear Admiral Singh recollected the ship’s maiden visit to Muscat during the peak of high sea piracy. “It was the first time that India had sent any of her aircraft carriers to Muscat. Indians there thronged to see her. They got very emotional. At one point, there were two lakh people on-board. It was almost a stampede-like situation. It was a unique experience. People came up to us and thanked us for coming there. “This is our ship. We want to be here,” they would tell us, and would refuse to leave,” he recollected.

Commander (retired) D.S. Deswal recollected how he refused to leave INS Viraat in 1992 when her engine room was flooded. 

Captain (retired) Raman Raja, the first chief engineer of INS Viraat, recollected the first time he saw Viraat in UK. “The Royal Navy had mothballed and preserved it so well. The vibes were very positive,” he said.