Valsura - The Sparks Generator

     “What’s a Pilot doing in Valsura?” was the most oft query thrown to me by visiting admirals, during any official function in the alma mater of ‘Sparks’ of our fine Navy. I was appointed as the First-Lt of this establishment from 1999-2003, after I was medically grounded in INS Hansa. My trepidation evaporated in thin air, when I reported to and interacted with CO, Cmde (later RAdm) TS Ganeshan. I reveled in a very eventful and sensational tenure of Valsura.

           Apart from my primary duty, I was tasked to chaperon the Sailing Club consequent to an enterprise having grounded and out of sight of safety officer in a receding tide during dusk hrs and the motorboat that sped to its rescue too having met the same nemesis. Let me clarify: during Low tide the water recedes 3-4 kms yonder and the Sailing club pops up like a lone building staring a marshy desert. When darkness fell the establishment was alerted and SAR was requisitioned from Air Force stn Jamnagar. CO and ExO ascended atop the COMCEN elevated building with Motorola sets/GU-734 to communicate with the airborne Helo and direct it to the site. The stranded crew were winched up in Helo’s landing lights and brought to the Parade ground. A relief party with emergency kit was winched down in the boats to retrieve them back during flood tide at daybreak. One among the stranded crew was destined to create history 13 yrs later by being the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe solo non-stop. Well you got it right; he was SLt Abhilash Tomy, undergoing his Subs courses those days. This event resulted in me being appointed OIC Sailing club

         My primary task of keeping the base spruced up was simplified by the well galvanised and diligent team of sailors and safaiwalas. So, I was blessed with the flexibility to move around the base overseeing and babbling with them. The institution has continually been upgraded, with every command, since its inception 75 years ago. The present CO, Commodore B Sivakumar, is the 32nd Commanding Officer of this fine establishment. HMIS Valsura was commissioned in 1942 as the Torpedo Training School of The Royal Indian Navy. The name Valsura means Swordfish, which was also the name of the most common torpedo carrying aircraft of the Royal Navy. Post-Independence, the establishment was rechristened Indian Naval Ship Valsura. It is located on Rozi Island near Jamnagar amidst the scenic salt pans that are home to several species of migratory birds. The museum building consists of various galleries and Memorabilia (Time Line) that depicts evolution of Valsura from 1942 till date and stands tall as the symbol of pride for all Valsurians. 

         Saurashtra and Kuchchh suffered extensive damage during the devastating Earthquake on 26th Jan 2001. Valsura too had suffered wall collapses and tragic demise of a school child. Despite its own agony, Valsura on behalf of Navy rendered immediate relief and assistance to the Saurashtra region. Village Moda near Jamnagar with a population of about 1700 had suffered extensive damage with 80 percent houses collapsed. The Navy and NWWA launched a unique rehabilitation programme "Nai Roshni" to rebuild Moda village into a model village with 123 houses. This project was the first of its kind by the Navy. Construction of roads, fencing, spill water management for water supply to cattle, soak pits for sanitation, tree plantation and drip irrigation were all part of the planning process. Community development programmes were organized by volunteers from the ladies of NWWA to impart skills to women and men. The ladies from INS Valsura interacted with the villagers on a daily basis. The foundation stone for the new Village was laid by VAdm Harinder Singh, C-in-C (Southern Naval Command) who co-ordinated the project on behalf of the Navy. A major chunk of the finances, approx. 2 crores, required for the project came from donations by Naval personnel, while the rest came from the State Government. The Centre of Science for Villages (CSV), Wardha an NGO based on Gandhian values built the houses for the village. Cmde TS Ganeshan, Commanding Officer, Cdr Satish, LOGO and LtCdr Mohan Lal played pivotal role in the construction phase that was rendered in a record time of 7 months and the ‘NAVY-MODA’ village, a shining feather in Valsura’s cap, was inaugurated by H.E. Shri SS Bhandari, the Governor of Gujarat on 28th Aug 2001. 

        Before handing over the baton to his successor Cmde (later VAdm) NN Kumar, Cmde Ganeshan got another Valsura Wonder erected in the form of a Clock Tower that poses tall on the starboard-wing overlooking the Parade ground. Cmde NN Kumar had little time to plan and execute the Diamond jubilee celebrations of Valsura approaching at the year end. He was very systematic in his approach and delegation of responsibility (right person for the right job), having been the ExO and TC of this very establishment earlier.

       No sooner than he had taken over the reins of Valsura, he beckoned me to his office, “Dutta, I want you to undertake a task that Valsura has never executed before”. My unpretentious heart skipped a beat, even as I tried to keep my smile pasted on my lips. He continued, “I want you to conduct a Whaler Sailing expedition covering the entire coastline of Saurashtra, starting from Valsura and terminating at Bhavnagar, as a prime event of the Diamond Jubilee: Duration 10 days. Show me your plan tomorrow”. Wow, I thought. My pasted smile mutated into natural, since I love challenges and HAD conducted two whaler sailing expeditions a few years ago over a distance of 430 nm in Narmada River from Garudeshwar (near Narmada Dam) to Dahej (in Gulf of Khambnat) for Gujarat Dte NCC. “WILCO Sir” I saluted and exited. Next day the plan was put up with a chart depicting the overnight halts, the sailing legs and computations in Time and Space. The expedition was planned encompassing Saurashtra over 9 legs covering 780 nms touching Vadinar, Dwarka, Harshad, Mangrol, Veraval, Diu, Pipavav, Gopinath Mahadev to culminate at Bhavnagar port. Expeditiously I identified and selected my sailing team comprising Lt Raturi, 3 SubLts and 20 sailors…Training in sailing and pulling began in full earnest for the next one month. I undertook a pre-sailing recce along the coast in my own car, in company of my better half and two brats. The Recce was accomplished in 4 days, meeting and tying up with the local administrators of the intervening halts. The Ops Swan motorboat was tied up as the emergency safety vessel. The Expedition was eventfully flagged off by our CO on the morning of Saturday 11th Nov 2002 from Valsura sailing club on its first leg to CGS Vadinar. The bus with the ground party and standby crew followed by road. Each member of the team was privileged to sail at least 3 legs of the expedition.

          Two events happened that defined our expedition and can never be erased from the memories of the crew. When we were transiting from Mangrol harbor to the Govt Guest house after having secured our boat we saw a traffic jam. Self along with some crew went ahead and witnessed a ghastly site. A young man was lying on the road with blood oozing out from his forehead and appeared semiconscious. The onlookers were just staring at the chaos. It was a case of hit and run. Without wasting any time we picked up the man and took him in our Bus to the Govt hospital. In the evening some of us went and looked him up. His parents profusely thanked us with moist eyes, even as the event carried a mention in next day’s local daily.

        At Diu the crew had an additional day halt for rest, recuperation and site seeing. The team also witnessed the shoot of Hindi movie ‘Qayyamat’ at Diu Fort starring Ajay Devgan and Neha Dhupia. Lt Raturi was the planned coxswain from Diu to Pipavav. After casting of the Boat we reached Pipavav port and tried contacting the whaler on the common set. There was no joy. The sea was rough with monstrous waves. Intermittent garble could be heard after about two hours. We heaved a sigh on establishing contact. Three hours after its ETA we saw the boat crippling into the harbor with Rudder missing, the Main sail down and being steered by the oars. When we received the boat, Lt Raturi showed us the damages to the boat hull and the Rudder that had broken in two pieces as the boat had got stuck in the Pipavav rocks, due to fury of adverse wind and tide. The crew had a harrowing time in retrieving the boat from the rocks in heavy swell at the cost of the Rudder. We congratulated the crew for the courage displayed by them in getting the boat out to safety. We took the Rudder pieces to a carpenter in town to join it in one piece with parallel iron strips secured with heavy nuts and bolts. In the evening RAdm SK Das, CMD Pipavav had organized a wonderful camp-fire for the expedition team, where the crew narrated their experiences. It was a fun evening.

       The CO drove down for the closing ceremony at Bhavnagar, where the Naval unit NCC cadets had organized a captivating cultural program. At Bhavnagar port the Boat was hauled up onto a truck and brought by road to Valsura. The expedition was hailed as an important event of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Valsura.

       An event that is important during every Navy week celebrations in Valsura is the Half Marathon in which participants arrive from far and wide. In the three consecutive years 2001-2003 my better half, Meena Dutta won the Ladies Half Marathons and was declared the ‘Sports Woman of the year – 2003’.

       Wishing INS Valsura, the Premier training institution of our fine Indian Navy, a very Happy and glorious years ahead.

       

     Jai Hind !! Shano Varuna !!