Cmde(R) Ranjit B Rai MBIM(UK)
ADM SUNIL LAMBA COMMISSIONED INDIAN NAVY's HISTORY 2001 -2010 TO FOLLOW EARLIER FIVE CHRONICLES BUT WITH NO WARS 'BLUE WATERS AHOY' BY ADM ANUP SINGH LISTS THE DECADE OF NAVY'S ACHIEVEMENTS —BRAVO BRAVO ZULU !
By Ranjit Rai on December 30, 2018
This is a snap book review by IDF of BLUE WATERS AHOY (Harper Collins 430 pages ISBN 9-789553-025526430.
The voluminous 430 paged chronicle is printed with high resolution pictures in a coffee table form and is freely available on the net on https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/links for Maritime Beavers to appreciate how Indian Navy became a Force to reckon with and is rated number 5 in the world. The book explains the ingredients of its rise.
India Defence Forum (IDF) has a confession to make. The book is long but as it has many professional features that Naval officers of yore started and the Admirals of the decade 2001-10 have taken forward, it was a pleasure to rush through the chapters. It surprises many to learn how Indian Navy carries out 24 major exercises annually, maintains advanced ships in crowded infrastructure, fires powerful Klub and BrahMos missiles and shows the Flag around the world with succor in HADR and control piracy and how Naval Wives in NWWA help.
Navy recently assured the Nation it is part of India's Triad and how all this came about is in the book as the organizational aspects are in the book in detail in well arranged chapters. The decade 2001-10 in the book does justice to Navy's achievements and former Navy officers and men are assured the Navy is on course despite low budgets, discussed later.
Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff, released 'Blue Waters Ahoy' authored by author Vadm Anup Singh who sailed against IDF as young budding Lt and retired as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command. He presented the book to the President Shri. Ramnath Kovind, also India's Supreme Commander at Navy House on Navy Day which falls every year on 04 December to commemorate Navy's heroic offensive actions during the 1971 war which hastened formation of Bangla Desh. IDF reiterates 4th Dec should be Armed Forces Day as India does not have one, and IAF also took part in the raid on Kemari tanks on 4th Dec 1971 and Army went into action into East Pakistan and the Mukhti Bahini navigated their historic military advance to Dacca to free the East Bengalis and make Pakistani Armed Forces to surrender. Dignitaries and foreign Attaches were present at the function. This unique undertaking by the Indian Navy can be traced back to 1968, when the Service established a History Cell.
Very rightly CNS Adm Sunil Lanba a Navigator like Adm Anup Singh records. "To seafarers, chronicling history is of social significance since the sea leaves no tell tale marks for those who follow. There are no forts or ruins to tell a story".
This book is gold and the experience of CNS Adm Sunil Lanba who commanded two commands and NDC and Anup Singh shows it as they were hands on in the period and feel is very important for a historian. IDF also tried and has tried again in Novel AN UNDERHAND AFFAIR due out in January.
Full text 1400 words on www.indiadefenceforum.com
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