Purusharthas or The Four Aims of Human Life
by Jayaram V
Purusha means either God or a human being. Artha means an object or objective. "Purusharthas" means objectives of a human being. Purusha does not mean male in the physical sense, but any soul in its differentiated aspect. So the purusharthas are applicable to both men and women equally.
The purusharthas serve as pointers in the life of a human being. They are based on the vision of God which is evident in the creation He manifested and which can be followed by man to be part of that vision and in harmony with His aims. His worlds are established on the principles of dharma. They are filled with the abundance of material and spiritual beings and energies, who seek fulfillment by achieving their desires and liberation. Since man is God in his microcosmic aspect, he too should emulate God and manifest the same reality in his own little world. He should pursue the same aims, experience life in its fullness and be an instrument of God by serving the purpose for which he has been created. The four chief aims or purusharthas are:
1. Dharma (righteousness),
2. Artha (wealth),
3. Kama (desire) and
4. Moksha (salvation or liberation).
The rationale behind these purusharthas becomes clear when we consider the basic tenets of Hinduism. Man is an aspect of God. He is God's objective reality in creation. He exists in relationship with God like a reflection in the mirror that is somewhat different yet inseparable and somewhat similar. Veiled in him is the true self by the influence and involvement of Prakriti or primordial nature. The purpose of his life upon earth is to follow the law (dharma) of God and achieve salvation (moksha) or freedom from his false self (ahamkara) by leading a balanced life in which both material comforts and human passions have their own place and legitimacy.
Man cannot simply take birth on earth and start working for his salvation right away by means of just dharma alone. If that is so man would never realize why he would have to seek liberation in the first place. As he passes through the rigors of life and experiences the problem of human suffering, he learns to appreciate the value of liberation. He becomes sincere in his quest for salvation. So we have the four goals, instead of just one, whose pursuit provides us with an opportunity to learn important lessons and move forward on the spiritual path. What the purusharthas characterize is not a life of self-negation, but of balance, complexity, richness, opportunities and moderation in a cosmic drama of immense proportions in which man ultimately envisions and experiences his true grandeur and fulfills the very purpose of his creation.
Every individual in Hindu society is expected to achieve these four objectives with detachment, without any expectation and as a sacrificial offering to God in the ritual of human life. They have to be pursued selflessly for a higher and greater cause. Depending upon the attitude and the manner in which we pursue them, they either set us free or entangle us deeper with the allurements of human life.
Dharma
The first of the goals is dharma, a word which is difficult to translate in English. Since the same word is used in many eastern religions, it means many things to many people and eludes a true definition. It has been variously translated as duty, faith, religion, righteousness, sacred law, justice, ethics, morality and so on. According to one school of Hinduism, dharma is an obligatory duty as prescribed by the Vedas to be performed by an individual in accordance with the rules prescribed for the caste to which he or she belongs. God is an upholder of dharma because he performs His duties even though they are not obligatory and He is without desire or preference.
There is no word in Latin or English that can truly explain the complex meaning of dharma. Its first letter "dha" is also the first letter of dharitri, the earth, which is suggestive of its connection with the earth or earthly life. In a wider sense, dharma is the secret glue, the binding force, which upholds and regulates this entire creation just as the gravitational force controls and holds the entire material universe as one piece. It is the divine constitution that defines our roles and responsibilities, our social and moral order, our purpose and goals and the rewards and punishments that are appropriate for our actions. It is the law of God that is sacred, inviolable and pervasive. It is responsible for order, regularity, harmony, control, predictability and accountability. According to Manusmriti, dharma is four footed in the Krita age and loses one leg in each successive age. Thus in the fourth and last age of Kali, it becomes crippled and rests upon just one leg.
Dharma exists in all planes, in all aspects and at all levels of creation. In the context of human life, dharma consists of all that an individual undertakes in harmony with divine injunctions and his own sense of morality and justice. However to comprehend the true nature of dharma is not an easy task. The world is enveloped in illusion as our human minds are. What we see in the world and learn from it may not be true and reliable. What we consider as right and wrong or dharma and adharma may not stand the test of truth. Hence to practice dharma we are advised to rely upon the scriptures and follow the injunctions contained there in.
The sources of dharma are the Vedas, the Vedangas, the Sutra literature of which the most important are the Dharmashastras, and scriptures such as the Bhagavadgita. In ancient India dharmashastras (law books) played an important role in guiding people on the path of dharma. It is however difficult to say how far they are relevant in the present age. One should also remember that dharma should not be viewed as end in itself but the means to a still higher end, liberation.
Artha
Artha means wealth. Hinduism recognizes the importance of material wealth for the overall happiness and well being of an individual. A house holder requires wealth, because he has to perform many duties to uphold dharma and take care of the needs of his family and society. A person should not seek wealth for wealth sake but to uphold dharma and help the members of his family and society achieve their goals. Hinduism therefore rightly places material wealth as the second most important objective in human life. While dharma and moksha are meant for oneself, wealth and sex are to be pursued for the sake of others. Lord Vishnu is the best role model for any householder. He leads a luxurious life, served by the goddess of wealth herself, but is very dutiful, helpful, responsive and righteous. So was Lord Krishna while he was in human form. He lived a very luxurious life, but was righteous, detached and balanced.
Hinduism advocates austerity, simplicity and detachment, but does not glorify poverty. Wealth is not an impediment to self-realization, but attachment to wealth is. Desire for wealth is different from greed for wealth. Selfless desire for wealth is preferable to selfish desire for wealth. Money and wealth are a form of divine energy. God is abundance. He is endowed with eight kinds of wealth. But as Sri Aurobindo pointed out we have negative attitude mostly about wealth because hostile and negative forces want us believe so and thereby prevent its use for righteous reasons.
Seeking wealth through human actions is not discouraged in Hinduism. The vedic hymns are mostly invocations addressed to gods and goddesses by men desiring wealth and prosperity. However they also emphasize the need for right intention, right means and moderation in the pursuit of wealth. Aiming for wealth is a virtue, but greed is not. Amassing wealth for the family and for the welfare of oneself is not sinful, but taking what does not belong to one is. Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism benefited greatly in the past by the individual contribution of rich merchants, their wives and children.
Poverty has become a grotesque reality in present day Hindu society and erroneously considered by many as a virtue. This is a Christian influence. Hindus have become so poverty conscious that if a saint or a sage leads a comfortable life, they scoff at him, saying that he is not a true yogi. They have to remind themselves of the simple fact that none of the Hindu gods and goddesses are really poor. While they always help the poor and the needy, none of them glorify poverty as a virtue. According to Hinduism all experiences are self created and provide an opportunity to learn. So is poverty and so is wealth. Renunciation does not mean to leave aside wealth or denounce the wealthy. It means detachment from wealth. To become indifferent to the comforts and discomforts of life caused by wealth.
Hinduism advocates moderation and balance in the pursuit of material and spiritual goals. Some Hindus think otherwise, ignoring the fact that what is applicable to an ascetic does not apply to a householder. Swami Vivekananda rightly said that religion was not for the empty stomachs. When a person is beset with survival problems, he would hardly find any solace in religion. Soothing words would not comfort a hungry soul as much as a morsel of food.
Kama
Kama in a broader sense means desire and in a narrow sense sexual desire. Both Hinduism and Buddhism consider desire as the root cause of human suffering. According to the Bhagavadgita, desire leads delusion and bondage to the cycle of births and deaths. The way out of suffering is to become detached from the sense objects through such practices as yoga and meditation and perform desireless actions as a sacrificial offerings to God with a sense of duty, accepting God as the doer and without hankering after the fruit of one's actions. According to Manusmriti man performs sacrifices because of the desire for rewards, with the expectation that his actions will bear fruit. Not a single act of him here on earth appears ever to be done by a man free from desire. So he who performs his prescribed duties out of desire in the right manner will obtain the fulfillment of all the desires and reach the deathless state or even beyhond1. As we can see the right way to fulfill one's desire is by performing one's obligatory duties in the right manner but not by neglecting them so that the way of the dharma also becomes the way of fulfillment of desires.
Hinduism differs from other religions in its interpretation and approach to the subject of sex. Sex can be either a means to liberation and happiness in life or a great hindrance and cause of suffering depending upon how we approach it. In any case ultimately one has to overcome it to achieve salvation. It can be done either by abstaining from it or by indulging in it. The former is the way of the Vedanta and the latter the way of the Tantras. One is the way of suppression and the other the way of expression through detachment and understanding in which sexual energy is sublimated and transformed into a higher form of energy. It is just the way you learn to handle fire. In both cases the difficulties are way too many and so are the risks. Sexual desire is the ultimate of all desires and unless it is overcome one is not free from the taints of maya.
In Hinduism there is permission for sexual activity up to a limit, so long as it is not in conflict with the principles of dharma and used for the purposes of procreation, perpetuation of family and social order, within the boundaries established by tradition, social norms and scriptures. Sexual activity is part of obligatory duty and not to be misused for enjoyment as it would lead to attachment, delusion and one's downfall. Sexual relationship outside marriage is not permitted except in special circumstances as laid down in the Dharmashastras. Marriage is a sacred institution in which both the husband and wife join their energies and destinies to promote each other's liberation by performing their respective obligatory duties, which only married couple can perform. Through the bonds of marriage they also bind their respective karmas.
While the law books draw a clear demarcation between legitimate and illegitimate sex, sex by itself is not considered unclean or sinful. Sexual desire is an important and legitimate aspect of manava dharma (human obligations) and is created by nature to perpetuate life in the material plane. Creation itself is a continuation of the union between Purusha and Prakriti, the male and female aspects of the manifest universe, which is symbolically represented in the form of Sivalinga. Creation ends when this union ends. Sexual desire is also the last stronghold of Prakriti and the final refuge of our attachment with samsara. It is the most difficult spiritual obstacle to be overcome. In most people it perpetuates the delusion of the mind and serves as an important force of Prakriti by which she maintains her stranglehold upon them and keeps them bound to the cycle of births and deaths.
The ambivalent attitude of Hinduism on the subject of sex is rooted in its historical growth during which it assimilated divergent traditions and practices of which some were derived from ancient fertility cults. It becomes evident as we go through the scriptures and find in them various stories related to the libidinous activities of various gods and goddesses. While on the one hand we have an established school of opinion that considers celibacy as a great virtue and a necessary condition for liberation, on the other we have stories from the Hindu Puranas which depict the sexual exploits of gods and goddesses and the odd situations that develop out of them.
Some of the stories give us an impression that the gods are oversexed beings who cannot control themselves from temptation in the company of beautiful women. Besides sensuous gods, there are celestial nymphs of indescribable beauty who add passion and drama to Hindu mythology through their activities. At times they descend to earth to disturb and distract the minds of ascetic people who are absorbed in deep meditation. Even Siva, Vishnu and Krishna are not above reproach. Many divinities and legendary heroes, including Bharata the founder of the Indian race are born out of illegitimate sexual conduct. Scholars however tend to consider these stories of sexual union to be symbolic in nature and not to be taken literally.
Whatever may be the truth, sex constituted an important aspect of Hindu society from ancient times. The Dharmashastras prescribed a definite code of conduct to safeguard the social and moral order. Married women were not allowed to meet men in private when they were not accompanied by their husbands or, in their absence, any other male member of their families. Women whose husbands died were allowed to beget children through their brother-in-laws (Gautama 18.4). A marriageable maiden who was not given in marriage had the freedom to choose her sexual partners after giving up the ornaments she received from her family and parents (Gautama 18.20). To avoid misuse of this provision, the scriptures recommended that girls should be married before they reached puberty. Adultery was a punishable offence while killing an unchaste woman or a prostitute was not (Gautama 22.26&27). Mental attitude, the state of mind and the dominant quality of Prakriti at the time of sexual union were considered important because they impacted the children who were born out of such unions. Polygamy was an accepted social norm. It bred intrigue and jealousy among women who shared a common husband. Women were sold and brought in the market place. While sex with unmarried maidens was a lesser taboo, adultery was a punishable offence. More so if it happened between a lower caste male and higher caste female.
According to Hinduism, sex in an important aspect of human life, but lust is not. Lust is one of the chief enemies of man. It is a demonic quality, just as greed and pride are, and one of the biggest hurdles on the spiritual path. All lustful activity would result in sin with unhappy consequences for all those involved in it directly or indirectly. Even gods are not spared from the consequences of lustful sex. However, prostitutes and pleasure girls added color and zest to ancient Hindu society. Some of them were highly skilled in the art and science of sex. They were patronized and frequented by men of repute. They employed various tricks to attract men and keep them under their charm. Prostitution is still a rampant problem in India and one of the chief concerns of women activists and welfare organizations.l
One of the notable developments within Hinduism during the post Mauryan period was the rise of tantrism which upheld sexual activity and considered it to be an expression of the divine. The Tantrics indulged in various kinds of esoteric sexual rites to experience the blissful nature of God. They believed in the possibility of sublimating sexual energy through austerities and penances to transcend one's lower nature and achieve higher states of consciousness. They practiced various breathing and yoga techniques to prolong their sexual prowess so that they could experiences higher states of blissful consciousness during sexual union practiced with detachment. These sects continue to remain on the fringes of society attracting ridicule and criticism and largely unknown and misunderstood by the general public. For the vast majority of Hindus, sex is a taboo unless it is in tune with the social, moral and religious laws.
Moksha
The pursuit of dharma regulates the life of a human being and keeps him on the righteous path. The pursuit of artha and kama enrich his experience and impart to him valuable lesson. The pursuit of moksha or salvation liberates him and lead him to the world Brahman. The pursuit of dharma usually begins in the early age when one is initiated into religious studies. The pursuit of artha and kama begins in most cases after one becomes a householder. The pursuit of moksha however is the most important of all aims and can begin at any time. The other aims are preparatory for this final aim. However, in most cases, though not correctly, moksha becomes an important pursuit in the old age during vanaprastha or the age of retirement. Moksha is both a purushartha and a paramartha (transcendental aim), which is important not only for men but alsi for the divine beings.
Moksha actually means absence of moha or delusion. Delusion is caused by the inter play of the triple gunas, the activity of the senses, attachment with and desire for sense objects. A person achieves liberation when he increases the quality of sattva, suppressing rajas and tamas and overcomes his desire for sense objects by detachment, self control, surrender to god and offering of one's actions to God. There are many paths to salvation and all of them lead to God. The main paths are the path of knowledge, of action, of devotion and of renunciation. Each path has its own advantages and disadvantages. whatever may be the path, the help and guidance of a guru is indispensable to one's spiritual journey. A guru is God in human form whose his chief purpose is to remove the darkness hidden in the hearts and minds of his disciples and help them find their true selves.
The purpose of purusharthas is to ensure that people would not neglect their obligatory duties in their deluded state by becoming obsessed with particular desires that may lead to moral and social decadence and destruction of family values. The four Purusharthas are responsible for balance in human life. They make life a rewarding and enriching experience. They cater to the spiritual and material aspirations of human beings and lead them in the right direction on the path of liberation. The exemplify the very functioning of God who, without any particular aim or desire, detached, seeks to establish these four aims in the entire manifest creation through his trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha and Himself as the highest and supreme aim of all. Thus by worshipping Brahma we can gain the knowledge of dharma and perform our obligatory duties with precision and perfection. By worshipping Vishnu we can gain material and spiritual wealth and work for the welfare of our families and society. By worshipping Siva we can seek the fulfillment of our desires and overcome our delusion and finally by pursuing Brahman, or any of these gods as Brahman, we can achieve liberation by becoming Brahman Himself.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
FALLACY
A factory of poets stood overtime,
Producing the fallacy of the human mind.
Words wander undefined,
Alphabets in apathy, sell themselves
Stunned sonnets and stanzas
Stage a strike.
Our poets still work overtime,
But only produce prose.
Producing the fallacy of the human mind.
Words wander undefined,
Alphabets in apathy, sell themselves
Stunned sonnets and stanzas
Stage a strike.
Our poets still work overtime,
But only produce prose.
A forum...
I have created a collaborative forum for sharing articles of interest with like-minded folks. It is located at barryfold.mobengines.com
This would be a highly interactive format that will let a large number of people interested in human relationships reach out to others and the spread the message of empathy and human energy.
This would be a highly interactive format that will let a large number of people interested in human relationships reach out to others and the spread the message of empathy and human energy.
Dale Carnegie
This is an essential read for all people who seek self-development.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People
Sunday, July 1, 2007
lets not tilloo about it
LET’S NOT TELL ‘TILLOO’ ABOUT IT
Sh...sh…sh… Please don’t tell Tilloo about it.
Backdrop
1. Tillottma ‘Tilloo’ belongs to a rather aristocratic service family. Her mother, a General’s daughter and father is an upcoming Admiral of the Navy. Tilloo is the apple of the family - tall, smart, very self-confident (almost dominating) and an attractive but fairly self-opinionated personality with a view on every thing ranging from international affairs to the domestic perspective on marriage, children, etc. She is also a firm believer in the combination of a career woman and marriage.
The Story
2. It all started in the Squash Court. Young Lt Arvind Singh had reported for Gunnery specialisation. He has been the Service Squash Champion for the last two years. Tall, athletic – games came naturally to him. He was practicing by himself when there was a knock at the door and in walked a senior gentleman, who actually was the Chief of Staff (some Flag Officers expect to be recognised) – "So, young man, would you like to play couple of games with me"? The always polite Arvind said, "Yes, Sir" - without knowing who the gentleman was. The old man quipped – "You know I was fairly good at this when I was of your age. So don’t count me out. In fact, I can teach you a thing or two". The polite young man kept 21
quiet. As the game progressed, he did realise that the older partner was good but certainly nowhere near his own skill, stamina and agility. However, being also well brought up and from a service background, he deliberately under-played and ensured that he just managed to lose in two games. Naturally, the overjoyed older partner started giving him tips on how to play the game and the strategic importance of capturing the "Tee" (Centre of the Squash Court). The next two games were full of instructions which were very patiently received and endured. At the end of the set, the old man said, "By the way who are you? Arvind said, Sir, I am Lt Arvind – come for Long ‘G’. "OK, we will play once a week so that I can give you the benefit of my experience". Thereafter, it was every week of instructions and more instructions by the Admiral and less of Squash work up for our hero, Arvind, had no choice but to go through this rather over-bearing and tedious routine. He knew he could beat the daylights of this Admiral yet kept his cool and continued to just lose by very narrow margins ("I suppose hierarchy and seniority do carry their own influence and weight" – In the Navy, we call this prudence and discretion without compromise of character?!).
3. The Officers’ Institute had organised a Monsoon Ball. Young Arvind was invited by the Chief of Staff for a drink. Tilloo and Arvind met and sure enough Tilloo took charge. ‘A’ also fell for ‘T’. Tilloo’s Mom did play a role in also overawing young Arvind. Later, he was invited to the Staff House for dinner. The Admiral had decided that Arvind was indeed a prospective son-in-law. Meanwhile, the young champ was concentrating on planning how to avoid his Squash lessons with the Chief of Staff but with not much success. (he 22
also wanted to continue wooing Tilloo). The prospective father-in-law (designate), Rear Admiral Gulu Kumar initiated a background check and discovered that his prospective ‘SIL’ was the son of his Academy course mate Rathore (popularly known as Rats) who unfortunately from his point of view did not have the same aristocratic upbringing as he himself had clubbed with the fact that he belonged to the ‘Air Force’. What the hell! – the boy seemed to be a promising youngster with an added advantage that he would be under his umbrella for many years to come !
4. Arvind’s father, AVM Rathore, was a Fighter Pilot with very definite views on his service superiority and was convinced that the Navy had no requirement for Naval Aviation. Naturally, he was hopping mad when the question of his son’s marriage to Rear Admiral Gulu’s daughter was broached. He told his wife, "Your son is an absolute idiot, first he joins the Navy and then he falls for an Admiral’s daughter and that too my imperiously Kaddu course mate. "How dumb can you all get". But, who can argue against "Cupid".
5. The wedding did take place. Sparks did fly. Air Force-Navy jointmanship was forced - thanks to the common sense of both the mothers, particularly the boy’s mother Pushpa Rathore, who broad mindedly gave in to her Samdhin – A General’s daughter. She also sensed that Tilloo would be good for her son. Tilloo and Arvind got married during the long course. Arvind got his posting to Mumbai to a frontline ship. He was secretly thrilled that his ‘Gestapo’ Squash education would now come to an end. Little did he realize the 23
cruel hand of fate. One month after his taking over his appointment, his father-in-law was appointed the Fleet Commander of the Western Fleet. Who could he complain to? His father-in-law rang him up and said, "Now we are going to play Squash together". Arvind sat and planned his evasive tactics and came up with an idea of getting on to Golf. Tilloo picked up a job – there was domestic bliss. She also unilaterally decided that any plan for the baby could only be after a couple of years. Arvind just had to agree??!!
6. The new Fleet Commander took over and was told by his son-in-law, Sir, "I have taken to Golf so I don’t think we can play Squash as I may not have time for both". The father-in-law jumped with joy and said, "Arvind, you are indeed a guy of my own heart (by now he had found out that Arvind was actually fooling around with him in the Squash Court but Alas!, since FIL-SIL equations were involved, he decided to diplomatically say nothing but secretly was impressed by young Arvind’s "sensible approach". The wily old fox knew that Arvind was a novice at Golf and he thought to himself – let me get the better of him here at least). "Golf is the game and sure enough, you being a beginner, I can give you some tips here too". Arvind could not believe his ears. The old man added, "I am going to give you my old Golf set. We will start your education right away". Arvind had already commenced professional Golf education from one of the pros and being a natural sportsman, was really motivated by the pro, who taught him well and taught him quickly. The Fleet Commander and his hapless son-in-law met in the practice greens of the USO Club. For Arvind, it was sweet torture. The old man, in right earnest, was trying to make Arvind 24
unlearn what he learnt from the pro – from grip, to take away, to forward swing. The pro and the Admiral were diametrically opposite as instructors. The practice session was an unmitigated disaster. Added to this agony, was the family arrangement that once a week, Tilloo and Arvind would have a meal in the Fleet House. The food was, of course, delicious, but then it was poor Arvind against three of the Kumars. The father-in-law was carrying on about Golf, the mother-in-law was into NWWA and how the younger generation needs to be educated on NWWA’s philosophies. Tilloo was giving a lecture to Arvind on how the Navy should adapt modern management techniques instead of outdated rules of business. To add to all this, Arvind’s ship entered refit. He now had to endure this domestic stormy situation day in and day out apart from the bi-weekly horrendous Golf lessons. Who could he tell? The rest of the Navy, particularly his course mates envied him and he was constantly riled by his best friends. Arvind, after initial frustration, said, "Kuchch Karna Padega". He thought and he thought about it and conceived what he knew was going to be a fool proof plan. He planned a special holiday with Tilloo to Mahabaleswar on a lovely weekend, suffixed by two days casual leave on Monday and Tuesday. The holiday was pure bliss and Arvind was his charming self. Cupid became pro-active and nature wove its magic – Tilloo was wined, dined and romanced. The couple returned to Mumbai to settle down into their routine. Tilloo back to work, Arvind back to the ship, but of course with the contra-golf lessons between his pro and his father-in-law.
7. A month later, Tilloo discovered that the stork was under way. She was non-plussed and speechless. A war council 25
meeting was held at Fleet House with Arvind playing completely innocent. Naturally, conservative tradition won the day. Tilloo was forced to give up the job and prepare for the baby. She did not like it one bit. The powerful father-in-law now took on the role of a would be ‘Grandpa’. Arvind, for the first time, sensed his manoeuvre was about to pay off. The ensuing 7-8 months were spent less on golf lessons and more with the pre-occupied daughter, whenever the Fleet was in harbour. The arrival of the baby was met with great fanfare by both grand parents. Even the difficult AVM Rathore was thrilled and told his wife, Pehli baar tere bete ne kuchch akal ka kaam kiya hai .It was a boy, to the Fleet Commander’s delight. The father-in-law was thrilled that he now had a full time pupil. Arvind was elated on both fronts, as now his father-in-law had no time for golf and squash lessons. It was full time with the grandson. Life was wonderful. Arvind had his golf and squash freedom. Tilloo became the doting mother and forgave Arvind for his indiscretion. There were, however, other issues developing. Naturally, Arvind’s parents wanted Tilloo to shift in with them with the baby for couple of days. Both the Samdhis were adamant about taking care of the grandson. It became an Inter-Service domestic issue with telephone calls to and fro. However, common sense prevailed and it was decided that the Air Force would be hosted at the Fleet House for seven days. (It was learnt that both the old Codgers had to see their dentist due to excessive grinding of their molars at what they perceived as gross violation of their grand filial rights). The ever smart Arvind felt that this was an ideal situation and planned a trip to Mauritius with Tilloo, leaving the new Prince to super parental care (they say this was 26
only a platonic manoeuvre)?? He dare not pull the wool over Tilloo twice at such a short notice.
Galley News
8. Galley News indicated that his father-in-law was going to be Assistant Chief of Personnel (HRD) – so out of blood and career courtesies, Arvind rang up the father-in-law and said, "Sir, so we play Golf or Squash"? The reply was curt and prompt. "Young Man, I am sorry to inform you that I really have no time for you now. I have a better pupil who would follow my instructions with more attention and Josh. You may please carry on".
Curtains
9. Naval tactics and strategy had won the day. Tilloo met her ‘Waterloo’ at the hands of ‘Lord’ Arvind but Sh...sh…sh… Let’s not tell her about it.
This article was published in the NWWA Magazine, Veeranganain2006
Sh...sh…sh… Please don’t tell Tilloo about it.
Backdrop
1. Tillottma ‘Tilloo’ belongs to a rather aristocratic service family. Her mother, a General’s daughter and father is an upcoming Admiral of the Navy. Tilloo is the apple of the family - tall, smart, very self-confident (almost dominating) and an attractive but fairly self-opinionated personality with a view on every thing ranging from international affairs to the domestic perspective on marriage, children, etc. She is also a firm believer in the combination of a career woman and marriage.
The Story
2. It all started in the Squash Court. Young Lt Arvind Singh had reported for Gunnery specialisation. He has been the Service Squash Champion for the last two years. Tall, athletic – games came naturally to him. He was practicing by himself when there was a knock at the door and in walked a senior gentleman, who actually was the Chief of Staff (some Flag Officers expect to be recognised) – "So, young man, would you like to play couple of games with me"? The always polite Arvind said, "Yes, Sir" - without knowing who the gentleman was. The old man quipped – "You know I was fairly good at this when I was of your age. So don’t count me out. In fact, I can teach you a thing or two". The polite young man kept 21
quiet. As the game progressed, he did realise that the older partner was good but certainly nowhere near his own skill, stamina and agility. However, being also well brought up and from a service background, he deliberately under-played and ensured that he just managed to lose in two games. Naturally, the overjoyed older partner started giving him tips on how to play the game and the strategic importance of capturing the "Tee" (Centre of the Squash Court). The next two games were full of instructions which were very patiently received and endured. At the end of the set, the old man said, "By the way who are you? Arvind said, Sir, I am Lt Arvind – come for Long ‘G’. "OK, we will play once a week so that I can give you the benefit of my experience". Thereafter, it was every week of instructions and more instructions by the Admiral and less of Squash work up for our hero, Arvind, had no choice but to go through this rather over-bearing and tedious routine. He knew he could beat the daylights of this Admiral yet kept his cool and continued to just lose by very narrow margins ("I suppose hierarchy and seniority do carry their own influence and weight" – In the Navy, we call this prudence and discretion without compromise of character?!).
3. The Officers’ Institute had organised a Monsoon Ball. Young Arvind was invited by the Chief of Staff for a drink. Tilloo and Arvind met and sure enough Tilloo took charge. ‘A’ also fell for ‘T’. Tilloo’s Mom did play a role in also overawing young Arvind. Later, he was invited to the Staff House for dinner. The Admiral had decided that Arvind was indeed a prospective son-in-law. Meanwhile, the young champ was concentrating on planning how to avoid his Squash lessons with the Chief of Staff but with not much success. (he 22
also wanted to continue wooing Tilloo). The prospective father-in-law (designate), Rear Admiral Gulu Kumar initiated a background check and discovered that his prospective ‘SIL’ was the son of his Academy course mate Rathore (popularly known as Rats) who unfortunately from his point of view did not have the same aristocratic upbringing as he himself had clubbed with the fact that he belonged to the ‘Air Force’. What the hell! – the boy seemed to be a promising youngster with an added advantage that he would be under his umbrella for many years to come !
4. Arvind’s father, AVM Rathore, was a Fighter Pilot with very definite views on his service superiority and was convinced that the Navy had no requirement for Naval Aviation. Naturally, he was hopping mad when the question of his son’s marriage to Rear Admiral Gulu’s daughter was broached. He told his wife, "Your son is an absolute idiot, first he joins the Navy and then he falls for an Admiral’s daughter and that too my imperiously Kaddu course mate. "How dumb can you all get". But, who can argue against "Cupid".
5. The wedding did take place. Sparks did fly. Air Force-Navy jointmanship was forced - thanks to the common sense of both the mothers, particularly the boy’s mother Pushpa Rathore, who broad mindedly gave in to her Samdhin – A General’s daughter. She also sensed that Tilloo would be good for her son. Tilloo and Arvind got married during the long course. Arvind got his posting to Mumbai to a frontline ship. He was secretly thrilled that his ‘Gestapo’ Squash education would now come to an end. Little did he realize the 23
cruel hand of fate. One month after his taking over his appointment, his father-in-law was appointed the Fleet Commander of the Western Fleet. Who could he complain to? His father-in-law rang him up and said, "Now we are going to play Squash together". Arvind sat and planned his evasive tactics and came up with an idea of getting on to Golf. Tilloo picked up a job – there was domestic bliss. She also unilaterally decided that any plan for the baby could only be after a couple of years. Arvind just had to agree??!!
6. The new Fleet Commander took over and was told by his son-in-law, Sir, "I have taken to Golf so I don’t think we can play Squash as I may not have time for both". The father-in-law jumped with joy and said, "Arvind, you are indeed a guy of my own heart (by now he had found out that Arvind was actually fooling around with him in the Squash Court but Alas!, since FIL-SIL equations were involved, he decided to diplomatically say nothing but secretly was impressed by young Arvind’s "sensible approach". The wily old fox knew that Arvind was a novice at Golf and he thought to himself – let me get the better of him here at least). "Golf is the game and sure enough, you being a beginner, I can give you some tips here too". Arvind could not believe his ears. The old man added, "I am going to give you my old Golf set. We will start your education right away". Arvind had already commenced professional Golf education from one of the pros and being a natural sportsman, was really motivated by the pro, who taught him well and taught him quickly. The Fleet Commander and his hapless son-in-law met in the practice greens of the USO Club. For Arvind, it was sweet torture. The old man, in right earnest, was trying to make Arvind 24
unlearn what he learnt from the pro – from grip, to take away, to forward swing. The pro and the Admiral were diametrically opposite as instructors. The practice session was an unmitigated disaster. Added to this agony, was the family arrangement that once a week, Tilloo and Arvind would have a meal in the Fleet House. The food was, of course, delicious, but then it was poor Arvind against three of the Kumars. The father-in-law was carrying on about Golf, the mother-in-law was into NWWA and how the younger generation needs to be educated on NWWA’s philosophies. Tilloo was giving a lecture to Arvind on how the Navy should adapt modern management techniques instead of outdated rules of business. To add to all this, Arvind’s ship entered refit. He now had to endure this domestic stormy situation day in and day out apart from the bi-weekly horrendous Golf lessons. Who could he tell? The rest of the Navy, particularly his course mates envied him and he was constantly riled by his best friends. Arvind, after initial frustration, said, "Kuchch Karna Padega". He thought and he thought about it and conceived what he knew was going to be a fool proof plan. He planned a special holiday with Tilloo to Mahabaleswar on a lovely weekend, suffixed by two days casual leave on Monday and Tuesday. The holiday was pure bliss and Arvind was his charming self. Cupid became pro-active and nature wove its magic – Tilloo was wined, dined and romanced. The couple returned to Mumbai to settle down into their routine. Tilloo back to work, Arvind back to the ship, but of course with the contra-golf lessons between his pro and his father-in-law.
7. A month later, Tilloo discovered that the stork was under way. She was non-plussed and speechless. A war council 25
meeting was held at Fleet House with Arvind playing completely innocent. Naturally, conservative tradition won the day. Tilloo was forced to give up the job and prepare for the baby. She did not like it one bit. The powerful father-in-law now took on the role of a would be ‘Grandpa’. Arvind, for the first time, sensed his manoeuvre was about to pay off. The ensuing 7-8 months were spent less on golf lessons and more with the pre-occupied daughter, whenever the Fleet was in harbour. The arrival of the baby was met with great fanfare by both grand parents. Even the difficult AVM Rathore was thrilled and told his wife, Pehli baar tere bete ne kuchch akal ka kaam kiya hai .It was a boy, to the Fleet Commander’s delight. The father-in-law was thrilled that he now had a full time pupil. Arvind was elated on both fronts, as now his father-in-law had no time for golf and squash lessons. It was full time with the grandson. Life was wonderful. Arvind had his golf and squash freedom. Tilloo became the doting mother and forgave Arvind for his indiscretion. There were, however, other issues developing. Naturally, Arvind’s parents wanted Tilloo to shift in with them with the baby for couple of days. Both the Samdhis were adamant about taking care of the grandson. It became an Inter-Service domestic issue with telephone calls to and fro. However, common sense prevailed and it was decided that the Air Force would be hosted at the Fleet House for seven days. (It was learnt that both the old Codgers had to see their dentist due to excessive grinding of their molars at what they perceived as gross violation of their grand filial rights). The ever smart Arvind felt that this was an ideal situation and planned a trip to Mauritius with Tilloo, leaving the new Prince to super parental care (they say this was 26
only a platonic manoeuvre)?? He dare not pull the wool over Tilloo twice at such a short notice.
Galley News
8. Galley News indicated that his father-in-law was going to be Assistant Chief of Personnel (HRD) – so out of blood and career courtesies, Arvind rang up the father-in-law and said, "Sir, so we play Golf or Squash"? The reply was curt and prompt. "Young Man, I am sorry to inform you that I really have no time for you now. I have a better pupil who would follow my instructions with more attention and Josh. You may please carry on".
Curtains
9. Naval tactics and strategy had won the day. Tilloo met her ‘Waterloo’ at the hands of ‘Lord’ Arvind but Sh...sh…sh… Let’s not tell her about it.
This article was published in the NWWA Magazine, Veeranganain2006
Saturday, June 30, 2007
The Ordinary Ship
THE ORDINARY SHIP
“In the ultimate life is fair
If you only learn to take care
Of what you truly believe
And carry on without anybody’s by or leave”
- Barry
1. It was an ordinary ship nobody was extraordinary. The new Captain was a mediocre personality. Nobody expected any miracles from this commission. The wardroom was like any other wardroom, a mixture of good and average. Most of the senior sailors had been on board for nearly 5 years and for quite a few of them it was the 3rd commission. There was a feeling that "Yeh Naya cheez kya karega". (what will this new guy do to us)
2. The Captain somehow knew that he had a long way to go. However, at the very beginning he had made up his mind that no matter what, the ship would be tension free - Being the senior most and the Fief of the Fiefdom, he would be able to at least ensure this. The next move by this person on taking over was to win over the wardroom by sharing ideas, expectations. At the same time he did not want to waffle by being vague, and long-winded. He also realised that at the beginning of a commission, the ward room invariably consisted of strangers and acquaintances who perhaps were going to be together for the first time. Keeping all this in mind the Captain decided not to speak but circulate a list, titled SOLE - Simple Ordinary Leadership Examples. It read:-
“Simple Ordinary Leadership Examples” are:-
(a) Sincere concern and commitment to the job and men.
(b) Care to ensure that the administration works for the ship.
(c) Behaviour by example - do not do anything which will be misconstrued as un-officer like.
(d) Create an environment:-
(i) Of transparency and openness.
(ii) For learning from each other.
(iii) For participation across the board i.e., involving everybody.
(iv) That ensures true communication from top to bottom, bottom to top and laterally from stem to stern.
(e) Proper feedbacks wherein everybody feels comfortable in transmission of misgivings/ideas/suggestions to make the ship a better place to be, work, and belong to.
(f) Real welfare opportunities for self-improvement - With the Ships Company and officers able to pursue their off-working hours aspirations, hobbies and recreational activities.
4. In another message the Captain clarified to the officers what he meant by "Administration". He wrote that true administration meant:-
(a) Ensuring optimal balance between time and manpower.
(b) Securing everybody on time as a functioning thumb rule.
(c) Planning and granting of leave to all personnel.
(d) Provision of wholesome food.
(e) Creating an atmosphere of pragmatic fairness that must be sensed onboard all the time.
(f) That every morning the officers and men must want to come on board for work.
(g) Anticipating the management strategy required to cater for the various constraints faced by the ship.
(h) Responding to all extraneous agencies with responsible alacrity and also conveying inabilities to meet commitments.
(j) Prevention of mistakes rather than correcting them.
(k) Realising the value of 85/15 rule - i.e., 85% it is the organisation’s fault that leads to a mistake - individually human error being only 15% .
(l) Facilitating/smoothening every day life onboard - attending to mundane things like incoming, outgoing, genform payment, etc. without unnecessary red tape hassles.
(m) Keeping tags on critical personal problems - this normally being only to 1% of the ships population.
5. It was also brought out that it was the Commanding Officer’s core belief that if the family and self were looked after, the Navy would get taken care of. Men recognise the limitations of the system and constraints of the service. They also realise and appreciate the genuine efforts of the administration and express their loyality by committed involvement.
6. The wardroom hoisted all this with customary skepticism and disbelief. One officer was heard to remark – “Guru Yeh Bandha Naya Murga hai - Jab Fleet Commander ayega, isko patha chalega”.( this guy so new, he will soon find out what life is all about ,when the fleet commander comes on board) The Captain called the HODs and suggested that the ship be run on corporate leadership style where all decisions would be taken in consultation with the HODs.
7. The ship was undergoing a short refit of 4 months. Based on previous experience and examination of the work package, the Captain felt that with proper liaison and coordination, the ship could complete the refit atleast a month ahead of schedule. In his call on the Fleet Commander, he gave the latter, assurance that the ship would join the Fleet atleast 20 days ahead of DCD. (dockyard completion date) Nobody else except the ship knew about this. The next month or so the Dockyard and other agencies like NSD(naval store depot), NAD(naval armament depot), WED(weapon eqpt depot) become accustomed to seeing the Captain and HODs(heads of dept) visiting various centres and coordinating repair activities. Closer to the deadline the ships company and the officers were seen in and around the dockyard ensuring collection of equipment and allied machinary parts. Amidst all these the ship still secured mostly on time everyday, except during machinery and equipment trials. The ship had setup a special dockyard liaison team of Reps from all the departments. This not only ensured the supervision of the dockyard work in accordance with agreed milestones but also provided the civilian mates with administrative and catering hospitality - the ordinary ship believed in the adage that a cup of tea at the right time works wonders.
8. In this period, no unnecessary signals emanated from the ship. All points of dissent were invariably resolved through discussion. The Fleet Commander’s counsel was often sought and readily obtained. Now and then a telephone call from him to the ASD (admiral supdt dockyard) ensured continuing momentum.
9. Lo and behold, to the pleasant surprise of the Command and the Fleet, the ship sailed out for machinery trials 28 days ahead of schedule. The first outing was providentially un-eventual - There were many mistakes committed by various people, the Captain being one of them. Prior to this sailing the ship had informally formed a separate observation team that included one or two experienced officers from the Command/Dockyard. The ship’s Commander was appointed as the Chief Chronicler to record the observations. On return to harbour there was a massive hot wash up - the Captain confessed to all his mistakes and what needs to be done from the Bridge point of view. With this opening, the entire atmosphere was transformed to a honest introspection on the ships performance by each department. The Master Chiefs who were present also contributed meaningfully to the ensuing discussions.
10. A couple of days later the ship sailed for weapon and gun trials. The gun system performed poorly. The port shaft had to be locked due to lub oil system failure. In the evening debrief the gunnery/weapons, maintenance and the engineering department owned up to procedural and technical omissions which had contributed to the cause of failures. Nobody was punished. The mistakes were meticulously documented.
11. The ship tackled all defects with resolve and quickness. Subsequently, the ship joined the Fleet 21 days ahead of refit completion date. The ordinary ship had met its first self-imposed deadline. The wardroom sensed that somehow they were off to a reasonable start. The ship continued to secure on time every day, leave was being granted - a feeling of contentment was spreading in the mess decks.
12. Fleet exercises brought to light many chinks in the ships armour. Everyday there was briefing and debriefing. No mistake however small was ignored. Discussions were transparent. It seemed as though that some objectives of SOLE had been met. The disbelieving wardroom was subconsciously getting gelled into a well-knit team. The Fleet Staff were watching the progress of the ship. Customary, healthy, rivalry could be always seen when the other unsuspecting, more flamboyant Captains continuously ribbed this mediocre Commanding Officer of the ordinary ship.
13. A few days passed and the Fleet Commander decided to step on board. The Flag shift brought about its own trepidations. Here again, the ship applied SOLE. The visitors were made to feel at home. There was a desire to learn and an openness in owning up to mistakes. The ordinary ship was slowly maturing as a reliable Fleet Unit. Yet the Captain and HODs knew that there were many leagues to cross before the ship could call itself a warship. Consequently, the practice of meticulous detailed briefing, debriefing and consultation with Fleet Staff, Dockyard was continued with consistent intensity. The wardroom and the Captain had become mutual leadership examples. It was gratifying to note that the circulating galley news talked about the ordinary ship’s damn good ward room setup - If you wanted warmth, peals of laughter and frank discussions you ought to visit this ship. Despite all these activities the ship secured in time and leave programme was maintained with a high degree of fidelity and departmental satisfaction. The Captain and HODs now started the practice of quarterly breakfast meetings with the Master-Chiefs. The ships company clamoured and themselves organised family get-togethers.
14. During the next phase of the Fleet exercise the rest of the flock suddenly saw the ordinary ship doing things in almost double quick time. There was an aura of confidence, a sense of commitment and a degree of anticipation. In six months the ordinary ship had undergone a sea change in its operational and administrative management paradigm. The Captain also sensed that the ship had finally matured into a well-knit fighting unit. On introspection, he realised that the ship had achieved this through :-
(a) A healthy working relationship and comfortable work environment.
(b) Effective communication and a high degree of transparency.
(c) A sense of security and confidence between officers and sailors.
(d) A process of continuous and constant professional interaction through a system of briefing and debriefing.
(e) The institution of true and real welfare schemes primarily focussing on study opportunities, wholesome food, movie arrangements, granting of leave and most importantly securing on time.
(f) Corporate, participative leadership styles of Captain/HODs through a process of delegation, de-centralisation and feedback.
(g) The invaluable guidance of the Fleet Commander, the Fleet and FMU staff.
15. The Ordinary Ship continued to fly the flag and carry on its task with the same degree of intensity and determination. The ships company became fiercely competitive. Of course, mistakes were made, equipment went defective. The ship learnt to weather all its professional and natural storms with confidence, anticipation and commitment - Innovation became the credo - The Captain watched all this with a sense of awe. He could not believe that simple basic values of care, concern and commitment would yield such results. This wave of comradeship, competence gave him new found confidence that one could achieve a lot by being, ordinary, natural whilst evincing care and concern for people with whom one has to work with. He also realised that behavioural values and leadership examples that he had discussed with the wardroom, while obvious, were seldom talked about and mostly ignored. This gave him an idea that he ought to share some other practical leadership values in order to find out whether all these were valid in today’s Navy. He made yet another list and called them the GRAB laws. (Golden Rules And Behaviour). These postulated :-
(i) Avoidance of one-upmanship.
(ii) “Talking with” as opposed to “Talking at”, with peers and subordinate and “Talking to” seniors.
(iii) Making subordinates clearly aware of the working guidelines onboard.
(iv) Understanding the difference between familiarity and awareness.
(v) Considering time to be of high value and ensuring minimum wastage of this precious commodity.
(vi) Evolving correctness in communication, including effective feedback for a comfortable work atmosphere.
(vii) Drawing upon human skill, talent, experience and self-esteem available in abundance onboard - A belief that every man wants to prove himself.
(viii) Continuous lateral interaction to achieve team cohesiveness.
16. Wardroom discussions on the above produced a copious list of additional suggestions. This was discussed with the junior and senior sailors. Their contributions were equally positive and constructive.
17. The ordinary ship carried on and carried on in the same manner. One day there was a sudden requirement for the ship to sail out along with ready duty ship. The Captain had gone out for the weekend. Yet the ordinary ship got ready to sail well ahead of the ready duty ship. The COPO/FOO were treated to the sight of the ship being singled up and engines flashed up, with the Commander ready to cast off. Meanwhile, onboard the ready duty ship, the OOW was seen telephonically arguing with the MT(motor transport pool) pool for transport.
18. Another day during a shop window for a VVIP, the rocket launcher hoists failed. There were only 15 minutes to go. The Captain grabbed the broadcast, explained the problem and cleared the lower decks. It was a sight to see, men forming a human chain to manually load the rockets. The ship fired the rockets and saved itself and the Navy embarrassment. Lessons in human spirit and capacity were being daily learnt.
19. One night in harbour the Duty Petty Officer during middle watch rounds discovered ingress of water in a below deck compartment that normally would never be examined at night. The Duty Watch isolated the problem and averted major flooding and damage. On being asked as to how he had taken rounds, the Petty Officer stated “Saab, is jahaz mein, duty watch, duty watch ka kaam nahin karta”(sir ,in this ship, the duty watch always considers its duty to be a calling) - the Captain and HODs had tears in their eyes. Another lesson in human involvement was absorbed.
20. The Ordinary Ship had achieved this by just being ordinarily caring with genuine concern for each other. This perhaps was the key to its successful commission, of course with the luck factor thrown in.
21. It would make this fable too long if you had to also write about the role of the Fleet Commanders - There were two of them - Different personalities, different styles - One was imperious, yet humane and approachable. The other down-to-earth, humane and highly approachable - In short, pragmatic policies, a ready ear from the top was a major factor in aiding the Fleet and particularly helping the ordinary ship get out of “hot waters” on more than one occasion.
22. It would be a fairy tale if it was written that the ship became the best ship of the Fleet and that it had won most of the Fleet Trophies and also walked away with the regatta cock beating the carrier and other ships by a handsome margin. It was not a fairy tale. It was just true.
23. The wardroom and the Captain split up in accordance with the laws of the Navy, each going on respective career tracks. After few years they met up – friendship beyond the gangway was evident in the spontaneous get-together. It was concluded:
“In the ultimate, life is fair
If you only learn to take care”.
24. The Captain who by then had become older and greyer, thought about the commission and still thinks about the commission. It moved him to write:
"ORDINARY NICETIES"
"Ordinary niceties, simple grace
A warm and friendly face
Alchemy of friendship that cannot be explained
Continues to be fresh yet unchained
And lets you go in your own way
Till you meet again some day
To meet ordinary niceties and simple grace”.
- Barry
“In the ultimate life is fair
If you only learn to take care
Of what you truly believe
And carry on without anybody’s by or leave”
- Barry
1. It was an ordinary ship nobody was extraordinary. The new Captain was a mediocre personality. Nobody expected any miracles from this commission. The wardroom was like any other wardroom, a mixture of good and average. Most of the senior sailors had been on board for nearly 5 years and for quite a few of them it was the 3rd commission. There was a feeling that "Yeh Naya cheez kya karega". (what will this new guy do to us)
2. The Captain somehow knew that he had a long way to go. However, at the very beginning he had made up his mind that no matter what, the ship would be tension free - Being the senior most and the Fief of the Fiefdom, he would be able to at least ensure this. The next move by this person on taking over was to win over the wardroom by sharing ideas, expectations. At the same time he did not want to waffle by being vague, and long-winded. He also realised that at the beginning of a commission, the ward room invariably consisted of strangers and acquaintances who perhaps were going to be together for the first time. Keeping all this in mind the Captain decided not to speak but circulate a list, titled SOLE - Simple Ordinary Leadership Examples. It read:-
“Simple Ordinary Leadership Examples” are:-
(a) Sincere concern and commitment to the job and men.
(b) Care to ensure that the administration works for the ship.
(c) Behaviour by example - do not do anything which will be misconstrued as un-officer like.
(d) Create an environment:-
(i) Of transparency and openness.
(ii) For learning from each other.
(iii) For participation across the board i.e., involving everybody.
(iv) That ensures true communication from top to bottom, bottom to top and laterally from stem to stern.
(e) Proper feedbacks wherein everybody feels comfortable in transmission of misgivings/ideas/suggestions to make the ship a better place to be, work, and belong to.
(f) Real welfare opportunities for self-improvement - With the Ships Company and officers able to pursue their off-working hours aspirations, hobbies and recreational activities.
4. In another message the Captain clarified to the officers what he meant by "Administration". He wrote that true administration meant:-
(a) Ensuring optimal balance between time and manpower.
(b) Securing everybody on time as a functioning thumb rule.
(c) Planning and granting of leave to all personnel.
(d) Provision of wholesome food.
(e) Creating an atmosphere of pragmatic fairness that must be sensed onboard all the time.
(f) That every morning the officers and men must want to come on board for work.
(g) Anticipating the management strategy required to cater for the various constraints faced by the ship.
(h) Responding to all extraneous agencies with responsible alacrity and also conveying inabilities to meet commitments.
(j) Prevention of mistakes rather than correcting them.
(k) Realising the value of 85/15 rule - i.e., 85% it is the organisation’s fault that leads to a mistake - individually human error being only 15% .
(l) Facilitating/smoothening every day life onboard - attending to mundane things like incoming, outgoing, genform payment, etc. without unnecessary red tape hassles.
(m) Keeping tags on critical personal problems - this normally being only to 1% of the ships population.
5. It was also brought out that it was the Commanding Officer’s core belief that if the family and self were looked after, the Navy would get taken care of. Men recognise the limitations of the system and constraints of the service. They also realise and appreciate the genuine efforts of the administration and express their loyality by committed involvement.
6. The wardroom hoisted all this with customary skepticism and disbelief. One officer was heard to remark – “Guru Yeh Bandha Naya Murga hai - Jab Fleet Commander ayega, isko patha chalega”.( this guy so new, he will soon find out what life is all about ,when the fleet commander comes on board) The Captain called the HODs and suggested that the ship be run on corporate leadership style where all decisions would be taken in consultation with the HODs.
7. The ship was undergoing a short refit of 4 months. Based on previous experience and examination of the work package, the Captain felt that with proper liaison and coordination, the ship could complete the refit atleast a month ahead of schedule. In his call on the Fleet Commander, he gave the latter, assurance that the ship would join the Fleet atleast 20 days ahead of DCD. (dockyard completion date) Nobody else except the ship knew about this. The next month or so the Dockyard and other agencies like NSD(naval store depot), NAD(naval armament depot), WED(weapon eqpt depot) become accustomed to seeing the Captain and HODs(heads of dept) visiting various centres and coordinating repair activities. Closer to the deadline the ships company and the officers were seen in and around the dockyard ensuring collection of equipment and allied machinary parts. Amidst all these the ship still secured mostly on time everyday, except during machinery and equipment trials. The ship had setup a special dockyard liaison team of Reps from all the departments. This not only ensured the supervision of the dockyard work in accordance with agreed milestones but also provided the civilian mates with administrative and catering hospitality - the ordinary ship believed in the adage that a cup of tea at the right time works wonders.
8. In this period, no unnecessary signals emanated from the ship. All points of dissent were invariably resolved through discussion. The Fleet Commander’s counsel was often sought and readily obtained. Now and then a telephone call from him to the ASD (admiral supdt dockyard) ensured continuing momentum.
9. Lo and behold, to the pleasant surprise of the Command and the Fleet, the ship sailed out for machinery trials 28 days ahead of schedule. The first outing was providentially un-eventual - There were many mistakes committed by various people, the Captain being one of them. Prior to this sailing the ship had informally formed a separate observation team that included one or two experienced officers from the Command/Dockyard. The ship’s Commander was appointed as the Chief Chronicler to record the observations. On return to harbour there was a massive hot wash up - the Captain confessed to all his mistakes and what needs to be done from the Bridge point of view. With this opening, the entire atmosphere was transformed to a honest introspection on the ships performance by each department. The Master Chiefs who were present also contributed meaningfully to the ensuing discussions.
10. A couple of days later the ship sailed for weapon and gun trials. The gun system performed poorly. The port shaft had to be locked due to lub oil system failure. In the evening debrief the gunnery/weapons, maintenance and the engineering department owned up to procedural and technical omissions which had contributed to the cause of failures. Nobody was punished. The mistakes were meticulously documented.
11. The ship tackled all defects with resolve and quickness. Subsequently, the ship joined the Fleet 21 days ahead of refit completion date. The ordinary ship had met its first self-imposed deadline. The wardroom sensed that somehow they were off to a reasonable start. The ship continued to secure on time every day, leave was being granted - a feeling of contentment was spreading in the mess decks.
12. Fleet exercises brought to light many chinks in the ships armour. Everyday there was briefing and debriefing. No mistake however small was ignored. Discussions were transparent. It seemed as though that some objectives of SOLE had been met. The disbelieving wardroom was subconsciously getting gelled into a well-knit team. The Fleet Staff were watching the progress of the ship. Customary, healthy, rivalry could be always seen when the other unsuspecting, more flamboyant Captains continuously ribbed this mediocre Commanding Officer of the ordinary ship.
13. A few days passed and the Fleet Commander decided to step on board. The Flag shift brought about its own trepidations. Here again, the ship applied SOLE. The visitors were made to feel at home. There was a desire to learn and an openness in owning up to mistakes. The ordinary ship was slowly maturing as a reliable Fleet Unit. Yet the Captain and HODs knew that there were many leagues to cross before the ship could call itself a warship. Consequently, the practice of meticulous detailed briefing, debriefing and consultation with Fleet Staff, Dockyard was continued with consistent intensity. The wardroom and the Captain had become mutual leadership examples. It was gratifying to note that the circulating galley news talked about the ordinary ship’s damn good ward room setup - If you wanted warmth, peals of laughter and frank discussions you ought to visit this ship. Despite all these activities the ship secured in time and leave programme was maintained with a high degree of fidelity and departmental satisfaction. The Captain and HODs now started the practice of quarterly breakfast meetings with the Master-Chiefs. The ships company clamoured and themselves organised family get-togethers.
14. During the next phase of the Fleet exercise the rest of the flock suddenly saw the ordinary ship doing things in almost double quick time. There was an aura of confidence, a sense of commitment and a degree of anticipation. In six months the ordinary ship had undergone a sea change in its operational and administrative management paradigm. The Captain also sensed that the ship had finally matured into a well-knit fighting unit. On introspection, he realised that the ship had achieved this through :-
(a) A healthy working relationship and comfortable work environment.
(b) Effective communication and a high degree of transparency.
(c) A sense of security and confidence between officers and sailors.
(d) A process of continuous and constant professional interaction through a system of briefing and debriefing.
(e) The institution of true and real welfare schemes primarily focussing on study opportunities, wholesome food, movie arrangements, granting of leave and most importantly securing on time.
(f) Corporate, participative leadership styles of Captain/HODs through a process of delegation, de-centralisation and feedback.
(g) The invaluable guidance of the Fleet Commander, the Fleet and FMU staff.
15. The Ordinary Ship continued to fly the flag and carry on its task with the same degree of intensity and determination. The ships company became fiercely competitive. Of course, mistakes were made, equipment went defective. The ship learnt to weather all its professional and natural storms with confidence, anticipation and commitment - Innovation became the credo - The Captain watched all this with a sense of awe. He could not believe that simple basic values of care, concern and commitment would yield such results. This wave of comradeship, competence gave him new found confidence that one could achieve a lot by being, ordinary, natural whilst evincing care and concern for people with whom one has to work with. He also realised that behavioural values and leadership examples that he had discussed with the wardroom, while obvious, were seldom talked about and mostly ignored. This gave him an idea that he ought to share some other practical leadership values in order to find out whether all these were valid in today’s Navy. He made yet another list and called them the GRAB laws. (Golden Rules And Behaviour). These postulated :-
(i) Avoidance of one-upmanship.
(ii) “Talking with” as opposed to “Talking at”, with peers and subordinate and “Talking to” seniors.
(iii) Making subordinates clearly aware of the working guidelines onboard.
(iv) Understanding the difference between familiarity and awareness.
(v) Considering time to be of high value and ensuring minimum wastage of this precious commodity.
(vi) Evolving correctness in communication, including effective feedback for a comfortable work atmosphere.
(vii) Drawing upon human skill, talent, experience and self-esteem available in abundance onboard - A belief that every man wants to prove himself.
(viii) Continuous lateral interaction to achieve team cohesiveness.
16. Wardroom discussions on the above produced a copious list of additional suggestions. This was discussed with the junior and senior sailors. Their contributions were equally positive and constructive.
17. The ordinary ship carried on and carried on in the same manner. One day there was a sudden requirement for the ship to sail out along with ready duty ship. The Captain had gone out for the weekend. Yet the ordinary ship got ready to sail well ahead of the ready duty ship. The COPO/FOO were treated to the sight of the ship being singled up and engines flashed up, with the Commander ready to cast off. Meanwhile, onboard the ready duty ship, the OOW was seen telephonically arguing with the MT(motor transport pool) pool for transport.
18. Another day during a shop window for a VVIP, the rocket launcher hoists failed. There were only 15 minutes to go. The Captain grabbed the broadcast, explained the problem and cleared the lower decks. It was a sight to see, men forming a human chain to manually load the rockets. The ship fired the rockets and saved itself and the Navy embarrassment. Lessons in human spirit and capacity were being daily learnt.
19. One night in harbour the Duty Petty Officer during middle watch rounds discovered ingress of water in a below deck compartment that normally would never be examined at night. The Duty Watch isolated the problem and averted major flooding and damage. On being asked as to how he had taken rounds, the Petty Officer stated “Saab, is jahaz mein, duty watch, duty watch ka kaam nahin karta”(sir ,in this ship, the duty watch always considers its duty to be a calling) - the Captain and HODs had tears in their eyes. Another lesson in human involvement was absorbed.
20. The Ordinary Ship had achieved this by just being ordinarily caring with genuine concern for each other. This perhaps was the key to its successful commission, of course with the luck factor thrown in.
21. It would make this fable too long if you had to also write about the role of the Fleet Commanders - There were two of them - Different personalities, different styles - One was imperious, yet humane and approachable. The other down-to-earth, humane and highly approachable - In short, pragmatic policies, a ready ear from the top was a major factor in aiding the Fleet and particularly helping the ordinary ship get out of “hot waters” on more than one occasion.
22. It would be a fairy tale if it was written that the ship became the best ship of the Fleet and that it had won most of the Fleet Trophies and also walked away with the regatta cock beating the carrier and other ships by a handsome margin. It was not a fairy tale. It was just true.
23. The wardroom and the Captain split up in accordance with the laws of the Navy, each going on respective career tracks. After few years they met up – friendship beyond the gangway was evident in the spontaneous get-together. It was concluded:
“In the ultimate, life is fair
If you only learn to take care”.
24. The Captain who by then had become older and greyer, thought about the commission and still thinks about the commission. It moved him to write:
"ORDINARY NICETIES"
"Ordinary niceties, simple grace
A warm and friendly face
Alchemy of friendship that cannot be explained
Continues to be fresh yet unchained
And lets you go in your own way
Till you meet again some day
To meet ordinary niceties and simple grace”.
- Barry
weddding anniversary
On your anniversary, Let life be “ LUCKY”
We are your Parents and your Best Friends
In the road of life with it’s turns and bends.
You are for us, God’s special gift of Art
In all our prayers and always in our heart …
“LUCKY” !!!!!!!!!
Learn
In life there are no comparisons, only acceptances
Happiness and sorrow only in our perceptions!
The paths you tread in treasured togetherness
Shall be the journey measured in joys of being-ness
Understand
Companionship is the carriage of your Life
To give you courage and strength in strife
The spirit to succeed in whatever you set to do
And the will to stay steadfast, without much ado.
Comprehend
The need to nurture, each other, every day, every which way
With a readiness to read each other’ minds in silence
Your unspoken words the bridge of faith and resilience
The spoken ones for forgiving and belonging every day.
Knead
Daily, the Dough of Domestic needs with common sense
Begin the day right, by sifting trivia from the essence
Enjoy each other through elbow rooms of space
And in togetherness, take on life’s everyday race
Youthfulness
Is the very corner stone on which your lives revolve
Teaching you both a lovely way in living to evolve
And an attitude for all problems, to squarely face
Learning to keep up with life’s time and space.
We are your Parents and your Best Friends
In the road of life with it’s turns and bends.
You are for us, God’s special gift of Art
In all our prayers and always in our heart
We are your Parents and your Best Friends
In the road of life with it’s turns and bends.
You are for us, God’s special gift of Art
In all our prayers and always in our heart …
“LUCKY” !!!!!!!!!
Learn
In life there are no comparisons, only acceptances
Happiness and sorrow only in our perceptions!
The paths you tread in treasured togetherness
Shall be the journey measured in joys of being-ness
Understand
Companionship is the carriage of your Life
To give you courage and strength in strife
The spirit to succeed in whatever you set to do
And the will to stay steadfast, without much ado.
Comprehend
The need to nurture, each other, every day, every which way
With a readiness to read each other’ minds in silence
Your unspoken words the bridge of faith and resilience
The spoken ones for forgiving and belonging every day.
Knead
Daily, the Dough of Domestic needs with common sense
Begin the day right, by sifting trivia from the essence
Enjoy each other through elbow rooms of space
And in togetherness, take on life’s everyday race
Youthfulness
Is the very corner stone on which your lives revolve
Teaching you both a lovely way in living to evolve
And an attitude for all problems, to squarely face
Learning to keep up with life’s time and space.
We are your Parents and your Best Friends
In the road of life with it’s turns and bends.
You are for us, God’s special gift of Art
In all our prayers and always in our heart
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