Morarji Desai’s amazing jackstay tryst with Indian Navy

Now that the elections are over, the time is ripe to talk about a politician from the past — the Prime Minister no less — who had an amazing tryst with the Indian Navy. I am referring to Morarji Desai, who was the Prime Minister, heading the first non-Congress (Janata Party) government in the country. While his tenure was brief — from March 1977 to July 1979 — he achieved the remarkable feat of crossing across two warships, at sea, by jackstay. Even more significantly, he did this on two different occasions with the Indian Navy and that is indeed exceptional. Let me tell you why but before that a brief background.

Visits by political leaders on board ships

Navies are called ‘Silent Service’ because they operate beyond the horizons, removed from the gaze of the people. Therefore, it is natural for key political leaders, Chief Executives, Defence Ministers and their aides and advisers to board Navy ships for ‘some extended duration’ where they can dedicatedly follow what the Navy is doing and try to comprehend the interplay of many elements at sea.

In many countries, including India, this exposure to exercises at sea is often also made to other functionaries in the security establishment, Governors and Chief Ministers, Members of Parliament and state assemblies, senior officers in government and the other two services, members of media and other distinguished persons. For many, it remains a memorable experience in their lives and they often reminisce about it wistfully later. This is in addition to the formal presidential reviews that happen around once every five years (or, precisely, once in the tenure of a President) which is a dedicated endeavour, in harbour and at anchorage, for the Supreme Commander.

Therefore, it is quite natural to expect that Prime Ministers and Defence Minsters, in particular, would visit ships and where possible review exercises at sea. As far as the Indian Navy is concerned, almost all those in the high office in our country have done that. Thus, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi, almost all the PMs have embarked Navy ships at sea, even if for a few hours. While the somewhat less hurried mores of the 1950s and 1960s allowed for a longer embarkation, as seen in Nehru’s passage to Indonesia in June 1950 which lasted for six days or in Vallabhbhai Patel’s sojourn along the West Coast, in April 1950, which too extended to many days, the faster pace of life of recent decades implies somewhat crunched timelines.

The fact that Prime Minister Modi, in 2014, presided over his first ever tri-services Commanders Conference in INS Vikramaditya is indicative of the significance that such visits have. While they have the necessary protocol aspects to them, there is also a great deal of operational salience to such endeavours. However, even by these measures, Morarji Desai’s ship visits stand out. Let us see why.

Going Across the Jackstay

While not a complete technical explanation, jackstay, in simple terms, is a cable or a pole or something that connects two points so as to support or guide a load between the two points. In other words, it’s the arrangement that enables movement of material (load, people) between these two points. Ships at sea frequently need to transfer items or receive supplies (fuel, water, victuals) from other ships in order to continue their mission.

There is often a need to transfer people, too, from one ship to another for operational or administrative purposes. While people or ‘small stores’ transfer can be done by boats or by helicopters, they have the disadvantages of requiring ships to be stopped/almost stationary (in case of boat transfer) or the need for helicopter and a helicopter deck (in case of latter). Thus, often, the most effective and expeditious means of transfer of people or stores and logistics items in bulk is by what is called as Underway Replenishment (UNREP).

This was earlier also referred to as Replenishment at Sea (or RAS for short) but UNREP is a more accurate term as it signifies that this replenishment happens when both ships are underway or traversing to their objective. This is also called Jackstay in general parlance on ships, especially if it involves personnel transfer.

The basic premise is that this happens with both the ships (or in some cases many ships together) moving while carrying out UNREP. This would obviously imply that ships operate at very close distances and match their course (direction of advance) and speed so that it seems they are operating in synchronicity. Now, this is easier said than done and regarded as one of the most challenging evolutions at sea. Ships of several thousand tonnes operating at less than 100 feet of each other is an intimidating sight.

They must maintain distance between each other and hold their direction (remain parallel) so that the jackstay or fuelling points are aligned. Heavy fuelling or jackstay rigs (gear) are manually passed and heaved in by supplying and receiving ships. The whole exercise can take hours depending on the quantum of transfer; usually fuel transfer to big ships can take fairly long.

Throughout this exercise, the best crew are closed up at all stations. Course changes are in half or quarter degrees, ship’s speed is altered by one tenth of a knot (up two turns or down two turns are the calls to the Engine room for fine speed adjustment) as two heaving, rolling, pitching ‘sea monsters’ tango together.

Rough seas, heavy winds, bad weather, visibility conditions and other constraints often impose their own challenges. Yet, the show must go on and ships and navies must practice and perfect this art. In war, there could be lurking submarines or other threats and, therefore, peacetime deployments and exercises are done simulating warlike conditions.

This would require ships ‘tied together’ to move at high speeds, alter courses in tandem, work under zero visibility conditions, operate helicopters while continuing with UNREP, and remain vigilant to other threats in air, on water and below water. They also need to be ready for immediate disengagement if the situation so demands. Above all, all ships in the Fleet, especially those involved in UNREP, need to be cognisant of the fact that an accident can happen any time in such risky ‘evolutions’ (as they are called in the Navy). This requires both preventive and mitigation measures.

A truly professional Navy would tick all these boxes to be well regarded. And all professional navies practice UNREP frequently to attain a high level of proficiency, if not perfection. This would indicate that the ability to carry out UNREP is a marker of professional abilities of the Navy in several respects — seamanship, navigation, ship-handling and crew morale. Readers of Firstpost would be happy to know that the Indian Navy is world class in these respects.

While officers including Admirals and other Commanders are known to have crossed across ships by jackstay, especially in the days before the advent of shipborne helicopters, it is rare for a politician to go across by jackstay or even volunteer to do so. Because notwithstanding how taut and precise the Navy is at conducting this, it is very formidable and intimidating to a non-Navy person. It needs courage, nerves, fitness, positive attitude, faith in oneself and others, before one decides to ‘hop across’. This is where Morarji Desai’s achievement stands out.

The Second Time First

Interestingly, it is Desai’s second jackstay crossing that is more known and, as I shall show subsequently, was considered the first. This could, possibly, be because it has been more written about, including by the venerable late VAdm MP Awati in a navy inhouse publication ‘Quarterdeck’ and in the Western Fleet history “A Salute to the Sword Arm” (Thomson Press, 2007). So let me mention that first and quote the inimitable Awati who was the Fleet Commander of the Western Fleet when this happened.

In Awati’s words “Shri Morarji Desai, Prime Minister, boarded INS Shakti by helicopter, off Cochin one fine morning in February 1979. Captain SK (Gigi) Gupta, was in command. I had, earlier, transferred my flag to Shakti. Everyone aboard was impressed by the physical fitness and agility of the PM, no mean feat at 83. He was immaculately turned out in white khaddar kurta pyjama topped by a dark Nehru jacket with the inevitable white Gandhi cap on his head. He held himself erect, and spoke Hindi and flawless English with equal facility in a measured tone, as if he had chosen every word with great care. Quite a man, I thought. He walked around the ship, visited the engine room, spoke to as many officers and sailors he could, impressed them with his knowledge of the role of the ship and of the navy. This obviously was no ordinary Prime Minister.”

Awati continues, “In the afternoon, the PM readily accepted my offer for transfer by jackstay to the escorting ship, ignoring the restraint counselled by his personal escort from Delhi. ‘Admiral, he said to me’ these spoil sports around me, are always looking for an opportunity to restrain me from participating fully in my visits. I know fully well that you would not have asked me to, if you had the least doubt about my safety’. He winked at his escort. Aplomb, I thought to myself, a seasoned politician and a leader!”

The description by Awati continues: “The crew on both ships was charged-up to see a spirited octogenarian PM ready for the evolution. He was tickled when a heavy bag of cement was heaved across the jackstay as a pilot, preceding his journey across. The moment came the Prime Minister of India was ceremoniously transferred by jackstay to the escorting frigate INS Dunagiri, as he was piped over the side by Shakti, and received by Dunagiri. He was returned to Shakti by the same route, expressed praise for the manner in which the evolution was conducted.”

Adding his own impressions, Awati writes, “I was personally very sure he would enjoy the experience, the view below him as his Bosun’s chair was pulled over the ‘oggin’ (naval term for sea) from one ship to the other. It was a happy occasion, an evolution conducted with seamanlike precision. Nevertheless, there was that nagging anxiety until the old gentleman was safely delivered back to the flagship by the replenishment teams of the two ships. A loud cheer went up spontaneously as the PM waved back to the escort on his return to Shakti. Not every Fleet Commander has the opportunity to send his Prime Minister across the waters from ship to ship on a jackstay, I thought to myself.”

Awati concludes, “The following morning on arrival off Kavaratti, the PM took off for the island in the ship’s helicopter. This routine continued for all the Lakshadweep islands he visited during the cruise. He would rest in the afternoons, attend the variety entertainment laid on by the ship’s company, talk to me and often with other officers of the Wardroom, and on three occasions to the senior sailors on the upper deck. An affable person, if ever there was one, I thought… we returned off Cochin a few days later. I bid good-bye to the Prime Minister. Morarjibhai left an indelible mark on his hosts during that February in 1979 by his demeanour that showed a spirited Prime Minister, a memory etched in my mind.”

As Awati is no more, I sought confirmation from the then Commanding Officer of INS Shakti Capt (later RAdm) SK Gupta of his memories of the trip. Gupta (Gigi to friends and admirers) is himself a legend in the Navy. A Maha Vir Chakra for his daring exploits in the 1971 war is one among his many distinctions. In his words, “The PM Shri Morarji Desai and his entourage embarked from Mumbai on board INS Shakti, for an official tour of Lakshadweep islands. On the whole it was quite a welcome experience to have hosted our PM on the ship with the Fleet Commander also on board. The jackstay experience was interesting. The PM was quite normal and he showed no anxiety, whilst we were quite anxious.”

The First Time

“>All along, naval history enthusiasts had heard of the above-mentioned episode of INS Shakti and marvelled about Morarji Desai’s fitness and derring-do. In fact, we were so certain of this being the only instance of a Prime Minister crossing by jackstay that we included this in the afore-mentioned Western Fleet history book that was edited by this author. But, a couple of years ago, while researching on some other topic, I was flummoxed to find out that Desai, as PM, had crossed by jackstay even earlier.

Going through certain papers of Adm Jal Cursetji, the Chief of Naval Staff from 1976 to 1979, I found him mentioning a visit by Morarji Desai to Mumbai. Cursetji says “The Navy was host to Sri Morarji Desai, Prime Minister of India on 30 October 1977 who was embarked onboard Dunagiri. The ‘Day at Sea’ was very well attended. The distinguished VVIPs included 6 Governors, 4 Cabinet Ministers, 2 Ministers of State, 2 Chief Ministers, 19 Members of Parliament in addition to the Air Chief and other VIPs. 12 ships and 4 Air Squadrons participated in the exercises to show the guests how their Navy works. To the numerous exercises that had been planned, the Navy had to add at short notice — the Prime Minister’s desire to be transferred by jackstay to and from Vikrant — much to the anxiety of the Chief of Naval Staff — lest the chair to be used should give way!”

This was news indeed. Apart from the jackstay, such a huge contingent of distinguished visitors embarking should have been mentioned somewhere in naval archives. It struck me then that this visit had made a big splash in the media at that time because as a seventh standard kid in school, I remembered reading about this in the newspapers in small town Bijapur (North Karnataka). But, now, my initial research led to dead ends.

The Navy’s official history for the period 1975 to 1990, ‘Transition to Eminence’ doesn’t mention this visit. Incidentally, it doesn’t mention the other visit of 1979 too. While I had no reason to doubt what Cursetji had said, I still needed some more sources to authenticate and be sure. Cursetji and the then CO of Vikrant (Capt, later Admiral, RH Tahiliani) are no longer with us. Dunagiri and Vikrant are decommissioned. After poring over material, I was lucky in my research when I found that Vikrant’s decommissioning diary had an entry on the visit of PM Morarji Desai on October 30, 1977. This was very good progress but it didn’t specifically mention jackstay.

However, Dunagiri which was a brand-new ship in October 1977, having been commissioned just a few months before, could offer more clues. Especially the officers who served there. And that is when I hit pay dirt. Cdr Arun Saigal (Retd), a veteran with an amazing memory, revealed that he was very much on board the Dunagiri at that time as the Signal Communications Officer (SCO). He had written a small account of that.

In his words, “Morarji Desai had assumed office as Prime Minister of India in early 1977. The Navy invited him to spend a Day at Sea. After much deliberation it was decided that Dunagiri, being the latest ship to join the Fleet would be the ship to host the Prime Minister and other VIPs during a sea sortie where the Western Fleet would show off its prowess. It was a great honour and we began to plan in earnest.”

He continues, “Dunagiri was flying the flag of CNS and as SCO I had the additional responsibility of conveying CNS messages to the Fleet Commander so I used to occasionally run to the Helicopter Deck where the VIPs were seated to convey information or receive instructions. At one stage the commencement of the Replenishment-at-Sea (RAS) demonstration serial had to be delayed a bit because the Prime Minister, despite his age had decided to visit the Engine Room to see for himself. As he came up the Fox’le hatch he saw the preparations for the Jackstay and decided to stay there. The Captain (Capt, later VAdm, Sukhmal Jain) told me to rush down and see what was happening and to help escort the PM back to the VIP viewing area on the Helicopter Deck.”

This is where the fun begins. In Saigal’s words, they are even more dramatic. “After seeing the first transfer of a sailor by jackstay from Dunagiri to Nilgiri, Prime Minister Morarji Desai expressed a desire to go across himself. The Executive Officer was not willing to permit it. He requested the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Moolgavkar to convince the Prime Minister that it was too dangerous to do so. I heard the latter part of the conversation which went like this: ‘Bahut strong grip chahiye hoga’ (a very strong grip would be required to hold on to the upper part of the jackstay stirrup attached to the traveller). Mr Morarji Desai turned towards the Air Chief with a stern look and stretched out his hand: ‘Aaa Panja Lada Ley’ meaning that he was ready to wrestle with him to show the strength of his grip. There was nothing more to be said! However, the Chief Boatswain’s Mate had foreseen some odd eventuality like this and had secreted a modified Godrej steel chair inside the gun turret. It had four steel slings to enable it to be hooked on and slung from the Traveller Block to enable a person to be transferred seated during jackstay. It was quickly brought out and the PM strapped on to it and he went across from Dunagiri to Nilgiri by jackstay with the ships steaming at about 14 knots (a little more than 25 kmph) about 75 ft apart. Our hearts were in our mouth until he safely reached across. He had made history. The date was 30 Oct 1977.”

He adds, “This tale does not end there. During all this, Nilgiri had been directed to keep its helicopter in readiness to launch for a rescue mission should a mishap occur. Once aboard Nilgiri, the PM decided to use the helicopter go to Vikrant. And, he finally returned to Dunagiri once again by jackstay from Vikrant and took the salute as ships steamed past in Formation to salute him at the end of the Sea sortie. The scenes of Dunagiri Fox’le and Prime Minister’s open challenge to the Air Chief are firmly etched in my mind.”

Along with the story, Cdr Saigal also shared a grainy image of a news item (probably of the Statesman newspaper), which not only confirmed the PM’s visit but also, most importantly, made a mention of the Jackstay. The fascinating fact that emerged from this is that on October 30, 1977, Morarji Desai did two jackstay crossings. And he seemed to love the experience. That was truly extraordinary.

Conclusion

The above two incidents establish something that’s very interesting and goes beyond being statistical trivia. Despite having one of the briefest tenures as the PM, Morarji Desai holds a unique record. He is the only Indian Prime Minister to have crossed the Jackstay, he is the only Indian politician to have done it more than once. (Sharad Pawar did it once as the Defence Minister, in the early 1990s). It is also possible that he may be among the rare or the only President/PM/CEO of a country among all international figures to have achieved this feat.

While I have not researched on that, the lack of any photos or references in popular media and lack of any mention in my interactions with many senior ‘British era’ veterans, would suggest that there may be none or not too many in this category. In any case, an Octogenarian politician or any octogenarian doing it twice would be extremely rare, if at all.

It may be seen in both instances that the senior officers of the Navy were, understandably, anxious. No matter how perfect one is, one can never take chances with the Prime Minister. It is also evident from the two separate accounts that Morarji Desai was affable, immaculate in conduct, sporting and exhibited great spunk. His willingness to cross holding the stirrup (though it didn’t ultimately come to that), his walking around several parts of the ship negotiating narrow ladders and spaces shows how superbly fit he was at more than 80 years.

Future Navy historians would likely find this interesting but I daresay that even political historians and other commentators on national affairs would be fascinated by this fact. When political leaders spend time at sea, they are a bit more relaxed and able to take in the elements. Many fewer known insights may emerge, many memorable conversations may happen. Imagine the Prime Minister telling his Air Chief, on a Naval ship “Aaa Panja Lada Ley”. But this was Morarji Bhai and this is his unique record. He created history with the Indian Navy.

Cmde Srikant Kesnur is a Navy veteran who writes on Maritime Issues. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect that of Firstpost. Photos/images courtesy Indian Navy except where mentioned. The author is grateful to RAdm SK Gupta (Retd) and Cdr Arun Saigal (Retd) for their inputs.