S M Nanda | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Nanda as Chief of Naval Staff | |
| 6thChief of the Naval Staff | |
| In office 28 February 1970 – 28 February 1973 | |
| President | V. V. Giri |
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Adhar Kumar Chatterji |
| Succeeded by | Sourendra Nath Kohli |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1915-10-10)10 October 1915 |
| Died | 11 May 2009(2009-05-11) (aged 93) |
| Occupation | Chairman and Managing DirectorShipping Corporation of India Member of the Board of Directors, Crown Corporation |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal |
| Nickname | Charles |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  British India (1941–1947) India (1947–1973) |
| Branch/service |  Royal Indian Navy (1941–1947) Indian Navy (1947–1973) |
| Years of service | 1941–1973 |
| Rank |   Admiral |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
AdmiralSardarilal Mathradas "Charles"Nanda,PVSM,AVSM (10 October 1915 – 11 May 2009) was anIndian Navyadmiral who served as the 6thChief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1970 until 28 February 1973.[1] He led the Indian Navy during theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971 and successfully executed anaval blockade of bothWest andEast Pakistan, helping India achieve an overwhelming victory during the war.[2] For the important role he played in the war, theGovernment of India awarded him thePadma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award.[3] Nanda is recognised as one of the most notable commanders in the history of the Indian Navy.
Born inManora, Karachi, in theSind Province of British India, Nanda joined the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1941. DuringWorld War II, he served onboard HMISTravancore and as an instructor at the signals school inHMIS Talwar. After the war, he served on boardHMIS Narbada (U40) which was based out of Japan as part of the British occupation forces. He subsequently served as the communication officer ofHMIS Cauvery (U10).
Following theIndependence of India, he was appointed executive officer ofCauvery, and in 1948, was appointed first lieutenant of theflagshipHMIS Delhi (C74). In 1949, he was appointed director of personnel services at NHQ and in 1950 took command of theR-class destroyerINS Ranjit (1949), which represented India at thecoronation review of the fleet. Nanda subsequently commanded theBlack Swan-class sloopINS Jamuna (U21) and the 16th frigate squadron. In 1954, he was appointedChief of Personnel and constituted commodore 2nd class in September 1956. Appointed thecommissioningcommanding officer of the new flagship of the Navy, theCrown Colony-class cruiserINS Mysore (C60), he commissioned the ship in August 1957 at Birkenhead. In 1958, he took over as the Director GeneralNaval Dockyard Expansion Scheme. After attending theImperial Defence College in 1962, he returned to India and was appointedChief of Materiel at NHQ.
Promoted to flag rank in May 1962, Nanda was appointed theDeputy Chief of the Naval Staff. As DCNS, he played an important role in the development ofGoa as a naval base. In 1964, he took over as the managing director ofMazagon Dock Limited. In 1966, he was appointedFlag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet and then Flag Officer Bombay in 1968. The Bombay command was upgraded and Nanda took over as the firstFlag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command in the rank of vice admiral. On 1 March 1970, he took command as the seventh Chief of the Naval Staff. Under his command, the Navy attacked Karachi with missile boats and bombarded ports in East Pakistan with aircraft ofINS Vikrant, apart from successfully enforcing naval blockades on two fronts. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, and awards for distinguished service – the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
Nanda was born on 10 October 1915 to Mathra Das, an office superintendent at the workshop of the Port Trust inManora,Karachi and Pooran Devi. His parents were from villages nearGujranwala in thePunjab Province.[4] He was born in aPunjabi HinduKhatri family.[5] He was raised onManora Island at the entrance to thePort of Karachi.[1][6] He was the eldest of seven children – three boys and four girls. He attended a primary school on the island and then the N J High School in Karachi. He worked for the Port and Pilotage department at Manora after finishing his schooling.[4]
After the outbreak ofWorld War II, he applied for a commission in the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RINVR). He appeared before a selection board inBombay in September 1941. Successful in the written test and the interview, he was commissioned in the RINVR on 11 October 1941 as anacting sub-lieutenant in the Executive Branch.[7]
Nanda started his career with a training course for six months on theDeepawati. He was then sent toCalcutta for his next assignment. At Calcutta, he was asked to go toKhulna and take command of ariver steamer and patrol theSundarbans. In June 1942, he was selected for a specialist communications course atHMIS Talwar, the Signals School inColaba, Bombay. After the course, he served as the signals officer on board theminesweeper HMISTravancore.[8] In October 1942, he was promoted to the acting rank oflieutenant and appointed an instructor at the Signals School.[9] After the end of the war, he stayed in the Navy despite rapid, large-scale demobilisation. He appeared before a selection board inLonavala on 31 October 1945.
Nanda was serving at the Signals School at HMISTalwar when theRoyal Indian Navy mutiny broke out in February 1946. The mutiny first started at HMISTalwar and spread to ships and other shore establishments.[10] The mutiny was called off after the sailors met withSardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was asked by the sailors to accompany them, which he did.[11]
In June 1946, he was posted to thesloopHMIS Narbada (U40), which was to sail forJapan fromMadras. The ship was based out ofKure, Hiroshima, as part of the British occupation forces and was later transferred toSasebo, Nagasaki, as part of the US occupation forces. On 19 October 1946 he was granted a permanent commission in theRoyal Indian Navy (RIN) as a Lieutenant with backdated seniority of 10 October 1940.[12] In January 1947, he was appointed communications officer of the sloopHMIS Cauvery (U10), then deployed at Karachi.
After thepartition of India, theCauvery was assigned to India and she set sail for Bombay. The British officers embarked forEngland and Nanda was appointedexecutive officer of the ship.HMIS Kistna (U46) andCauvery commanded byCommanderRam Dass Katari and Commander Reggie Sawhney respectively made two trips to theUnited Kingdom. This was because thecruiserHMS Achilles (70) was being purchased by India and renamed HMISDelhi and the crew was to be transported.[13] In 1948, he was promoted to the acting rank oflieutenant commander and appointedfirst lieutenant ofHMIS Delhi (C74) under the command of Captain H.N.S. Brown, withCommander Ram Dass Katari as hisexecutive officer.[1] To train for this appointment, he was ordered to join theMediterranean Fleet. He served on board theaircraft carrierHMS Triumph (R16) and subsequently on the cruiserHMS Newcastle (C76).[14]
HMISDelhi was commissioned on 5 July 1948 by theHigh Commissioner of India to the United KingdomV. K. Krishna Menon. On her way to India, she called atPortsmouth,Portland,Gibraltar andMalta. ThePrime Minister of IndiaJawaharlal Nehru himself welcomed the ship at Bombay.[15] She went on a cruise round the coasts of India, calling atKarwar,Cochin,Trincomalee,Madras,Vizag,Calcutta,Port Blair,Colombo andCalicut before returning to Bombay.[16] In May 1949, she left on herIndian Ocean cruise. She called atVictoria, Seychelles,Port Louis inMauritius,Dar es Salaam inTanzania andMombasa inKenya. The cruise to the Indian Ocean republics and East Africa generated a tremendous amount of goodwill.[17][18]
On 30 June 1949, at the end of the goodwill mission, Nanda was promoted substantive lieutenant-commander and to the acting rank of Commander.[19] He was appointed director of personnel services (DPS) at Naval headquarters.[20] Nanda was promoted to substantive commander on 31 December 1950.[21] He served as the DPS for about two years. On 10 October 1951, he took command of theR-class destroyer,INS Ranjit (1949).[22] TheRanjit was part of the 11th Destroyer Squadron commanded by Captain Ram Dass Katari. The other two ships in the squadron wereINS Rajput (D141) andINS Rana (1942).[23] Nanda took the ship on a goodwill cruise toSingapore,Saigon,Jakarta and other ports inIndonesia likeBali. In Jakarta, he called on and was received by the firstPresident of Indonesia,Sukarno.[24]
In early 1952,Princess Elizabeth andPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh set out for a tour ofAustralia andNew Zealand by way of Kenya. TheRajput and theRanjit were nominated to escort theHMY Britannia from Mombasa to Australia.[25] With the death ofKing George VI, this was cancelled. To commemorate theCoronation of Elizabeth II, a massive Coronation review of the fleet was held atPortsmouth. The flagship INSDelhi, commanded by CaptainAdhar Kumar Chatterji, destroyer INSRanjit, commanded by Nanda, and the frigateINS Tir (K256), commanded by CommanderNilakanta Krishnan, represented India at the review.[26] A naval armada consisting of ships from the Indian Navy,Royal Navy,Royal Australian Navy and theRoyal New Zealand Navy sailed from Portsmouth to Gibraltar. The fleet carried out exercises along the way and was under the command ofLord Mountbatten. TheRanjit under Nanda acquitted itself well during these exercises. Subsequently, the Indian ships continued conducting exercises with the Mediterranean Fleet. They sailed from Gibraltar to Malta, theGreek islands and toIstanbul.[27]
Nanda took command ofINS Jamuna (U21) on 31 August 1953 after returning to Bombay. He was also appointed Captain (F) 12th Frigate Squadron. On 15 February 1954, he was promoted to the acting rank ofcaptain and appointed CAPBRAX (captain naval barracks) andcommanding officer ofINS Angre. After a short stint, he was transferred back to Naval Headquarters asChief of Personnel (COP) in September 1954. He was promoted to substantive captain on 31 December 1954.[28] He served as the COP for about two and a half years. In September 1956, he was promoted tocommodore 2nd Class.[29]
In December 1956, he was appointed thecommissioningcommanding officer ofINS Mysore (C60). TheCrown Colony-class cruiserHMS Nigeria (60) was being refitted and modernised inBirkenhead,Liverpool, to be commissioned as theMysore. He spent a few months in UK preparing his crew. INSMysore was commissioned on 29 August 1957 by theHigh Commissioner of India to the United KingdomVijaya Lakshmi Pandit. Nanda took the ship to theMediterranean and subsequently paid an official visit to the port ofSplit inSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He called on PresidentJosip Broz Tito at his home in theBrioni Islands. Returning to India, Nanda and theMysore were welcomed by the entireIndian Fleet, commanded by the first Indian Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Ram Dass Katari. Katari's flag was transferred from INS Delhi to INS Mysore, thus becoming the new flagship of the Indian Fleet.[30] The Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the ship at Bombay and hosted a dinner on board with theGovernor of MaharashtraAli Yavar Jung, theMinister of DefenceV. K. Krishna Menon,Chief Minister of MaharashtraVasantrao Naik being present.[31] After visiting the ports in India, Nanda took the ship to a goodwill visit toChina and Japan in the summer of 1958. She called atSingapore,Hong Kong,Shanghai andYokohama. On the return passage, she called atHaiphong. Before leaving India for the goodwill visit, Nanda had been selected to attend theImperial Defence College (IDC) and was to embark for the UK after completing the visit. Instead he was informed after departing from Haiphong that his deputation to IDC stood cancelled.[32]
Personally selected by the Defence Minister V K Krishna Menon, Nanda took over as the Director GeneralNaval Dockyard Expansion Scheme (DG-NDES) on 1 October 1958. He undertook a major expansion of the dockyard.[33] He extended the dimensions of the cruiser dock to accommodate the aircraft carrierHMS Hercules (R49) being acquired from the UK. This resulted in tremendous advantage for the Indian Navy. For distinguished service during his tenure as DG-NDES, Nanda was awarded theAti Vishisht Seva Medal in 1961.[34] In June 1960, he was appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at Naval HQ.[35] Nanda was selected to attend theImperial Defence College and embarked for the UK in early 1961. After completing the year-long course, he returned to India and was appointedChief of Materiel (COM) in February 1962.[36]
In May 1962, Nanda was promoted to the acting rank ofrear admiral and appointedDeputy Chief of Naval Staff.[37][38] As DCNS, he was instrumental in obtaining permission and clearance from theGovernment of India (GOI) for the naval development of the port atGoa, which was recentlyannexed. Given the difficulty India had in negotiating the purchase ofINS Vikrant from the UK, Nanda supported the acquisition of equipment from theSoviet Union. Promoted to substantive rear-admiral on 16 June 1964,[39] Nanda was appointedmanaging director ofMazagon Dock Limited in December 1964.He undertook preparations for the construction ofNilgiri-class frigates, the first major naval vessels to be constructed in India. After a 18-month tenure, he handed over charge to Rear AdmiralBenjamin Abraham Samson in May 1966. Shortly afterwards, in October, thekeel of the first frigateINS Nilgiri (F33) waslaid.[40] For his distinguished service as MD of Mazagon Dock, he was awarded theParam Vishisht Seva Medal in January 1966.[41]
On 1 June 1966, Nanda took command of theIndian Fleet as theFlag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet at Bombay.[42] Flying his flag, the fleet visited thePersian Gulf in April 1967. TheINS Vikrant visitedBahrain andKuwait, while her escortsINS Trishul (F143) andINS Talwar (F140) visitedAbadan andBasra. Thefleet tankerINSDeepak joined the fleet under Nanda.[43]
Nanda took over as Flag Officer Bombay (FOB) on 1 February 1968. In March 1968, the reorganisation of the Navy took place. Posts were upgraded and created at the Naval HQ as well as the naval commands. Nanda was promoted to the rank ofvice admiral and became the first Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C)Western Naval Command.[44][45][46] Nanda organised the Navy Week in December 1969 which culminated with the review of the Indian Naval Fleet byPresidentV. V. Giri. A successful event, it raised the navy's profile in Bombay. The Navy Week involved the businessmen, industrialists,Bollywood stars and the society at large. Funds were raised and a Sailors' home and an Officers' Mess was also built.[47]
In November 1969, the GOI decided to appoint Nanda as the next CNS in succession to AdmiralAdhar Kumar Chatterji.[48] On 1 March 1970, Nanda took command as the 7th Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.[49] The 1962Sino-Indian War was largely fought over the Himalayas and the Navy did not have a major role. During theIndo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Navy was ordered to stay within Indian waters. When thePakistan Navy bombardedDwarka, Nanda recognised the need to raise the Navy's profile and capabilities. He was determined to change the mindset of the service from defence to attack.[50] He got the opportunity to demonstrate this capability the following year during the war with Pakistan.
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was sparked by theBangladesh Liberation war, a conflict between the traditionally dominantWest Pakistanis and the majorityEast Pakistanis. In 1970, East Pakistanis demanded autonomy for the state, but thePakistani government failed to satisfy these demands and, in early 1971, a demand for secession took root in East Pakistan. In March, thePakistan Armed Forces launched a fierce campaign to curb the secessionists, the latter including soldiers and police from East Pakistan. Thousands of East Pakistanis died, and nearly ten million refugees fled toWest Bengal, an adjacent Indian state. In April, India decided to assist in the formation of the new nation ofBangladesh.[51]
Nanda was instrumental in framing India's Naval strategy during the war. He feigned a defensive deployment southeast towards theAndaman Islands, instead moving his Eastern fleet northwards into theBay of Bengal and enforcing a naval blockade againstEast Pakistan.
His strategy againstWest Pakistan was to strike hard against Pakistan's main port of Karachi.[1] He is recognized as the mastermind behindOperation Trident andOperation Python.[52] The plan for the operations included towing the limited-rangeVidyut-class missile boats, primarily designed for coastal defence, to about 250 nautical miles (460 km) south of Karachi during the day, out of range of thePakistan Air Force aircraft.[53] The missile boats then closed in on Karachi port at night and attacked naval targets as well as the oil tank farm at Keamari. Operation Trident was successfully executed on 4 December 1971, sinking the Pakistan Navy destroyerPNS Khaibar, minesweeperPNS Muhafiz, an ammunition-carrying ship MVVenus Challenger and irreparably damaging another destroyerPNS Shah Jahan as well as destroying numerous oil storage tanks.Operation Python was again successfully carried out on 8 December 1971.
On the Eastern front, Nanda made the decision to deploy the aircraft carrier INSVikrant into the shallower waters of the Gulf of Bengal offDhaka, to prevent the risk of a submarine attack. When concerns were raised about Vikrant's boilers being cracked, he took personal responsibility for the risk of a boiler explosion andcatapult failure on the carrier. His gambit paid off, as Vikrant was able to successfully enforce the blockade of East Pakistan without any such damage to the carrier.
The war lasted less than a fortnight and saw more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers taken prisoner. It ended with the unconditional surrender of Pakistan's eastern half and resulted in the birth of Bangladesh as a new nation.[54] In addition to the POWs, Pakistan suffered 6,000 casualties against India's 2,000.[55] The success of the naval blockades on two fronts is considered one of the primary factors in India's overwhelming victory during the war. For his services to the nation, he was awarded thePadma Vibhushan in January 1972.[1][3][56]The citation for the Padma Vibhushan reads as follows:[57]
CITATION
Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda, PVSMAdmiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda, Chief of the Naval Staff, India, since 1" March 1970, has forged the Indian Navy into an efficient striking force and brought it to the pinnacle of its achievement during the recent conflict with Pakistan.Admiral Nanda personally directed the re-organisation of the Indian Navy and guided the training of its officers and men. Under his able direction the Pakistan fleet was contained in its harbours and prevented from hitting at our shupping and at our ports.The Western Fleet mounted two daring attacks, in which ports and shore installations at Karachi were severely damaged and the strength of the Pakistani fleet was seriously crippled.The Pakistani Naval craft in Bangla Desh and the Bay of Bengal were severely mauled. The Pakistani occupation forces were cut off from their sources of supply and their escape routes were effectively sealed.The Eastern Fleet provided close support to the combined operations in Bangla Desh and to the liberation struggle.
Admiral Nanda's strategy made it possible for the Indian Navy to dominate both the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea off the Pakistani coast. Pakistani ports were effectively blocked and a number of ships carrying contraband to Pakistan were intercepted. Our own ports remained open to all merchant shipping and the plans of the Pakistani Navy to interfere with our merchant shipping on high seas were effectively frustrated.
Nanda retired from the Indian Navy on 30 August 1973.[58] He was appointed chairman and managing director (CMD) of the largest shipping company in India, theShipping Corporation of India (SCI) in May 1974.[59]
At the age of 21, Nanda was married to Sumitra, a lady chosen by his parents. The marriage was harmonious and lasted all their lives, during which they were fated to suffer many vicissitudes together, ranging from thepartition of India which uprooted them from their native land, to the heights of honour when Nanda became chief of the Indian Navy. The couple were the parents of several children, including a son,Suresh Nanda (ex-naval officer and businessman) and Beena Mehra, wife of Major Pradeep Kumar Mehra, an army officer and polo enthusiast who founded and ran Usha Stud Farm on the outskirts of Delhi.
Nanda suffered a personal tragedy on 2 January 2002 when his daughter Beena, her husband and their daughter Radhika were killed in a helicopter crash while flying fromMussourie toDehradun Airport after attending a New Year's Day party. Their other two daughters, Ameeta and Devika, survived since they were not on the helicopter; Ameeta Mehra now runs Usha Stud Farm.[60]
Following his retirement, Nanda took an executive role with Crown Corporation, an arms trading firm headed by his sonSuresh Nanda, which specialized in supply of imported weapons to the Indian Armed Forces.[61] The organization was surrounded by a controversy whenOperation West End a sting-operation which aimed to expose corruption between India's defence ministry and Crown Corporation. The allegation on Admiral Nanda's son,Suresh Nanda, was closed by CBI when no evidence was found.[62]
Another incident that caused turmoil in the family was the1999 Delhi hit-and-run case, which involved Admiral Nanda's grandson Sanjeev Nanda. Sanjeev Nanda was found guilty by theSupreme Court of India.[63] The accident and the trial attracted a lot of media attention and became one of the cases that exemplified middle class India's frustration with rich and powerful people being able to circumvent the law.[64]
In the later years of his life, Nanda wrote his autobiography titledThe Man Who Bombed Karachi: A Memoir.[65] The book provides an insider's account and the reminisces how India adapted an inventive strategy to defeat Pakistan, and the 32 years of his naval career.[66] Nanda participated in interviews on Indian War Heroes, a popular one being the interview by Sushil Sharma in 1997. His tactics in India's victory is still being discussed by channels on YouTube and Indian websites.
Admiral Nanda died inNew Delhi on 11 May 2009 at the age of 93. He was survived by his wife Sumitra Nanda (died Feb 2011), sonSuresh Nanda and grandchildren. His funeral was marked with fullmilitary honours at Brar Square Crematorium in New Delhi and was attended by top brass of the Armed Forces.[67]The Telegraph however wrote that it was not as well attended as his naval career mandated.[1]
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| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date of rank |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Sub-lieutenant | Royal Indian Navy | 11 October 1941 (acting)[69] |
 | Lieutenant | Royal Indian Navy | 11 October 1942 (acting)[9] 19 October 1946 (substantive)[11] |
 | Lieutenant commander | Royal Indian Navy | 1948 (acting) 30 June 1949 (substantive) |
 | Commander | Royal Indian Navy | 30 June 1949 (acting) |
 _OF-4.svg) | Commander | Indian Navy | 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)[70] 31 December 1950 (substantive)[19] |
 _OF-5.svg) | Captain | Indian Navy | 15 February 1954 (acting)[71] 31 December 1954[28] |
 _OF-6.svg) | Commodore | Indian Navy | September 1956 (2nd class)[29] February 1962 (substantive)[36] |
 _OF-7.svg) | Rear admiral | Indian Navy | 14 May 1962 (acting)[37] 16 June 1964 (substantive)[39] |
 _OF-8.svg) | Vice admiral | Indian Navy | 1 March 1968[46] |
_OF-9.svg) | Admiral | Indian Navy | 1 March 1970[49] |
{{cite web}}:|last1= has generic name (help)| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief of Personnel 1954–1956 | Succeeded by |
| New title First holder | Commanding OfficerINS Mysore 1956–1958 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by B N Lele | Chief of Materiel 1962–1962 | Succeeded by C L Bhandari |
| Preceded by | Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff 1962–1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet 1966–1967 | |
| Preceded by R S David | Flag Officer Bombay 1967–1968 | Office abolished |
| New title Office created | Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command 1968–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of the Naval Staff 1970–1973 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman and Managing Director,Shipping Corporation of India 1974–1977 | Succeeded by Krishan Dev |
| Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy (1947–1948) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy (1948-1950) | ||
| Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy (1950-1955) | ||
| Chief of the Naval Staff (1955–present) |
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**Seconded from theRoyal Navy | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
