Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, former chief of the naval staff, sailed into the sunset on March 15. He had lived a life in keeping with his high principles, beliefs and convictions, and many admirers mourn his demise. Born in the Tamil-Brahmin neighbourhood of Matunga, Mumbai, Adm Ramdas (fondly known as “Ramu” in the navy) grew up and received his education in Delhi. Consequently, he could startle guests by switching from chaste Tamil to rustic Punjabi with felicity. Having served with distinction at every rung of the naval hierarchy, in India and abroad, he became the first Indian-trained officer (of the first course of the Joint Services Wing), to reach the apex of the Indian Navy in 1990.
In 1992, when I received orders to report to New Delhi as naval assistant to the chief of naval staff, I was shocked. The general consensus was also that the CNS had taken a risky call in picking a naval aviator with zero staff-experience as his aide. But, as I was to discover, decisiveness and a sound instinct were characteristic of Adm Ramdas. For me, this tenure in the proximity of a demanding and cerebral chief proved to be a hugely educational experience. The 1990s were an eventful decade. No sooner had the USSR disintegrated than the US promptly made overtures for military-to-military cooperation with India. While the other services hesitated, Adm Ramdas decided that it was time for the Indian Navy (IN) to shed its insularity and initiated the first ever Indo-US naval drills in May 1992. This was the first “Exercise Malabar,” whose 26th edition took place in 2023.
Malabar was shortly followed by an invitation to visit Washington. Accompanying him to interactions with the US Navy Chief, the Chairman Joint Chiefs, as well as politicians and diplomats, it was obvious to me that his intellectual depth, knowledge of international affairs and suave demeanour had won Adm Ramdas much respect and many friends, in the Pentagon as well as in Foggy Bottom.
His vision of an outward-looking Indian Navy encompassed the novel idea of an “Indian Ocean panchayat,” which he mooted in many forums, but which did not, then, find favour with the diplomatic establishment. It was two years after his retirement that this concept bore fruit; first, in the form of “Exercise Milan,” which saw a gathering of five navies in Port Blair, and later as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in 2008.
At home, the economic crisis had imposed severe budgetary constraints on the navy’s operations, as well as logistics support and maintenance resources. Urging the fleets and dockyards to improvise, Adm Ramdas coined a slogan for the navy, “Much more, with much less,” which inspired us to tighten our collective belts, and find innovative ways of maintaining the navy’s operational tempo.
Parents of three bright daughters, the Admiral and his wife were strong advocates of gender equality and opportunities for women, causes not frequently espoused then. In November 1992, they were proud witnesses, as the Indian Navy became the first amongst Indian armed forces to commission 22 women officers in Goa.
A veteran of the 1971 war, in which he was decorated for gallantry, Adm Ramdas remained an ardent votary of nuclear restraint as well as peace and harmony in the Subcontinent. I recall his profound anguish as news of the demolition of the Babri Masjid trickled in on December 6, 1992, and he sought an urgent meeting with then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao to convey his concerns about the maintenance of communal harmony in the country.
On doffing his uniform, Adm Ramdas made a brief foray into party politics as an anti-corruption campaigner and then retired to his rural retreat in Alibaug, Maharashtra, to serve social causes. His enduring concerns about the armed forces remained focussed on what he perceived as creeping politicisation, and the dangers of possible contagion with the communal virus.
Having ably helmed the navy at a critical juncture, when India was coming to terms with the post-Cold War era and coping with an economic crisis, he transitioned smoothly into civilian life, as a doughty crusader for social causes and for his strongly-held political beliefs. His passing leaves a void, not only for the naval fraternity, but also for his many admirers and acolytes in national life.
The writer is a retired chief of naval staff
Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas transitioned smoothly into civilian life as a champion of peace and communal harmony
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19.03.2024
Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, former chief of the naval staff, sailed into the sunset on March 15. He had lived a life in keeping with his high principles, beliefs and convictions, and many admirers mourn his demise. Born in the Tamil-Brahmin neighbourhood of Matunga, Mumbai, Adm Ramdas (fondly known as “Ramu” in the navy) grew up and received his education in Delhi. Consequently, he could startle guests by switching from chaste Tamil to rustic Punjabi with felicity. Having served with distinction at every rung of the naval hierarchy, in India and abroad, he became the first Indian-trained officer (of the first course of the Joint Services Wing), to reach the apex of the Indian Navy in 1990.
In 1992, when I received orders to report to New Delhi as naval assistant to the chief of naval staff, I was shocked. The general consensus was also that the CNS had taken a risky call in picking a naval aviator with zero staff-experience as his aide. But, as I was to discover, decisiveness and a sound instinct were characteristic of Adm Ramdas. For me, this........
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