Vice Adm S.K. Damle (V)
Valmiki Faleiro
Vice Admiral Sunil K. Damle, PVSM, AVSM, NM (G), VSM (V)
Vice Adm Sunil Damle is a highly-accomplished carrier-borne naval aviator, now a veteran. He is three-fourth Goan.
Eons ago, his Chitpavan ancestors were offended by Goa’s Saraswats and in a huff, the Chitpavans left Goa and resettled in Chiplun – before becoming prime ministers of the Marathas and eventually ruling the kingdom as the Pune-based Peshwas.
The Peshwas had every copy of the Sahyadri Khand (chapter) of the Skanda Purana destroyed in their domain. The book contained information of Indo-Aryan migration to Goa – and the Saraswat-inspired derogatory remarks of the Chitpavan community. It was left to the 19th century medico, Dr. Jose Gerson da Cunha, a Goan from Arpora settled in Bombay, to scour ancient temple records on the west coast of India, and reconstruct, albeit in part, the lost chapter.
The future Admiral joined the Indian Navy in the flying branch, piloting carrier-based aircraft. Until I read Rear Adm. Peter Debrass, I thought that the toughest flying job was that of an air force test pilot. After reading Adm Debrass, I realised the difference between taking off from, and landing on, terra firma – and taking off and landing on the deck of a moving naval aircraft carrier! Especially at night.
The carrier had a catapult to propel the aircraft into takeoff (in that age of subsonic flying machines) and a tailhook that was lowered during landing to catch one of the three steel cables strung across the flight deck – to stop the aircraft. If the tailhook missed to latch on to the first cable, it had the second one; if it missed the second one, it had the third one; if it missed the third one, the pilot quickly kissed the Creator as the aircraft plummeted in the waters in front of the carrier. (The catapult failed when Adm. Debrass was once taking off but incredibly missed the kiss of death by the skin of his teeth.)
Great, but why is Adm. Damle three-fourth Goan? Right from a Sub Lieutenant, Adm. Damle served in the Goa Naval Area in every rank (except his last). Goa was, and is, home to two carrier-borne air squadrons. A naval command (headed by an officer of the rank of Vice Admiral) does not exist in Goa – else Adm. Damle might have served in Goa in that rank too!
And after retiring from an illustrious flying career with the Indian Navy as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Adm. Damle settled in Goa.
But all these were not the reasons I sent the manuscript of my forthcoming book to Adm. Damle seeking his blessings and comments. It was because of his simplicity.
I will let you into a small secret. Over time, I have come to realise that greater the person, the more simple he or she is.
The converse is also true. Gurudas “Kaka” Singbal (now, alas, no more), then the Panjim bureau chief of the West Coast Times and I together went to see the IGP (there was no DGP system in Goa then). Kaka filled in the visitors slip and asked the IGP’s uniformed doorkeeper to deliver it to the boss. ‘Kam kitem?’ (what’s your work with the IGP), the doorkeeper asked. Kaka was a man of immense patience and humour. Keeping a stiff upper lip, Kaka replied, ‘Tem-i tuka sangpachem?’ (must I explain that too to you?)
Michael Gonsalves
Financial Chronicle,
919, Synagogue Street,
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"He who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own" -- Confucius.
"As a blind man has no idea of colors, so we have no idea of the manner by which the all-wise God perceives and understands all things." -- Isaac Newton
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Roland Francis
The men and women at the top of the human chain take their positions seriously but seldom themselves.
Roland
Valmiki Faleiro
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Valmiki Faleiro
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