BLOG 9 - PROLOGUE AND LAST POST ON THE WORKSHOP ERA

Blog 9

Prior to the 1970s, recruitment into the Merchant Navy as Cadets or 5th Engineers were made from very few sources.

A) Through 3 years on TS Dufferin - 1 year on a Foreign Going commercial vessel - qualify with sufficient Article time to appear and pass the 2nd Mate's Exam conducted by MMD - join a vessel as 3rd Mate.

B) Join a vessel directly as a Cadet and, after 4 (?) years, appear for 2nd Mates Exam. There were quite a few of this category, whom I sailed with in later years.

C) Pass out after 4 years in DMET - appear for, and pass, 2nd Class Part 'A' - join a ship as 5th Engineer.

D) Join a certified Marine Workshop as an Apprentice for 4 years - appear and pass 2nd Class Part 'A' - join a ship as 5th Engineer.

Given the above forms being the only sources of recruitment, I would estimate an overall maximum output, per annum, of about 200 Cadets and 200 Fifth Engineers.

(Please do correct me if I am wrong).

I think it was in late 1970 that the Government of India allowed BE Mechanical graduates to join as 5th Engineers, directly as Trainees. This was later modified to include a year's training period ashore, as unemployment among BE Graduates was very high.

During and after the 1980s, many DG approved private institutions came into existence, charging high fees and churning out (probably) a thousand more per annum.

Since the absorption of DMET / MERI and T S Chanakya - along with a number of private institutions - into the folds of IMU (Indian Maritime University), approximately 3000 are ready - per annum - to join the maritime workforce. Shipping companies worldwide do not have the intake capacity for such a large number. Some of the boys of today have been desperately on the lookout for jobs for 2 years or more, after having spent anywhere between 10 to 16 lakhs for their training.

Chapter 3: Coming back to workshop

I wouldn’t say that it was all work and no play during our workshop period of 3 years – by no means. There were many a day, especially in 2nd and 3rd year, when I would ‘punch in’ and ‘bunk’ workshop, either to return to the hostel to study for a test or exam or go to see a movie in Esplanade. We always needed to return by 1630H to the workshop to ‘punch out’, or we would be in serious trouble.

On one such occasion - I remember the movie was Dr. Zhivago, starring Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Alec Guinness – I came out of Elite theatre and was immediately assailed by tears from my eyes. I was perplexed. I wasn’t crying but the tears continued. It was then that I learnt that tear gas bombs had been used on an unruly mob that was torching trams and buses in Chowringhee, in the aftermath of a football match between Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal, played at Eden Gardens. I believe clashes between supporters of football teams were a very common occurrence in Calcutta, so riot police were always on standby.

So, here I was in half whites (white shirt without epaulettes, white shorts), stranded without a bus back to workshop, when an Anglo Indian police inspector in a jeep accosted me and asked me ‘what the hell is a naval cadet doing in the midst of lathi charges, tear gas’. When I frankly told him I had bunked workshop to see Dr. Zhivago and now I can’t get back to workshop to ‘punch out’ he was so amused that he told the driver to drop me off to the workshop and return. Can’t ever forget him.

One more such escapade was when India played Brazil in the final of the Davis Cup in Dec 1966. The winners were to play Australia in the Challenge Round for the Davis Cup. India had never ever reached this stage of the Cup and would do so again only in 1974 and 1987 in subsequent years. The matches were played in South Club Calcutta, stands were full and no tickets available. After wandering around dejectedly for some time, I noticed that an adjacent building overlooked the tennis court. To my good luck, it turned out to be a nursing home. The doctor and duty nurse kindly allowed me to watch the matches from the terrace and even joined me for some periods, bringing some eats with them. It was a beautiful view and I enjoyed every second of it, all free of cost due to generous nurses. Being in ‘half whites’ made a difference.

Brazil were represented by Koch and Mandarino and India by our stalwart Ramanathan Krishnan and Jaideep Mukerjea. Koch defeated Mukerjea in the opening singles and Krishnan swept away Mandarino in the second singles. Next day, the doubles match – with the same players – proved to be a fast paced one, with India managing to win, leaving India leading 2-1. In the reverse singles, Mandarino defeated Mukerjea to level the series. The eagerly awaited match between Koch and Krishnan proved to be a thriller and a sporting crowd applauded both players. Krishnan just could not get going in the initial stages, against a tall, ace serving (then seeded 7th in the world) Koch. Once Krishnan found his form, his touch artistry and drop shots forced Koch to salute and applaud Krishnan’s class. Krishnan won in five sets. Today, as I write this 53 years later, I can recall and savour every moment of this match.

And then there was the derring-do of a couple of my batch mates, who swam across the Hooghly River to the Botanical Gardens on the other side and swam back, just for fun. And here I was, on the starting side, looking after their clothes, wondering what I would do in the event of a mishap.

At that point of time, I, for one, did not know swimming and would easily drown in a basin filled to half the level. Much later, I learnt the rudiments of floating on my back. My logic was that, when at sea, life jackets and lifebuoys were there for that very same purpose. There was also no need to jump off a sinking ship - just wait till the water was close by and then jump. (My black humour at play).

I have a dark confession to make. I was one of the very few sailors who never learnt how to swim, during a 40 year career at sea.

Another ‘dare’ stunt that had me in palpitations used to be when they stood on a pontoon slightly away from the shore, holding on to the railings, when a tidal bore of 4 to 5 metre height would throw the pontoon up in seconds, as the bore tide passed by. It was an awesome sight to see a 4 metre wall of water speed up the river. Once again I, being the coward I was, used to be looking after their clothes and looking down from a safe height on the bank.

Thanks to theinertia.com

===== To continue with Blog 10, about Hostel and Academics =====