Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda
British India | |
---|---|
Died | 11 May 2009 New Delhi, India | (aged 93)
Allegiance | British India (1941–1947) India (1947–1973) |
Service/ | Royal Indian Navy (1941–1947) Indian Navy (1947–1973) |
Years of service | 1941–1973 |
Rank |
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
Awards | Padma Vibhushan Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal |
Other work | Chairman and Managing Director Shipping Corporation of India Member of the Board of Directors, Crown Corporation |
Born in Manora, Karachi, in the Sind Province of British India, Nanda joined the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1941. During World War II, he served onboard HMIS Travancore and as an instructor at the signals school in HMIS Talwar. After the war, he served on board HMIS Narbada (U40) which was based out of Japan as part of the British occupation forces. He subsequently served as the communication officer of HMIS Cauvery (U10).
Following the
Promoted to flag rank in May 1962, Nanda was appointed the
Early life and education
Nanda was born on 10 October 1915 to Mathra Das, an office superintendent at the workshop of the Port Trust in
After the outbreak of
Early career
Nanda started his career with a training course for six months on the Deepawati. He was then sent to
Nanda was serving at the Signals School at HMIS Talwar when the
In June 1946, he was posted to the
Post-Independence
After the partition of India, the Cauvery was assigned to India and she set sail for Bombay. The British officers embarked for England and Nanda was appointed executive officer of the ship. HMIS Kistna (U46) and Cauvery commanded by Commander Ram Dass Katari and Commander Reggie Sawhney respectively made two trips to the United Kingdom. This was because the cruiser HMS Achilles (70) was being purchased by India and renamed HMIS Delhi and the crew was to be transported.[13] In 1948, he was promoted to the acting rank of lieutenant commander and appointed first lieutenant of HMIS Delhi (C74) under the command of Captain H.N.S. Brown, with Commander Ram Dass Katari as his executive officer.[1] To train for this appointment, he was ordered to join the Mediterranean Fleet. He served on board the aircraft carrier HMS Triumph (R16) and subsequently on the cruiser HMS Newcastle (C76).[14]
HMIS Delhi was commissioned on 5 July 1948 by the
On 30 June 1949, at the end of the goodwill mission, Nanda was promoted substantive lieutenant-commander and to the acting rank of Commander.
In early 1952,
Nanda took command of
In December 1956, he was appointed the
Personally selected by the Defence Minister V K Krishna Menon, Nanda took over as the Director General
Flag rank
In May 1962, Nanda was promoted to the acting rank of
On 1 June 1966, Nanda took command of the
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 of
In November 1969, the GOI decided to appoint Nanda as the next CNS in succession to Admiral
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was sparked by the
Nanda was instrumental in framing India's Naval strategy during the war. He feigned a defensive deployment southeast towards the Andaman Islands, instead moving his Eastern fleet northwards into the Bay of Bengal and enforcing a naval blockade against East Pakistan.
His strategy against
On the Eastern front, Nanda made the decision to deploy the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant into the shallower waters of the Gulf of Bengal off Dhaka, 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 and catapult 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 the Padma Vibhushan in January 1972.[1][3][56]
Post-retirement
Nanda retired from the Indian Navy on 30 August 1973.[57] He was appointed chairman and managing director (CMD) of the largest shipping company in India, the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) in May 1974.[58]
Personal life
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 the partition 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 from
Controversies
Following his retirement, Nanda took an executive role with Crown Corporation, an arms trading firm headed by his son Suresh Nanda, which specialized in supply of imported weapons to the Indian Armed Forces.[60] The organization was surrounded by a controversy when Operation 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.[61]
Another incident that caused turmoil in the family was the 1999 Delhi hit-and-run case, which involved Admiral Nanda's grandson Sanjeev Nanda. Sanjeev Nanda was found guilty by the Supreme Court of India.[62] 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.[63]
Later years and death
In the later years of his life, Nanda wrote his autobiography titled The Man Who Bombed Karachi: A Memoir.[64] 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.[65] 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 in
Awards
Source:[67]
Dates of rank
Insignia | Rank | Component | Date of rank |
---|---|---|---|
Sub-lieutenant | Royal Indian Navy | 11 October 1941 (acting)[68] | |
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) | |
Commander | Indian Navy | 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)[69] 31 December 1950 (substantive)[19] | |
Captain | Indian Navy | 15 February 1954 (acting)[70] 31 December 1954[28] | |
Commodore | Indian Navy | September 1956 (2nd class)[29] February 1962 (substantive)[36] | |
Rear admiral | Indian Navy | 14 May 1962 (acting)[37] 16 June 1964 (substantive)[39] | |
Vice admiral |
Indian Navy | 1 March 1968[46] | |
Admiral | Indian Navy | 1 March 1970[49] |
See also
- Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
- Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Naval Obituaries: Admiral Sardarilal Nanda". The Telegraph. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
- Indian Express. Retrieved 7 February 2007.
- ^ a b "National Portal of India".
- ^ a b Nanda 2004, pp. 18–20.
- ^ Puri, Baij Nath (1988). The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study. M.N. Publishers and Distributors. pp. 175–176.
- Rediff. 18 January 2007.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 27–31.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 35–41.
- ^ "Royal Indian Navy (Mutiny)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 22 February 1946. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ a b Nanda 2004, p. 54.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 54–58.
- ^ Nanda 2004, p. 61.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 63–67.
- ^ Singh 1986, pp. 70–71.
- ^ "PIB (Defence Wing)" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 13 October 1948.
- ^ "HMIS Delhi's Indian Ocean cruise" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 27 April 1949.
- ^ "H.M.I.S. DELHI RECEIVES GREAT WELCOME IN MAURITIUS" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 30 May 1949.
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 9 July 1949. p. 953.
- ^ Nanda 2004, p. 75.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 13 January 1951. p. 8.
- ^ "NEW COMMANDING OFFICERS FOR IN DESTROYER FLOTILLA" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 12 November 1951.
- ^ "CAPTAIN KATARI TO TAKE COMMAND OF DESTROYER FLOTILLA" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 26 November 1951.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 78–79.
- ^ "IN DESTROYERS FOR ROYAL ESCORT" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 18 December 1951.
- ^ Katari 1983.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 78–81.
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 15 January 1955. p. 15.
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 27 April 1957. p. 107.
- ^ Singh 1991, p. 80.
- ^ "PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT FLAGSHIP INS MYSORE" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 22 March 1958.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 94–100.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 16 January 1960. p. 13.
- ^ "Republic Day Awards" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 25 January 1961.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 106–109.
- ^ a b Abidi & Sharma 2007, p. 25.
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 15 June 1963. p. 207.
- ^ "NEW DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 14 May 1962.
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 19 September 1964. p. 383.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 139–144.
- ^ "VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL CLASS I FOR NINE OFFICERS" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 26 January 1966.
- ^ "ADMIRAL NANDA TO COMMAND INDIAN FLEET" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 24 May 1966.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 150–151.
- ^ "Reorganisation of Naval Commands" (2 March 1968). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "UPGRADATIONS IN DEFENCE SERVICES APPOINTMENTS" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 1 March 1968.
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 23 March 1968. p. 245.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 156–160.
- ^ "VICE-ADMIRAL NANDA NEXT CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 15 November 1969.
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 6 June 1970. p. 703.
- ^ "Admiral Sardarilal Nanda". The Telegraph.
- ^ "Indo-Pakistani War of 1971". Global Security. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ "Former Naval chief S M Nanda dies". The Times of India. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- ^ "Indian Navy's War Hero passes away: Cmde Babru Yadav led the Missile Boat Attack on Karachi in 1971". India Strategic. April 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ^ Singh 2005, pp. 210–211.
- ^ Athale, Anil (12 December 2011). "Three Indian blunders in the 1971 war". Rediff. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ "Press Communique" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 15 January 1972.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 30 March 1974. p. 397.
- ^ "ADMIRAL S.M. NANDA TAKES OVER AS SCI CHAIRMAN" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 27 May 1974.
- ^ Nanda 2004, pp. 32–33.
- ^ "'The man who bombed Karachi' dead". The Telegraph India. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ^ "CBI closes Barak scandal case for lack of evidence". The Times of India.
- ^ Correspondent, Legal (3 August 2012). "BMW hit-and-run: Court slaps Rs. 50 lakh fine on Nanda". The Hindu.
- ^ "BMW case: Six lives would have been saved if Sanjeev Nanda showed mercy, says Supreme Court". NDTV.com.
- ISBN 9788172235628.
- ^ The Man Who Bombed Karachi: A Memoir | Hardcover. ASIN 8172235623.
- ^ "Former Naval chief Admiral S M Nanda passes away". The Times of India. 12 May 2009. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ^ @srikantkesnur (11 May 2021). "…was the architect of Indian Navy's spectacular show…" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Nanda 2004, p. 31.
- ^ "New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India – Archive. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2017.
- ^ Nanda 2004, p. 85.
Bibliography
- Nanda, S.M. (2004), The man who bombed Karachi, HarperCollins Publishers India, ISBN 978-8172235628
- Singh, Satyindra (1986), Under two ensigns: The Indian Navy, 1945–1950, Oxford & IBH Pub. Co, ISBN 978-8120400948
- Singh, Satyindra (1991), Blueprint to bluewater: The Indian Navy, 1951–65, Lancer International, ISBN 978-8170621485
- Abidi, S Sartaj Alam; Sharma, Satinder (2007), Services Chiefs of India, Northern Book Centre, ISBN 978-8172111625
- Katari, Ram Dass (1983), A Sailor Remembers, Vikas, ISBN 9780706920642