very well written Valmiki. cheers
Dr Michael Gonsalves, Senior Assistant Editor, Financial Chronicle, 919, Synagogue Street, Near Oriental Bank of Commerce, Camp, PUNE - 411 001 Cell: 9890881129 Alternate Email: [email protected] Website: www.mydigitalfc.com "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 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracleآ -- Albert Einstein On Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 3:51 PM Valmiki Faleiro <[email protected]> wrote: > *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?) > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAGoMsAAmD9fYADvK9Z_C2K79msudVXhdSw9dTZ-Nv6TbE1K0cg%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAGoMsAAmD9fYADvK9Z_C2K79msudVXhdSw9dTZ-Nv6TbE1K0cg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. 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