Pecking order

Some naval ships from Indian visited Vietnam last month. The news took me back 48 years when, in August 1958, I went to Saigon...

Some naval ships from Indian visited Vietnam last month. The news took me back 48 years when, in August 1958, I went to Saigon now Ho Chi Minh City on board the training ship 8216;Tir8217;. For most of us cadets, commonly known in the Defence Services as the lowest form of animal life, it was our first trip abroad and therefore very memorable.

A recent meeting with Admiral Ghandhi had him telling me a story about that cruise, which in these days of sycophancy and 8220;yes sir, three bags full8221; deserves recounting. The central character was Commander D.R. 8216;Dolly8217; Mehta, our captain on 8216;Tir8217;. Then Lt Cdr Ghandhi was commanding the sister ship, 8216;Cauvery8217;, which was accompanying us on the cruise.

The president of Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, desired to visit the senior ship, 8216;Tir8217;, and so their protocol people accompanied by our ambassador went to meet the two captains to finalise the arrangements. Dolly Mehta told them that in his cabin, the president would sit in a special chair, he himself in his official chair, Rusi Ghandhi in a third chair and the ambassador and protocol chief on the settee.

At this, the Vietnamese officials appeared aghast. They said, almost in unison, 8220;No, no, no. Only the president sits and all others stand.8221; Dolly Mehta replied firmly that that was his ship and as captain of the ship, he would sit in his chair and so would the other captain and thus they would drink the toast in the traditional naval manner which requires the toast to be drunk while sitting on board a ship. The ambassador tried persuading Commander Mehta in Hindi to agree to the Vietnamese but the latter was firm that on his ship both the captains would sit.

And so the president came and the toasts were drunk with the captains and the president sitting, while the protocol chief and the ambassador stood and watched. Some protests were forwarded to New Delhi but the ministry of external affairs wisely ignored them.

As Rusi Ghandhi concluded, 8220;Those were the days when commanders in command were in command!8221;