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Laxminarayan Ramdas

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Admiral
Laxminarayan Ramdas
PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC
Ramdas in 2016
13th Chief of Naval Staff
In office
1 December 1990 – 30 September 1993
PresidentRamaswamy Venkataraman
Shankar Dayal Sharma
Prime MinisterChandra Shekhar
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded byJayant Ganpat Nadkarni
Succeeded byVijai Singh Shekhawat
Personal details
Born(1933-09-05)5 September 1933
Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India
Died15 March 2024(2024-03-15) (aged 90)
Secunderabad, Telangana, India
SpouseLalita Ramdas
RelationsAdmiral Ram Dass Katari
(Father-in-law)
Awards Param Vishist Seva Medal
Ati Vishist Seva Medal
Vir Chakra
Vishisht Seva Medal
Ramon Magsaysay Award
Military service
Allegiance India
Branch/service Indian Navy
Years of service1953–1993
Rank Admiral
CommandsEastern Naval Command
Southern Naval Command
Eastern Fleet
INS Beas (1958)
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani War of 1971

Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC (5 September 1933 – 15 March 2024) was an Indian naval officer who was a flag officer of the Indian Navy. Ramdas first served in the Indian Navy in 1953, before being promoted as a flag lieutenant to Ram Dass Katari, the first Indian Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral. In the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, he was involved in a naval blockade of East Pakistan, hindering attempts to evacuate 93,000 troops and leading to East Pakistan's surrender. During his service in the military confrontation, he was awarded the Vir Chakra. Ramdas later served as the 13th Chief of Naval Staff from 1990 to 1993.

Early life and education

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Laxminarayan Ramdas was born on 5 September 1933[1][2][3] into a Tamil Brahmin family. He grew up in Matunga in Mumbai.[4] He attended the Cambridge School Srinivaspuri in Delhi.[5][6] After passing his Senior Cambridge, Ramdas joined the 1st course of the Joint Services Wing (JSW) in Dehradun in January 1949. He was part of 'B' squadron of 4 Division. The JSW later moved to Khadakwasla in Pune and was christened the National Defence Academy in 1954.[7]

Career

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Ramdas was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 September 1953, with seniority as a sub-lieutenant from the same date.[8][9][10] He then attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich from December 1953 to May 1955, where he trained as a communication specialist.[11]

After his return to India, he was promoted to lieutenant on 16 August 1955.[12] He then served as the Flag lieutenant to the first Indian Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Ram Dass Katari.[13]

Ramdas was promoted to lieutenant-commander on 16 August 1963.[14] Ramdas was promoted to Commander on 30 June 1969; he was appointed the first Officer-in-charge Naval Academy.[15] He went on to establish and head the Naval Academy in Kochi, Kerala, for which he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 1971.[16] The Naval Academy moved to Goa in 1986 and to Ezhimala in Kerala in 2009 as the Indian Naval Academy.[17][18]

Ramdas (3rd from right) with former chiefs and Admiral Robin K. Dhowan at the Conclave of Chiefs, 2015

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

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During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, as part of the newly formed Eastern Fleet, whilst in command of INS Beas, Admiral Ramdas took part in the most effective naval blockade of East Pakistan which frustrated Pakistan's attempt to evacuate 93,000 of their troops who eventually surrendered to the Indian Forces.[1][3] INS Beas also captured a large number of ships carrying contraband to East Pakistan, bombarded Cox's Bazar and took part in the landing and other operations in an area which had been mined.[3][19] He was awarded the Vir Chakra, the third-highest gallantry award.[1]

The citation for the Vir Chakra reads as follows:[20][21]

Gazette Notification: 86 Pres/72 15-7-72

Date of Award: 1971

CITATION

COMMANDER LAXMINARAYAN RAMDAS, VSM

00132-Z

During the operations against Pakistan in December 1971, Commander Laxminarayan Ramdas was the commanding officer of an Indian naval unit of Eastern Fleet. Throughout the period of operations, he was called upon to operate within enemy waters, where there was constant danger to his ship from enemy mines and submarines. Undeterred, he carried out continuous probes into the enemy defended harbours in Bangladesh and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy. During one of the sorties, an enemy submarine was sighted close to his ship. He attacked the submarine repeatedly, which was presumably destroyed.

Throughout, Commander Laxrminarayan Ramdas displayed gallantry, leadership and devotion to duty of a high order.

Post-war career

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After the war, Ramdas commanded a Patrol Vessel Squadron in the Indian Navy. He later served as Naval Attaché in Germany for three years, and was promoted to captain on 1 July 1976.[22]

Flag rank

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Ramdas was promoted to acting Rear Admiral 7 April 1981 (substantive from 1 June 1981) and took over as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) at NHQ.[23][24] On 29 June 1983, he was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF),[citation needed] and also took command of the Eastern Fleet.[3]

Ramdas was promoted to Vice Admiral on 1 April 1985 and appointed Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition (CWP&A).[25] On 20 February 1986, he took over as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DNCS). After an eighteen-month stint as DCNS, Ramdas was appointed Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. He took command from Vice Admiral Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani at Kochi. In February 1989, he moved to Vizag as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command. On 26 January 1989, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.[26] He was at the helm of the Eastern Naval Command for about twenty months.[27]

Chief of Naval Staff

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Ramdas was appointed the next Chief of the Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni. He took over as CNS on 30 November 1990.[28] The Chief of the Army Staff was General Sunith Francis Rodrigues. On 1 August 1991, Air Chief Marshal Nirmal Chandra Suri took over as the Chief of the Air Staff. All the three service chiefs were from the same course, the 1st JSW, a first in India.[29] On 30 June 1993, with the superannuation of General S. F. Rodrigues, Ramdas took over as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.[30]

Personal life

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Ramdas was married to Lalita Ramdas (née Katari), daughter of Admiral Ram Dass Katari, the first Indian Chief of Naval Staff. He was a member of the Aam Aadmi Party and served as the party's internal lokpal.[31] His younger daughter, Kavita Ramdas, is the senior advisor to the President of the Ford Foundation and had previously served for many years as country representative of the Ford Foundation in India. Kavita Ramdas is married to Zulfiqar Ahmad, a Pakistani national who is a peace activist.[32][33]

Retirement

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After retirement, Ramdas took up residence at Alibag. He together with his wife, then devoted themselves to a variety of humanitarian causes.[34]

The couple also intervened in military matters. They were part of the group which filed a PIL in the Supreme Court of India against the appointment of the then Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh for the post of Chief of Army Staff.[35]

The couple opposed the establishment of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. For his efforts to demilitarise and denuclearize South Asia, and his efforts to prevent the building of the Kudankulam reactor, Ramdas was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for peace in 2004.[36]

Ramdas died on 15 March 2024, at the age of 90.[2][37]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Kumar, Naveen (16 March 2024). "War hero Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas given funeral with Naval honours". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Hero of 1971 Indo- Pak war & former Navy chief Admiral Ramdas dies at 90". The Times of India. 16 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Dutta, Amrita Nayak (16 March 2024). "Former Navy Chief Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas (1933–2024): A war hero who carried the courage of conviction". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas: A war hero and champion of human rights". The Indian Express. 17 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  5. ^ "National Defence Academy". nda.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  6. ^ "School Alumni | Cambridge School | New Friends Colony". Cambridge school. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  7. ^ "National Defence Academy". nda.nic.in. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 26 December 1953. p. 284. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 September 1953. p. 186.
  10. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 September 1955. p. 186.
  11. ^ "National Defence Academy". nda.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 23 February 1957. p. 47.
  13. ^ Katari 1983.
  14. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 12 October 1963. p. 351. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Gazette of India" (PDF). egazette.gov.in. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Distinguished Service and Gallantry Award Winners on Republic Day 2019" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  17. ^ "INS Mandovi to be shifted to Ezhimala". Zee News. 27 May 2006. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  18. ^ Shukla, Ajai (29 September 2015). "Ezhimala academy churns out officer-engineers for an expanding navy". The Business Standard. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  19. ^ Kesnur, Srikant; Sharma, Utkarsh (1 November 2021). "A golden dawn for the sunrise fleet". The Daily Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Gallantry Awards | Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Vir Chakra (VrC), Awardee: Adm Laxminarayan Ramdass, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC @ TWDI". twdi.in. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 29 January 1977. p. 129.
  23. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 20 June 1981. p. 854.
  24. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 29 January 1983. p. 140.
  25. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 21 September 1985. p. 1326.
  26. ^ "GALLANTRY AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 23 January 1988. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  27. ^ "New Vice Chief of Navy, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command and Deputy Chief of Navy Announced" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India – Archive. 28 November 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  28. ^ "ADMIRAL L RAMDAS TAKES OVER AS CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 30 November 1990. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  29. ^ "Three Chiefs-1st JSW – Air Chief Marshal NC Suri". airchiefmarshalncsuri.com. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  30. ^ "ADMIRAL L RAMDAS TAKES OVER AS CHAIRMAN CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE He was the great man" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Official website of Aam Aadmi Party". Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  32. ^ "On a global mission". Mount Holyoke College. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  33. ^ "A Woman's Work, India native Kavita Ramdas spins her privileged background into gold for underprivileged women at S.F.'s Global Fund for Women". SFGate. 10 November 2002. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  34. ^ "WANMEC-Women Peacemakers by Name". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  35. ^ "Retired navy chief Admiral L. Ramdas challenges 'next' army chief". Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  36. ^ "Citation for Laxminarayan Ramdas and Ibn Abdur Rehman". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. 31 August 2004. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  37. ^ "Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, former Indian Navy chief, passes away at 91". Deccan Herald. 15 March 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.

Bibliography

[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
1 July 1993 – 30 September 1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Naval Staff
1990–1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
S. C. Chopra
 Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command
1989–1990
Preceded by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command
1987–1989 		Succeeded by
R. P. Sawhney
Preceded by
S Jain
 Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
1986–1987
Preceded by
I. J. S. Khurana
 Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet
1983–1985 		Succeeded by
S. P. Govil
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