India`s Nelson (1924-2014)
Rustom, the eldest of five siblings, was born to Khushru Shapurjee Ghandhi and Dina Dhunjishah Amrotiwala on 1 July 1924, in Jabalpur. He passed his intermediate examination from St Joseph’s College, Nainital in 1941 and joined Allahabad University for further studies. He left a year later and went to United Kingdom where he joined the Royal Naval College at Eaton. He was commissioned into the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) on 1 January 1943, and served as a midshipman on the cruiser Suffolk in 1943-44, employed in the task of hunting German raiders in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1945, he was transferred to the Destroyer Wakeful which took part in the attack on the Japanese held refineries in Indonesia. He served as ADC to Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, and established a lasting friendship with the Mountbatten family.
He commanded INS Betwa in 1961 and played a decisive role in the Goa operations. The Portuguese destroyer NRP Afonso de Albuquerque commanded by Captain Antonio Da Cunha Aragao tried to hide behind merchant ships. Ghandhi crippled the Portuguese ship by superior gun action and scored a direct hit to its control tower. The captain was severely wounded. The crew disembarked and set fire to the ship. The captain was sent by car to the hospital at Panaji. Ghandhi visited Captain Aragao and presented him a bottle of brandy and chocolates and used his contacts to send a message to his family that he was well. In return, Captain Aragao gave Commander Ghandhi the key to his cabin as a token of surrender. On learning about the exploits of INS Betwa, Mountbatten called Ghandhi “India’s Nelson”.
He was the first Indian officer to attend a course at the United States Naval War College, Newport, and was posted as Chief Naval Instructor at the Defence Services Staff College from 1965 to 68. In the 1971 War, he was the Flag Captain of the Western Fleet and ignoring attacks by Pakistani submarine or aircraft, kept threatening the Karachi coast. The ships were thus denied entry into the Karachi port. He was awarded Vr C for his courageous leadership. He was the only naval officer to have commanded ships in all the marine wars fought by India. He commanded the Eastern and Western Fleets and took over as the Commander-in Chief Western Naval Command in 1977 with the rank of Vice-Admiral. He was awarded PVSM for distinguished services. He retired in 1979.
He took up an unusual assignment as technical advisor for Ewan Lloyd’s movie, The Sea Wolves. He served as Chairman of Shipping Corporation of India from 1981 to 1986. The Ministry of Shipping had pressurised Ghandhi to purchase ships for USD 850 million. After negotiations over18 months, 37 ships were purchased for USD 230 million from three different shipyards. One shipyard offered him a compensation of USD 100,000 for each ship. He informed Delhi that the total cost had been reduced by USD 1.5 million for 15 ships.
He served as Governor of Himachal Pradesh from April 1986 to February 1990 and as Member of the Minorities Commission from 1993 to 1996. He retired to his home in Mumbai near Navy Nagar, enjoying his hobby of fishing and keeping in touch with his friends all over the world. He suffered a stroke in 2011 and fought it with his usual courage. He passed away on 23 December 2014. His wife had passed away in 2011. He is survived by one son and two daughters.
Unconventional as ever, he had asked for a sea burial. Friends, family and a Guard of Honour paid their last respects to him on 26 December in INS Ashwini. On 27 December, the coffin was loaded onto INS Vipul. It sailed forty miles out into the Arabian Sea. His children recited Zoroastrian prayers. The Navy fired three rounds of gunfire, officers stood to attention, the last post played and the coffin slid into the waters. Flamboyant, impressive and perfect in diction, his dripping sarcasm could often achieve more results than admonishment. He saw the regatta team off with a remark “If you lose, do not come back on board”. He displayed gallantry and devotion to duty of a high order.