Recently I was at the port of Kochi (Cochin) with a group of scientists. We were there to test an electronic charting system (ECS) on board a fast attack-craft.
The program was to go in the morning and return by afternoon. We reached the small ship after crossing the elaborate naval security. The Commanding Officer, a young Long G (gunner) told us that the sortie could get a little delayed because his ship had also been tasked to shoo away a fishing vessel which was apparently pestering an oil-rig exploring for energy offshore.
Our plan was simple. Rig up the GPS. Set up the laptop. Connect the ECS to the GPS and AIS and get the system running. Out at sea we encountered our first snag that threatened to derail the whole exercise. The serial port to USB connector was missing. We could not connect the GPS to the laptop. It meant our electronic charting system wouldn’t function. I tried to connect the laptop’s blue tooth with another wi-fi GPS but it wasn’t working satisfactorily.
The chief scientist, an old experienced hand, said,
“I have my personal laptop. It has a nine-pin serial connector.”
The day was saved. I quickly loaded the ECS software, activated the charts with the license and connected the GPS to the serial port. The system was up and running in no time.
The ship had a tiny bridge. On top of that the CO was an aggressive fellow shouting at one and all. With all that shouting and movement we could not do our job. The mark of a good seafarer is that he can improvise on the spot. We shifted to the navigating officer’s night cabin and commissioned it into a temporary lab.
The whole day we tested the system and conducted practical training for the group of participants.
In the middle of the training the ship was stopped. They had to carry out diving at sea. Compared to a steaming ship, a stopped ship rolls much more due to the effect of waves. Most of us got a little queasy.
In the afternoon, once diving was completed the ship proceeded at full speed to open sea towards the deepwater rig to chase the trouble-maker fishing boat. The sea had picked up meanwhile. I felt a little tired. I had forgotten how bad it was on a small, noisy ship which rolled and pitching uncomfortably in sea-state 5.
I didn’t envy the CO’s job. He had to scream a lot to get the work done. I decided to never ever complain about my present job.
It was so uncomfortable I couldn’t sit anywhere. I didn’t even feel like taking notes though there were enough activities going on.
Finally we reached the oil-rig about 100 miles from the coast. There was a small miserable fishing boat close by. Doing nothing.
A naval sailor took out a loud-hailer.
Hie! Shouted the sailor in the local tongue malayali . Get out of this place. C’mon. Scram!
Nothing happened. After fifteen minutes of hollering and circling around the small boat, a wizened old dark fellow crawled out on to the deck. He was wearing just a lungi and was bare from waist upwards. The poor fellow looked at us silently. He gestured in futility at the oil rig. Then he went inside to start the boat engines.
Look at the irony of his situation. This is his fishing ground. For generations he and his ancestors have fished in this place. Out of nowhere this big oil-rig has moved in and disrupted his life.
His fishing ground was encroached upon by the foreign vessel manned by foreigners. When he protests, they put the Navy on him to shoo him away. By his logic this Navy should be protecting him instead.
After all, what was the guy doing? He is just a small fisherman. Trying to earn his livelihood by catching fish which you and me will eat. In this modern age he is already handicapped by the lack of sophisticated boats and equipment.
I mentioned this to the CO. He agreed with me whole-heartedly. But he has to obey the orders.
‘I have to report back to the headquarters.’
He is just a decent cop. He wasn’t paid to take anybody’s sides.
‘Why can’t he fish somewhere else?’
Try telling that to the fisherman. He will fish where he finds the fish. Not somewhere else. These were his fishing grounds.
After another ten minutes when the boat started to move away slowly the CO gave orders to head back towards the shore. For all he knew the fishing boat would turn back when he finds the Navy ship gone.
The CO didn’t care. He will make a report to the HQ and get on with his life.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A Real Hero
Last year, when my son was assigned a project on Corporate Social Responsibility in shipping industry, I gave him Capt Raj Goel’s contact to follow up.
Raj Goel was quite nice about the whole thing. He gave the youngster a detailed interview. He took his time to explain his responsibilities and specifically what his company was doing towards corporate social responsibility.
We hope we are doing our little bit for the industry by making our ports safe and secure for the ships.
At that time I didn’t know who exactly was Raj Goel and his claim to ‘fame’.
Back in 1996 I decided to leave the Navy to go into commercial shipping. The next three years I did the rounds of the maritime college. I was appearing for Master (Foreign Going) competency exams as well as going through the numerous modular courses.
During this period amongst our shipping circles we used to hear stories about an Indian Master who was languishing in a jail in Taiwan. Apparently his ship had collided with a fishing trawler killing some fishermen. The Master was all alone in an alien land.
I used to feel uneasy listening to the rumors about him. Since it had happened to a stranger it all seemed a little remote and unreal.
Some months back another Indian Master, Capt Glen Aroza’s name popped up in the shipping circles. He had been arrested after his ship had collided with a boat off Taiwan causing the death of some fishermen.
The news on the net said that it was virtually a repeat of Capt Raj Goel’s incident. It dawned on me that they were talking about the same fellow.
Our offices were in the same building. Sometimes I met Raj in the premises but at no point during our association of 3 years he let out the terrible ordeal that he had undergone in the past.
I trawled the net and came across the site where Raj had posted details of his detention at Keelung, a port in Taiwan.
I went to meet the gentleman. As usual he welcomed me with a smile. He shut down his laptop, got up from his chair and shook hands with me.
Over a cup of tea he told me his story.
Coming back to sea after a 5 month lay-off, he had just taken over as the Master of a big container vessel on 04th February ‘96. The ship sailed out from Hong Kong bound for Los Angeles. That same night the incident happened.
The third officer was on watch on the bridge that time. He had given a hard wheel to avoid a boat. He called the Master after the course alteration. Raj came up on the bridge to assess the situation. They didn’t find anything amiss. They didn’t realize that the ship had gone over the net of a trawler.
Later during the investigations it was concluded that the long wire of the trawler had snagged upon the bow of the huge ship. The boat had dragged behind till it capsized.
Meanwhile the net had fouled the propeller. Within the next few hours the propeller RPM came down and the ship’s speed reduced. The ship decided to enter Taiwan to get her propellers checked. In the port the police came on board. The Master and the third officer were arrested.
From being the Master of a huge ship with a spacious captains cabin Raj Goel found himself in a 7’ x 10’ filthy cell sharing the space with four petty criminals. For the next five and half months he remained in this cell without bail.
In my clear conscience I could not comprehend what is it that I have done to deserve this treatment. One day I was Captain of a ship and the next day I found myself in a small prison cell in an unknown land.
‘Was the judge harsh on you?’ I asked.
Raj shook his head. “The judge was nice. He couldn’t give me bail immediately because then the fishermen lobby would had got angry.”
When he finally got bail the P&I club arranged for a house for the three Indians – the Master, third and the able-seaman. The AB left shortly because there was no case against him. He was actually the duty AB on paper. He was never on the bridge when the incident happened.
Raj was detained for the next three years waiting for the law to take its own course. At the end the courts found him innocent and acquitted him of all charges. He was allowed to return to India.
‘Did the Indian government help’, I asked.
“No. Our government doesn’t do much. Had it been an American or European citizen or even a Taiwanese for that matter their government takes up their causes very strongly.”
The ordeal had taken its toll. His family suffered when he was far away and helpless to do anything. Raj Goel was an unfortunate victim of criminalization of seafarers. In any marine incident the ship and the master in an alien country becomes a soft target.
What sustained him through all those years?
“Letters written by children telling me not to worry, that they were praying to God. Those letters are my prized possessions today.”
After returning to India he was sitting at home without a job for over a year. Yet he didn’t allow this terrible episode to overwhelm him. After five years he finally got a job. He sailed for another three years and then switched over to a shore job. In 2007 he joined Silver Port Services because it offered more challenges.
Today by any yardstick he is a successful man. He wants to contribute to the same industry that had ditched him earlier.
Said Susruto Das, his batchmate from TS Rajendra, "Goel is a very helpful chap. Today he has a nice family with two lovely kids and a flat on Palm Beach Road."
When my son went to him with his project, he was patient with him. He gave his precious time to answer the questions with all sincerity. He never let the boy feel how busy he was or how great his position.
I never detected any bitterness in Raj. For sure he has enough reasons. He never cried how unfair the world was or why me? On the contrary he always has a smile on his face. He quietly performs a high-pressure job. If at all he has a mild complaint it is about the work pressure that is catching up.
Today he doesn’t mind raking up his unpleasant past because "he feels that experiences and knowledge are only worth if they can help others."
Amazing!
To me he is a real hero. I wish I can claim the same determination the gentleman has. To beat back all that life could throw at him and emerge victorious. And never utter a word of it.
I am privileged to share my first name with him.
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