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Ram Dass Katari

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Admiral
Ram Dass Katari
5th Indian Ambassador to Burma
In office
1 June 1964 – 8 February 1969
PresidentS. Radhakrishnan
Zakir Husain
Preceded byR. S. Mani
Succeeded byBaleshwar Prasad
8th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
In office
7 May 1961 – 4 June 1962
PresidentRajendra Prasad
S. Radhakrishnan
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Gulzarilal Nanda (acting)
Preceded byK. S. Thimayya
Succeeded byA. M. Engineer
3rd Chief of the Naval Staff (India)
In office
22 April 1958 – 4 June 1962
PresidentRajendra Prasad
S. Radhakrishnan
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Gulzarilal Nanda (acting)
Preceded byS. H. Carlill
Succeeded byB. S. Soman
Personal details
Born(1911-10-08)8 October 1911
Chingleput, Madras Presidency, British Raj
(now in Tamil Nadu, India)
Died21 January 1983(1983-01-21) (aged 71)
Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
RelationsAdmiral Laxminarayan Ramdas
(Son-in-law)
Military service
Allegiance British India
 India
Branch/service Royal Indian Navy
 Indian Navy
Years of service1927–1962
Rank Admiral
CommandsIndian Fleet
INS Rajput (D141)
HMIS Kistna (U46)
HMIS Cauvery (U10)
Battles/warsWorld War II
Liberation of Goa
Later work(s)
  • Chairman, APSRTC
  • Author, A Sailor Remembers

Admiral Ram Dass Katari (8 October 1911 – 21 January 1983) was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as the 3rd Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) from 22 April 1958 to 4 June 1962. He was the first Indian to hold the office and succeeded the last British officer to the post, Vice Admiral Sir Stephen Hope Carlill.

A member of the first batch of cadets to attend the Indian Mercantile Marine Training Ship Dufferin, he earned the Viceroy's gold medal and joined the Hooghly River Survey of the Calcutta Port Commissioners. In 1939, he joined the Royal Indian Naval Reserve and served on board the HMIS Sandoway. He then served at the gunnery school HMIS Dalhousie, the boys' training school HMIS Bahadur and was an instructor at HMIS Machlimar. At the end of the war, he commanded HMIS Cauvery (U10).

After the Independence of India, he commanded HMIS Kistna (U46) and the naval force during the Indian integration of Junagadh. In 1948, he served as the executive officer of the flagship HMIS Delhi (C74). Promoted to acting Captain in December 1948, he was appointed Chief of Personnel at NHQ. In 1951, he took command of the INS Rajput (D141) and the 11th Destroyer Flotilla. After attending the Imperial Defence College in 1953, he returned to India and was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

In 1956, he was promoted to flag rank and appointed Flag Officer (Flotillas) Indian Fleet. After commanding the Indian fleet for two years, he was appointed Chief of the Naval Staff. He served a full term as Chief and his tenure saw the commissioning of India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and the liberation of Goa. After his retirement, he served as the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC). From 1964 to 1969, he was India's ambassador to Burma.

He had many firsts to his credit: the first Indian naval officer to attend the Imperial Defence College, in 1953; the first Indian to be promoted to flag rank in the navy, in 1956; the first Indian to command the Indian fleet, in 1956; and finally, the first to Indian to command the Navy itself, in 1958.

Early life

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Katari was born in Chingleput in Madras Presidency on 8 October 1911. His father was an Assistant Civil Engineer employed with the Government of Madras Presidency. He spent most of his childhood and youth in Hyderabad. He was educated at Mahbub College High School and at Nizam College in Hyderabad.[1]

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Dufferin and the mercantile marine

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After graduation, Katari was in the first batch of Indian cadet-entry officers to join the Indian Mercantile Marine Dufferin on its establishment in 1927. He topped the entrance examination. In the same batch was S. G. Karmarkar, who also joined the Indian Navy and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. Katari finished the course earning the Viceroy's gold medal. Later, he was the first graduate of TS Dufferin to serve on its Governing Board.[2] He was selected by the Calcutta Port Commissioners to join the Hooghly River Survey. The river survey kept track of the shifting river bed of the Hooghly river. Working on survey ships owned by the Port Commissioners, he rose to head surveys independently.[1]

World War II

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In mid-1939, with the outbreak of the World War II, he applied for a commission in the Royal Indian Navy Reserve (RINR). On 23 September 1939, Katari received a temporary commission as a probationary Sub Lieutenant in the RINR. He was assigned to the auxiliary patrol vessel HMIS Sandoway as its most junior officer on 11 May 1940.[3] Promoted to temporary lieutenant on 23 September 1940, he was subsequently assigned to HMIS Dalhousie, the naval gunnery school in Bombay.[4] On 9 April 1943, he was posted to Karachi and assigned to HMIS Bahadur, the Boys' Training Establishment for the RIN.[5]

Katari served in surface fleets of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. He specialized in anti-submarine warfare. Later, he also served as an instructor at the Anti-Submarine Warfare School HMIS Machlimar in Mumbai.[6][7] He was promoted to acting lieutenant-commander on 30 September 1944.[8] At the end of the war, as a lieutenant-commander, he was appointed the commanding officer of HMIS Cauvery (U10) and led the mine clearance operations in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In early 1946, the 56th Services Selection Board was set up at Lonavla to screen the RINR and Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RINVR) officers for a permanent commission in the RIN. Katari was appointed Senior Group Staff Officer and later Deputy President of the board.[9] Later that year, Katari was appointed commander of the 37th minesweeping flotilla, which performed minesweeping operations in the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[10]

Post-Independence

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Upon the Independence of India, Katari held the rank of Commander and was the Commanding officer of HMIS Kistna (U46). He led the defence operations off the Kathiawar coast during the integration of Junagadh. The Naval force consisted of three sloops – HMIS Kistna (U46), HMIS Cauvery (U10) and HMIS Jumna (U21), two fleet minesweepers – HMIS Konkan (J228) and HMIS Madras (J237), the Motor Launch ML 420 and a tank landing craft.[11]

In 1948, the cruiser INS Delhi (C74) was purchased from the United Kingdom. She was commissioned on 5 July 1948, with Captain H.N.S. Brown as the Commanding Officer and became the flagship of the Indian Navy.[12] From July 1948 to early 1949, Katari served as the Commander (executive officer) of the cruiser, with Lt S M Nanda as his first lieutenant. On 31 December 1948, Katari was promoted to acting Captain.[13] In February 1949, the Naval Headquarters (NHQ) was re-organised and he was appointed the Chief of Personnel, taking over the post on 9 March.[14][15] On 31 December 1949, he was promoted to the substantive rank of captain.[16]

In November 1951, Katari was appointed Captain (D) 11th Destroyer Flotilla as well as the Commanding Officer of the lead destroyer of the squadron, INS Rajput (D141). Apart from the Rajput, the flotilla consisted of INS Ranjit (1949) and INS Rana (1942). He succeeded Captain Ajitendu Chakraverti to the post.[17] In September 1952, Katari was selected to attend the Imperial Defence College and in early 1953, proceeded to United Kingdom. He was the first Indian Naval officer to be selected for the course. He attended the course with Air Vice Marshal (Later Air Marshal & CAS) Subroto Mukerjee, the senior-most Indian Air Force officer.[18] After the year-long course, he returned to India in early 1954 and was appointed the Deputy Commander-in-Chief in the rank of Commodore,[19] assuming the post and rank on 18 March 1954.[20] During this stint, Katari officiated as the Commander-in-Chief in the acting rank of Rear Admiral and sat in on the meetings of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.[1] [21]

Fleet Commander

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Adm R D Katari (right) taking command of the Navy from Adm S H Carlill on 22 April 1958 at NHQ.

In December 1955, the Government of India announced the appointment of Katari as the Flag Officer (Flotillas) Indian Fleet. He would be the first Indian Officer to command the fleet and take over in September 1956 from Rear Admiral St John Tyrwhitt KCB, DSO, DSC & Bar. He was promoted to the acting rank of Rear Admiral on 12 March 1956.[22] Before taking up the appointment, Katari embarked to the United Kingdom and Europe on a study tour. He visited Naval establishments, schools, shipyards and defence equipment production units. He visited HMS Nigeria (60) (later INS Mysore (C60)) which was being purchased by the Indian Navy. He also visited shipyards and factories in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Munich and Lübeck.[23][1]

On 2 October 1956, he was confirmed as a substantive rear admiral and became the first Indian officer to be appointed the Flag Officer (Flotillas) Indian Fleet.[24] The transfer of command ceremony took place on board the flagship INS Delhi, berthed in the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. His flag was hoisted on the INS Delhi at 8 A.M.[25] It was on Katari's request that the transfer of command was fixed on 2 October, to coincide with Gandhi Jayanti.[1] In August 1957, INS Mysore was commissioned and Katari's flag was transferred from INS Delhi to INS Mysore, the new flagship of the Indian Fleet.[26]

Chief of Naval Staff

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Katari as Chief of Naval Staff.

In February 1958, Katari was appointed the first Indian Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).[27] On 22 April 1958, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and took command of the Indian Navy.[28] His flag was hoisted on INS India.[29]

As CNS, he designed the framework for India's strategy for managing maritime security issues. During his tenure, the Indian Navy underwent a consolidation of its acquisitions, and established plans for its future growth. It also instituted improvements to training and operational effectiveness programs. India's first aircraft-carrier, INS Vikrant, was commissioned during his tenure.[30] As CNS, he led the naval operations during the liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule in December 1961.

He retired as CNS on 4 June 1962.[31] He relinquished the post of CNS as a Vice Admiral, then the highest rank in the Indian Navy.[32]

Later life

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Katari served as the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) between December 1962 and May 1964.[33] In 1964 he was appointed India's Ambassador to Burma, where he served for over five years.[34] He was the first setter of The Hindu Crossword and compiled the daily puzzles until his demise.[35][1] He also authored a memoir of the formative years of the Indian Navy during his service, A Sailor Remembers.

In 1968, the post of CNS was upgraded to the rank of full admiral, and on 21 October 1980, Katari and Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman, his successor as CNS, were promoted to the honorary rank of full Admiral on the retired list by President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy.[36][37]

Personal life

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Katari married Dhanam Katari (née Chalam). They had two children – a daughter Lalita, and a son, Ravi. Lalita married his flag lieutenant Laxminarayan Ramdas. Ramdas later went on to become the 13th Chief of Naval Staff.[1]

Death and legacy

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Katari died at Secunderabad on 21 January 1983, aged 71.[38] The Katari Memorial Hall at A/21, Sainikpuri, near Secunderabad, was dedicated to the memory of Admiral Katari on the event of his birth centenary on 8 October 2011.[39] The Admiral R D Katari Marg in Sainikpuri, Secunderabad where the College of Defence Management is located, is named after him, as is Katari Bagh in Willingdon Island in Kochi.[40] The cadet's dining hall at the Indian Naval Academy is named after Katari.[41] The Admiral RD Katari Trophy is awarded to the Sub Lieutenant placing first in overall merit during the ab-initio training. The Navy Foundation organises the ADM RD KATARI MEMORIAL LECTURE every year.[42][43][44]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Katari 1983.
  2. ^ "Captain Ram Dass Katari, IN" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 5 December 1953.
  3. ^ The Navy List: December 1941. HM Stationery Office. 1941. p. 1061.
  4. ^ The Navy List: December 1942. HM Stationery Office. 1942. p. 1184.
  5. ^ The Navy List: April 1944. HM Stationery Office. 1944. p. 3030.
  6. ^ Abidi & Sharma 2007, p. 105.
  7. ^ "(1129) – Navy lists > Quarterly > 1945 > July > Volume 3 – British Military lists – National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk.
  8. ^ The Navy List: July 1945. HM Stationery Office. 1945. p. 2106.
  9. ^ Thomas 2019, p. 59.
  10. ^ Sarma 2001, p. 41.
  11. ^ "Ministry of Defence" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 5 October 1947.
  12. ^ Blueprint to bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951–65. Lancer International. 1992. p. 30. ISBN 978-8170621485.
  13. ^ "Promotion of Officers in the RIN" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India – Archive. 31 December 1948. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  14. ^ "NHQ Reorganised" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 3 February 1949.
  15. ^ "CAPTAIN KATARI BECOMES CHIEF OF PERSONNEL RIN" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 9 March 1949.
  16. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 14 January 1950. p. 93.
  17. ^ "CAPTAIN KATARI TO TAKE COMMAND OF DESTROYER FLOTILLA" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 26 November 1951.
  18. ^ "Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing)" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 13 September 1952.
  19. ^ "Two Senior Naval Officers promoted Commodores" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 5 December 1953.
  20. ^ "Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing)" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India – Archive. 22 March 1954. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Admiral Pizey returns from United Kingdom" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 5 September 1954.
  22. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 24 November 1956. p. 236.
  23. ^ "FIRST INDIAN TO COMMAND NAVAL FLEET COMMODORE KATARI'S NEW APPOINTMENT" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 24 December 1955.
  24. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 2 March 1957. p. 55.
  25. ^ "ADMIRAL KATARI TAKES COMMAND OF INDIAN FLEET" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 2 October 1956.
  26. ^ Blueprint to bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951–65. Lancer International. 1992. p. 80. ISBN 9788170621485.
  27. ^ "FIRST INDIAN OFFICER TO COMMAND THE NAVY" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 3 February 1958.
  28. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 14 June 1958. p. 136.
  29. ^ "CHANGE OF NAVAL COMMAND" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 18 April 1958.
  30. ^ Blueprint to bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951–65. Lancer International. 1992. ISBN 978-8170621485.
  31. ^ "Vice Admiral Ram Dass Katari". Information Resource Facilitation Centre, Indian Navy. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  32. ^ "Admiral AK Chatterji Fellowship Book Release | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  33. ^ "Photo Gallery of A.P.S.R.T.C. – PEOPLE". apsrtc.ap.gov.in.
  34. ^ "People". Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  35. ^ "Remembering Admiral Katari, the first crossword setter of The Hindu". Crossword Unclued, 8 October 2012.
  36. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 29 November 1980. p. 1360.
  37. ^ "Former Naval Chiefs Honoured" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India – Archive. 3 November 1980. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  38. ^ "Deaths". The Times. 26 January 1983.
  39. ^ "Inauguration of Katari Memorial heritage Hall at Sainikpuri Secunderabad". The Hyderabad Deccan. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  40. ^ S, Priyadershini (10 October 2010). "Memories of Cochin – Man behind Katari Bagh". The Hindu.
  41. ^ "Mess". ina.gov.in.
  42. ^ "24th Admiral RD Katari Memorial Lecture | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  43. ^ "25 Th ADM RD katari Memorial Lecture at New Delhi". pib.gov.in.
  44. ^ "26TH ADM RD KATARI MEMORIAL LECTURE AT NEW DELHI ON 10 MAR 17" (PDF). indiannavy.nic.in.

Bibliography

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  • Katari, Ram Dass (1983), A Sailor Remembers, Vikas, ISBN 9780706920642
  • Sarma, S H (2001), My years at sea, Lancer Publishers & Distributors, ISBN 978-8170621218
  • Thomas, Anup (2019), Pride & Honour- Biography of Admiral R.L. Pereira, PVSM, AVSM, Southern Naval Command, Indian Navy, ISBN 978-8193600115
  • Abidi, S Sartaj Alam; Sharma, Satinder (2007), Services Chiefs of India, Northern Book Centre, ISBN 978-8172111625
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Personnel
1949–1951 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
G A French
 Deputy Commander-in-Chief
1954–1955 		Office abolished
New title
Office created
 Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
1955–1956 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet
1956–1958
Preceded by Chief of the Naval Staff
1958–1962 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
1961–1962 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
R S Mani
 Ambassador of India to Burma
1964–1969 		Succeeded by
Baleshwar Prasad
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