Laxminarayan Ramdas

Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC served as Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, taking the reins on 30 November 1990. Ramdas has served as Aam Aadmi Party's internal lokpal.[1]


Laxminarayan Ramdas

13th Chief of Naval Staff
In office
1 December 1990 - 30 September 1993
Preceded byJayant Ganpat Nadkarni
Succeeded byVijai Singh Shekhawat
Personal details
Born5 September 1933
Spouse(s)Lalita 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 Navy
Southern Naval Command
Eastern Fleet
INS Beas
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani War of 1971

Background and family

Ramdas was born on 5 September 1933 into a south Indian family. He is married to Lalita ramdas (née Katari), daughter of Admiral Ram Dass Katari, the first Indian Chief of Naval Staff. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi party. 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.[2][3]

Career

Ramdas was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 September 1953.[4] He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 August 1955,[5] and to lieutenant-commander on 16 August 1963.[6] He was trained as a communication specialist in the Royal Naval Staff College in the United Kingdom. Promoted Commander on 30 June 1969,[7] he went on to establish and head the Naval Academy in Kochi, Kerala, he distinguished himself for which he was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal.

Ramdas (3rd from right) with former chiefs and Admiral Robin K. Dhowan at the Conclave of Chiefs, 2015
Admiral Ramdas in Delhi in November 2016

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. 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. He was awarded the Vir Chakra. He later commanded a Patrol Vessel Squadron in the Indian Navy.

Ramdas later served as Naval Attaché in Germany for three years, and was promoted captain on 1 July 1976.[8] He was promoted acting Rear Admiral 7 April 1981 (substantive from 1 June 1981).[9][10] Promoted vice-admiral on 1 April 1985,[11] he held the appointments of Director of Personnel, Director of Naval Signals and Director of Naval Operations at the Naval HQ. Other notable appointments he held were Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations), Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF), Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DNCS) and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Southern Naval Command.

Retirement

After retirement, Ramdas took up residence at Alibag. He together with his wife, then devoted themselves to a variety of left-liberal causes.[12]

The couple also intervene 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.[13]

The couple opposed the establishment of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. For his seminar-circuit 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.[14]

Ramdas is also a keen sports person, enjoying cricket, golf and yachting.

References

  1. "Official website of Aam Aadmi Party". Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  2. "On a global mission". Mount Holyoke College.
  3. "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.
  4. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 September 1953. p. 186.
  5. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 23 February 1957. p. 47.
  6. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 12 October 1963. p. 351.
  7. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 17 January 1970. p. 88.
  8. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 29 January 1977. p. 129.
  9. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 20 June 1981. p. 854.
  10. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 29 January 1983. p. 140.
  11. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 21 September 1985. p. 1326.
  12. "WANMEC-Women Peacemakers by Name". Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  13. "Retired navy chief Admiral L. Ramdas challenges 'next' army chief".
  14. "Citation for Laxminarayan Ramdas and Ibn Abdur Rehman". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
Military offices
Preceded by
Sunith Francis Rodrigues
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
1 July 1993 - 30 September 1993
Succeeded by
Bipin Chandra Joshi
Preceded by
Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni
Chief of the Naval Staff
1990–1993
Succeeded by
Vijai Singh Shekhawat
Preceded by
I J S Khurana
Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet
1983–1985
Succeeded by
S P Govil
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