Vice Admiral Awati (retd), who passed away today, had also commanded the INS Kamorta during the 1971 Bangladesh war.
New Delhi: An iconic Indian Navyman, Vice Admiral Manohar Pralhad Awati (retd) wore many hats. The 1971 war veteran was a wildlife conservationist, a history enthusiast and most significantly, the father of the ‘Sagar Parikrama’ project launched in 2007, which entailed solo circumnavigations around the globe on Indian-built sailboats.
On Sunday, Vice Admiral Awati passed away at his hometown of Vinchurni, Phaltan, near Satara in Maharashtra. He was 92.
For those who knew him closely, his demise marks the “end of an era.”
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Retired naval commander Dilip Dhonde, told ThePrint that Vice Admiral Awati was a “visionary” who had dreamt of a strong maritime India. “He was, by far, the most respected admiral in the country,” said commander Dhonde, who was the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe solo on the sailing vessel Mhadei in 2010, as part of the Sagar Parikrama project.
“We spoke regularly. He was a multi-faceted personality. He was passionate about history, was a keen bird-watcher and pursued his passions relentlessly,” added Dhonde, who is considered the mentor of Commander Abhilash Tomy, the navy sailor recently stranded and rescued from the Southern Indian Ocean during his solo trip.
Another former naval officer Commander Arun Jyoti (retd) said he had just a two-hour encounter with Vice Admiral Awati in 1991, but even that had left an indelible mark on him as a young cadet.
“As we sailed, he spoke about his days in the Navy and what he expected a young cadet to follow,” Jyoti said, adding that he was a ‘soft father’ at the command that day.
“While securing my boat at the pontoon, he helped with each activity. He left silently soon after. That left a huge impact on me,” he added.
The 1971 war veteran
One of the most respected admirals of India, Vice Admiral Awati was born on 7 September 1927. Inducted into the Royal Indian Navy in November 1945, his stint in the Indian Navy began in 1950 when he returned to India.
He commanded several Indian naval ships, but a high point in his career was the Vir Chakra awarded to him for showing gallantry as the Commanding Officer of INS Kamorta during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war.
His citation states that throughout this period, he operated on enemy waters, where there was a 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,” his Vir Chakra citation reads. “During the blockade, he attacked and captured three enemy ships carrying contraband goods. He also gained a submarine contact and pressed home an attack with great vigour, which possibly resulted in the destruction of and damage to the submarine.”
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Admiral Awati held several other top positions in the Indian Navy, including as the Commander-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, before retiring from service in 1983.
Tributes pour in
The defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior naval officers took to Twitter to express their regards for Vice Admiral Awati.
Sitharaman referred to Awati’s action in the 1971 war in her tweet.
Vice Admiral M P Awati (Retd) #PVSM, #VirChakra passed away; was the commanding officer of a naval unit of the Eastern Fleet,Dec’71. Captured three enemy ships carrying contraband goods. His actions led to destruction of an enemy submarine. An icon in naval history. My homage.
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) November 4, 2018
Admiral Sunil Lanba was quoted by a navy spokesperson as saying that Awati’s death marks the “end of an era”.
End of an Era…..Good Bye Admiral @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD @IAF_MCC @HQ_IDS_India @adgpi @IndiaCoastGuard @nsitharaman @narendramodi @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/U2UfX7C7fx
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) November 4, 2018
Former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash tweeted that Awati’s death was a “huge loss” to the navy and the nation.
The passing of Adm. Awati is a huge loss to the navy and the nation. He strode like a colossus on India's maritime stage and was an exemplar of everything that an officer, a gentleman and good human being should be. He is with Varuna. May his noble soul rest in peace. https://t.co/9xqjag7fUY
— Arun Prakash (@arunp2810) November 4, 2018
Commander Abhilash Tomy, who was recently rescued from his solo circumnavigation bid, also tweeted, “He was such a legend I thought he would live forever. Bash on regardless, sir.”
He was such a legend I thought he would live forever. Bash on regardless, sir. pic.twitter.com/MZUJVnAA9E
— Abhilash Tommy (@abhilashtomy) November 4, 2018