- Admiral Ronald Lynsdale Pereira was known as an outstanding leader and the most loved Chief in the Navy. - The document describes an instance where Pereira stopped his car to help transport a sick elderly man to the hospital, despite being late to meet the Prime Minister. - It provides anecdotes that illustrate Pereira's courage, compassion, integrity, and devotion to serving the Navy according to his principles rather than political pressures. He was deeply respected by those who served under him.

1. Unforgettable
Ronnie Pereira
An outstanding leader, he was the
Navy’s most loved Chief
By Captain B.R. Sen,
as told to Ashok Mahadevan
I looked aghast at my boss. “You
can’t do this,” I said. “You’ll be late for
your appointment with the Prime
Minister.”
Admiral Ronald Lynsdale Pereira,
PVSM, AVSM*, chief of the naval staff,
shrugged.
Pereira, accompanied by me, his flag
lieutenant (an admiral’s ADC), had
been on his way to a meeting with
Indira Gandhi when he spotted a
youth staggering along the pavement,
an elderly man on his back.
Ordering his driver to stop, Pereira
got out and asked what the matter was.
The youngster explained that he was
carrying his sick father to the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),
New Delhi’s premier government hos-
* Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht
Seva Medal. Given by the Government of India for
distinguished service.
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2. Unforgettable Ronnie Pereira
pital, because he couldn’t afford a taxi. he promptly admitted it. Once, when lookout for a flag lieutenant. A “flags” bling in the officers mess. But every-
Pereira turned to me. “We’ll take his naval assistant Captain K. K. Kohli is little more than an admiral’s glorified one started wearing helmets.
them,” he said. When I kept protesting, was trying to dissuade him from doing dogsbody, and although with three
he told me to shut up and helped the something that would have unneces- years’ service in the Navy I wanted Ironically for a man who was
two men into his car. sarily upset the Defence Ministry, the something more challenging, my CO described as “one of the most charis-
Courage and Compassion. AIIMS argument grew so hot that Kohli for- insisted I try out. So around 8:30 one matic chiefs ever.” Pereira planned to
doctors looked dazed as the lean, six- got himself and banged his fist on the evening—the admiral often worked be either a doctor like his father, or a
foot-two, ramrod-straight admiral, his admiral’s table. Immediately contrite, late—I entered Pereira’s enormous of- dentist. But World War II changed all
uniform ablaze with medal ribbons, Kohli was about to apologize, when fice in Mumbai for an interview. that and Ronnie decided to join the
swept in and announced that the el- Pereira checked him. “You’re right, “Do you drink?” he asked me. Navy. Commissioned on May 25,
derly man was his relative. Saying, “I’ll you bastard,” the CNS hissed. “Yessir.” 1943—his 20th birth-
be back; make sure he’s better,” the ad- “We’ll Get Along.” No wonder “Smoke?” day—he commanded
miral left, and we reached Mrs Gandhi’s Ronnie Pereira’s ability to get the ut- “Yessir.” Pereira had a small craft during the
residence about 15 minutes late. most from his subordinates was “What brand?” profound res- war and in 1947 was se-
I didn’t dare ask the ad- legendary. During the 1967 fleet row- “Four Square, sir.” lected for gunnery
miral if the Prime Minister ing regatta, INS Delhi’s senior sailors’ The admiral pect for all training in the UK.
was annoyed with him, team won a strenuous race only to be grinned. “My brand Pereira certainly fit
but even today, nearly told that they had to row again in 15 too,” he said. “We’ll get
faiths and any the conventional image
two decades later, the minutes because, by mistake, they’d along.” religious of gunnery officers as
memory of Pereira’s been entered in the wrong event. Get- Within a week I was spit-and-polish, parade-
behaviour that after- ting the exhausted crew to race again on his staff watching unorthodoxy ground types. Indeed,
noon never fails to move seemed impossible, but Pereira, then him run the Navy’s sparked off his with his great height,
me. Everyone in Delhi, no Delhi’s commanding officer (CO), most powerful opera- immaculate dress—he
matter how senior, was pet- gathered them around him. “I know tional command. He quick temper. had a special weakness
rified of Mrs Gandhi. To risk her wrath I’m asking for a lot,” he said quietly, was a perfectionist, to- for shoes—and boom-
for the sake of a poor, sick stranger! It “but the honour of Delhi is in your tally focused on everything he did. ing voice, he cut quite a figure. Even
was an unforgettable lesson in courage hands.” To everyone’s amazement, the And he never hesitated to take un- more memorable was his amazing
and compassion. But it was typical Ron- men rowed like demons, and when popular measures. laugh. Recalls Vice Admiral Vivian
nie Pereira. He always did what he felt they won, Pereira had tears in his eyes. Consider how he enforced the Barboza: “It exploded around you like
to be right—and to hell with the con- Delhi, naturally, was cock of the re- rarely observed safety regulation re- a thousand stars.”
sequences. During his three years as gatta that year and the then chief, quiring all naval personnel riding But beneath the flamboyance was
chief of the naval staff (CNS), he re- Admiral A.K. Chatterji, hailed its CO motorbikes and scooters to wear hel- a practical, hands-on professional.
peatedly clashed with powerful as a “born leader.” An entire genera- mets. He waited in his car at key spots When Commander Leo Lunel went
politicians and bureaucrats when they tion of naval men felt likewise. In a in Mumbai’s Navy Nagar and when- on board INS Kuthar soon after Pereira
wanted to do anything that, in his opin- 1989 poll of officers, 80 percent named ever an unhelmeted rider roared past, had taken command, Lunel found the
ion, threatened his beloved Navy. He Pereira as their ideal, even though he’d he gave chase, forced the offender to new CO in the sailors’ bathroom,
generally had his way—but only be- retired more than seven years earlier. stop and impounded his vehicle. teaching the men the right way to
cause everyone knew that he’d rather No one was spared, not even the clean paintbrushes.
resign than go against his conscience. I first met the admiral in 1976. He was son-in-law of one of his closest friends. Best Ship-Handler. Although a
Not that the admiral was a cock- then flag officer commanding-in-chief, As two-wheelers piled up with the good gunner, Pereira was not the
sure know-it-all. If he made a ballsup, western naval command, and on the naval police, there was a lot of grum- brightest officer in the Navy nor its best
184 185

3. ship-handler. That only made him work given up, but Ronnie sailored along
harder. After Barboza succeeded bravely and, to his surprise, steadily
Pereira as CO of Delhi, he found a note- moved up.
book filled with Pereira’s comments on No matter how high he rose, though,
his own ship-handling. “What struck Pereira never lost the common touch.
me,” Barboza recalls, “was that he was Once, when he was due on board INS
ruthlessly critical of his own actions. Pondicherry early in the morning, its
What’s more, he did not keep this captain arranged for tea to be served
record secret. Every time he recorded in fine china. But the admiral said he
something, it was circulated among his preferred a sailor’s mug and happily
officers.” drank from a chipped enamel con-
Pereira kept learning, especially tainer.
from his mistakes. Once, because of Pereira married in 1952 and perhaps
the strong tide, he had trouble secur- because he and his wife, Phyllis, had
ing Delhi in Cochin harbour. Seeing no children the Navy became their fam-
his difficulty, S.M. Nanda, the fleet ily. They addressed all young officers,
commander, came on board and deftly sailors and their wives as “son” or “my
moored the ship. girl.” In fact, when, on meeting Mrs
Ronnie barely slept that night. First Pereira for the first time, I addressed
thing in the morning, he took Delhi her as “Ma’am,” the admiral snapped:
out of the harbour. Then he turned “Call her Ma.” As flag lieutenant in
the cruiser around and secured her Mumbai I lunched with the Pereiras
just as Nanda had. every Tuesday, and not once did Ma
However, Pereira was less success- forget to ask me in advance what I
ful at overcoming his other wanted to eat.
shortcomings. He never managed to Ronnie’s rapport with the young
subdue his explosive temper. Nor made him the ideal choice when he
could he stop himself from impulsively was appointed deputy commandant
handing out money to anyone with a of the National Defence Academy
hard-luck story, often imaginary. (NDA) in 1971. He ran the place like
one of his ships, seemingly every-
n the 1950s and ’60s, Ronnie was where, exhorting the cadets to play
I dogged by accidents and ill-
health. Once, after he opened an
Oerlikon gun too soon after it
had misfired, the shell burst, fractur-
ing his left arm so badly that it seemed
fiercely, study hard, march smartly.
Nothing escaped his attention—it was-
n’t unusual for bleary-eyed cadets to
stumble into the tea-room at dawn to
see their deputy commandant
he’d be permanently crippled. Luckily, tasting the stuff. So hard-driving was
the surgeons did a great job. Later, he, weary cadets joked, that if he
Ronnie developed TB and lost a small barked “Tez chal” to the Asoka pillar
part of a lung. A lesser man might have on campus, it would start marching.
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4. Unforgettable Ronnie Pereira
Although being at the NDA meant “I learnt so much from him,” recalls career,” he wrote, “but it will be a great tute for Defence Studies and Analy-
that Pereira, to his great disappoint- Colonel S.P.S. “Mike” Bhalla, who’d honour for me.” How could I refuse? ses: “By laying the foundation for the
ment, had to sit out the 1971 war, his been an NDA cadet during Pereira’s As soon as he took over, Pereira Navy acquiring the British Sea Har-
tenure there is still remembered by tenure and who was very close to the made it clear that, unlike many ser- rier planes and the German HDW
many of his cadets, now senior serv- admiral. “He advised me on all kinds vice chiefs, he wasn’t interested in a submarines, Pereira charted the right
ice officers. “He had a very clear vision of things, from the importance of treat- plum government job once his term course.”
of what an officer should be,” says ing my wife as an equal partner to the was up. This, he felt, would help check The admiral’s foresight extended
Colonel Gursimran Singh Malhi, a need to accept personal responsibil- him from any temptation to cave in to to more mundane matters too. The
cadet during Pereira’s NDA years. ity.” And when Bhalla wrote about improper pressure. defence services had
“Above all, he wanted us to be morally what a good golfer he’d become, the The wisdom of the Thanks to been lobbying hard for
upright like himself.” admiral—a keen golfer himself— CNS’s decision was a ration allowance but
Pereira’s integrity was rooted in his replied dryly: “Please remember that clearly shown in the case Pereira, free Pereira argued that it
devout Roman Catholicism. When on your handicap does not figure in your of the officer who, not rations were made more sense to get
tour with him, one of my first jobs was confidential report.” making it to rear the rations in kind.
to locate the nearest church. He never Believing that, as vice chief, he’d admiral, turned to his sanctioned and Many officers felt this
missed a Sunday Mass. reached the limit of his career, Pereira political connections for
The admiral had a profound respect started building a house near Banga- help. After Pereira ig-
officers today was demeaning. “It’s a
question of status,” one
for all faiths and any religious un- lore to live after retirement. To help nored numerous hints agree that i’ told the chief. “As prices
ts
orthodoxy sparked off his quick finance the construction, he sold his from the defence min- rise,” Pereira replied,
temper. Woe betide a Sikh if Pereira well-maintained Fiat. istry to elevate the man, made them “you won’t be able to eat
could tell from the shape of his turban Being without a car can be a great one of the Prime Minis- better off. your status.” Thanks to
that he’d cut his hair. Commander A.J.B. handicap in New Delhi’s social whirl, ter’s key aides sent the Pereira, free rations
Singh recalls Pereira stopping in front but the admiral used his naval vehi- CNS a letter claiming that Indira were sanctioned and officers today
of a young Sikh naval aviator on pa- cle only on official duty. Vice Admiral Gandhi herself had ordered the pro- agree that it’s made them better off.
rade and letting him have it. “Don’t K.K. Nayyar recalls Pereira arriving motion. Undeterred, Pereira wrote
you have any pride in your faith?” on his scooter for a party at the Ger- directly to the PM, explaining why he Pereira’s three-year tenure as CNS
Pereira cried. “How can you insult your man ambassador’s residence. When couldn’t, in all conscience, oblige. “The ended on February 28, 1982. The ad-
great tradition?” The officer was ob- asked why, Pereira pointed out that it bureaucrats in the Prime Minister’s miral decided to go to Bangalore by
viously upset, but like innumerable was a private affair. Very few senior office were amazed at the admiral’s train, and the crowd to see him off at
others who’d been roasted by Pereira, officers, Nayyar admits, would have effrontery,” recalls Vice Admiral K.K. New Delhi railway station was so enor-
took it without demur because of his been that scrupulous. Kohli. “But the matter was shelved.” mous that you could barely breathe.
respect for the man. The entire Navy rejoiced when the In the decade before Pereira be- The Pereiras settled down in their
government announced that Pereira came chief, the USSR became the new home “At Last,” and, unable to af-
arly in 1977, Pereira was was to be chief of the naval staff from principal source for the Navy’s ships ford a car, the admiral cheerfully drove
E posted to New Delhi as vice
chief of the naval staff. Since
the vice chief is not entitled
to a flag lieutenant, I left the admiral’s
staff. But Pereira regularly wrote to
March 1, 1979. The admiral, though, was
taken totally by surprise. He broke the
news to his wife saying, “We have of-
ficial accommodation for a little longer.”
I was in Cochin when I got a letter
and equipment. Convinced that this around on a scooter. But it was a
made us too dependent on the Rus- dreadful strain. In April 1983, he
sians, Pereira had begun pushing hard blacked out in the blistering heat and
for Western armaments ever since he ran into a kerb. Providentially, it hap-
was vice chief. “This showed great pened just outside the Air Force
me as he did to a number of other ju- from the CNS asking me if I’d become prescience,” says Commodore C. Uday command hospital and Pereira was
nior officers. his flags again “It won’t be good for your Bhaskar, deputy director of the Insti- quickly taken inside. Surgeons oper-
188 189

5. ated on him and the gravely injured his funeral service, there were nu-
admiral pulled through. merous ordinary sailors who’d come
Soon after, the Pereiras decided to to say farewell to an officer they’d
move to Coonoor. But it took them a loved like no other. As the admiral’s
long time to find a buyer for “At Last” body was being laid to rest, I recalled
because, characteristically, the admi- the way he often summed up the
ral insisted on being paid the full price essence of leadership: “Love your men,
by cheque. but don’t spoil them. Kick them if you
must. Above all, make them proud of
Pereira had always been a heavy themselves, their uniform and you.”
smoker and in December 1991, lung Aye, Aye, Sir.
cancer was diagnosed. When I heard
the news, I took leave and went to see Twenty-two years after Ronnie
him at INHS Asvini, the naval hospi- Pereira left the Navy, he remains its
tal in Mumbai. An elderly Sikh was model of the officer and the gentleman.
waiting outside the admiral’s room, Says Admiral Arun Prakash, the
deterred by a “Do Not Disturb” sign. current CNS: “In a world of slipping
I took the man in with me. He ethical standards, where our young
turned out to be a long-retired sailor people desperately seek role models,
who’d served under Pereira on INS Ronnie P. has stood out as an iconic
Delhi. Offering the admiral a bottle, figure of impeccable integrity for three
the grizzled veteran said, “Sir, this used generations of Indian naval officers.
to be your favourite pickle. I’ve brought While we quaked in the knowledge that
it all the way from Punjab for you.” any hint of wrongdoing would invoke
The two men embraced, both in tears. the admiral’s messianic wrath, the
kindness and compassion that he
Ronnie pereira passed away on Octo- and Phyllis Pereira so often showed
ber 14, 1993. Apart from the admirals, earned them the Navy’s lasting love
generals and air marshals crowding and admiration.”
B
Ploughing On
A villager on his first trip to the city was waiting at a bus stop one
morning. After some hesitation he asked a woman, “Which bus should I
take for Mahim?” “Bus No 177,” the woman replied and caught the next
bus. The same evening, the woman found the villager still waiting at the
same bus stop. “Didn’t you get the bus to Mahim?” she exclaimed. “Not
yet,” he said wearily. “So far 168 buses have come and gone—eight more
remain before mine arrives.” —c.p. murgudkar
190