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QUESTION:
What memories do you have of your
school & college life?
ANSWER:
I graduated
with my Matriculation of British
standard from Bombay in 1948 which
was the last year for such a
graduation in India. Later it was
titled Secondary School
Certificate (SSC). During my
studies I learnt Persian and Arabic
languages privately to the extent of
developing a poetic aptitude in
understanding Persian. I continued
my language studies in my college
life also. I remember having
translated a well known Persian dua
of Shaikh Saadi (r.a) into an Urdu
poetic dua and some Persian couplets
into Urdu. My poem on ‘Thanksgiving
to Allah’ has been printed on the 2nd
page of my Biography (published in
the Mariner’s latest issue). My pen
name is Naaz.
QUESTION:
Are there any remarkable
achievements from your college life?
ANSWER:
Yes, I remember
having joined the National Cadet
Corps for receiving Military
Training at Bombay, as an extra
curricular activity, from 1948 to
1950 during my full time study of
Inter. Science. I was promoted to
the rank of Lance Corporal and was
awarded a Cert. of training.
QUESTION:
Can you highlight any significant
experience at sea before or after
passing your Master’s Cert. of
competency?
ANSWER:
I remember an
adventurous sea voyage during my
command of SS Maqbool Baksh when I
was asked to tow 2 long barges
(Length of tow being more than 600
ft) from Karachi to Chittagong.
Although the ship was old and not
fitted with towing gear for such a
long distance, I took it as a
challenge. As the stern bollards
were weak to fasten the towing wire
I sought advice from Capt. A Jabbar
Ranndev, an old colleague of mine
who was working in the capacity of
“Principal Officer”, Karachi port.
We sat together and thought of
various ways but Capt A Jabbar came
up with the idea of fastening the
towing wire round the POOP,
bypassing the Bollards altogether.
This proved to be successful. The
two barges were fastened to each
other by combining the small length
of an anchor chain with the towing
wire in between the two while the
fore-end of the first barge was
fastened to the ship’s stern so as
to avoid an impact/collision if the
ship has to slow down at sea.
The ship was loaded with light cargo
and the propeller was fully
submerged to get maximum speed
through water. I had forewarned the
owner for the consumption of oil,
water and provision as we had to
proceed with manageable half
or slow speed, but the owners
were too calculative as towing with
a hired tug would have cost more
than twice/thrice the amount spent.
Anyway, the voyage began with slow
speed. I had to navigate with extra
care and caution for which I had
arranged additional poop watches
change every 2 hours to monitor the
2 barges towed. I had a large
Kerosene light fitted on the raised
fore part of the first tow for
monitoring in dark nights. The
bridge duty officers were also
ordered to keep an all round
lookout. Alhamdulillah, I had a good
team of skilled and willing crew.
We bunkered on the way at Colombo
port where I had to stop before the
entrance and gather the two barges
one on either side, with the hard
work and compliance of the officers
and crew. I had promised them to get
the owners agree for 1 month’s bonus
to each member of the crew after
safe arrival at Chittagong.
Unfortunately, the last tow parted
due to heavy swell when we were half
way up in Bay of Bengal. Luckily it
was at dawn when the look out at the
poop cried loud and alerted me by
walkie talkie. I stopped the vessel
instantly, doubled the look out at
the poop and lowered the motor life
boat. Eventually, we collected the
parted barge and refastened the tow
with new towing wire. This operation
took nearly ¾ of the day.
Finally, we arrived safely at
Chittagong port and handed over the
barges to the agent. I sent a
Telex to the owners informing
the safe delivery of barges and
recommended 1 month’s bonus for all
crew members but it was not approved
with remarks that it was our
obligatory duty. Then I prepared and
faxed a long detailed “Voyage
Report” with relevant log entries
and extra duty performed by all crew
members in deep seas which is not
included in normal duties at sea. I
strongly insisted on my genuine
recommendation and invited the owner
to visit the ship for quick
settlement. Finally the owners
realized and all of us received the
bonus before sailing on the next
voyage.
QUESTION:
Can you relate some momentous
incidences during the time of the
fall of Dacca in Dec. 1971 in war
against India, when you were the
Chief Officer of the Pakistan Marine
Academy?
ANSWER:
As far as I
remember about a year before the
Pak.-India war broke out, we had
heard rumors in Jan 1971 that East
Pakistan will be separated from West
Pakistan and become an independent
state. A number of East Pakistani
students fled the Academy without
permission and the rest disappeared
by mid Feb 1971. The (late)
Commodore S M Anwar, then commandant
of the Academy, called a meeting of
all staff and gave a choice to all
East Pakistani staff either to live
together for ever or leave the
Academy immediately to which all E
Pakistani staff opted to live with
West Pakistani staff and defend the
Academy till end. This strategy
worked well. The next step was to
gather all the women and children
under one roof in a big hall while
the male members were gathered
together in a separate Hall for
extra safety. As there was a fear of
attack on the Academy, all the men
were required to follow a roster by
which every one had to do a 2-hourly
look out duty from the top of the
Academy roof. The meals for all were
cooked in one kitchen and we all
lived like one big family.
In March 1971, I availed the
opportunity and having informed the
late Comdt., transferred all West
Pakistani women and children via a
motor lifeboat on one of the Safina
Passenger ships which was about to
sail for Karachi. The late Comdt.
appreciated my initiative as media
alerts and rumors became stronger
day by the day. We all, the West
Pak. staff had booked our air
tickets to Karachi in advance for
the last moment flight departures.
Probably, it was end of May when the
late. Comdt. handed over the charge
to the senior most East Pakistani
staff and all of us left for Karachi
on vacation for 1 month but the
Academy was not reopened in July for
imminent fear of war threat any
moment.
The war broke out on 3rd Dec. 1971;
thus we were all under the blessed
protection of Allah swt.
“Shukr tera ho ada keonker ay Rabbul
Aalameen,
Terey Rahmat ki kaheen bhi inteha
payee naheen”
QUESTION:
What do you remember from the time
of the re-establishment of Pak.
Marine Academy in Karachi?
ANSWER:
While waiting
at Karachi after the vacation, I was
asked by the late Comdt. to visit
the new site of Academy at Mauripur
and suggest an appropriate location
for constructing a Life Boat Jetty
for training activities. I surveyed
the area in daylight at low water,
Spring tide (New Moon) and observed
that water recedes quite a distance
from the main land, approximately
400 to 500 feet, a rough guess, in a
direction perpendicular to the flow
of tide. I chose the direction
perpendicular to the tidal flow
because the life boat at the jetty
head can lay aligned with the tide
flow at all times. I reported my
observations and suggestion to the
late Comdt. but he did not agree on
such a long jetty. So I suggested
that he may accompany me on the next
Spring tide and observe for himself,
to which he gladly agreed.
The next spring tide (Full Moon) was
2 weeks later. It was around mid
day. We reached the area half an
hour earlier when the water was
still receding away from us. I,
dressed in Tee shirt and gum boots,
waded through the mud along with a
CPO (Chief Petty Officer), nearly
300 steps in perpendicular direction
to the flow of tide. Our feet
sinking deep in the muddy water, we
could see the water surface clearing
about 100 feet ahead of us. So I
decided to return as no further
survey was needed. We returned to
the Comdt. who was eagerly waiting
for us and suggested that the
correct estimated length of the
Jetty should be 600 feet.The late
Comdt. Nodded, looking surprised.
Later, on reaching home I submitted
the drawing of the jetty to the late
commandant for further necessary
action.
QUESTION:
Can you highlight your experience as
a Founder Member of MMSP?
ANSWER:
t was in 1975-1976, if I can recall
correctly, that I used to meet Capt. Mumtaz Usman and Capt. Nazeer
Siddiqui frequently
to discuss the future of Pakistani
Master Mariners and Pakistan
Merchant Navy. There was one Chief
Engineer also whose name I cannot
recall. We had, unanimously, agreed
to form a Master Mariners’ Society
and/or a Merchant Navy Officers’
union on similar basis of that in
UK.
We approached all Pakistani Steam
Ship companies at Karachi and also
the Maritime Govt. organisations one
by one and informed them of our
intention to get favourable
guidance but none of them
appreciated. On the contrary, they
passed adverse remarks that our
‘aim’ is just like a bubble in a hot
kettle. It was very disheartening
but we patiently pursued our
intention.
Eventually more Master Mariners
joined us without any
office/platform and we kept on,
getting legal advices until end of
1977 when a ray of hope shone and
encouraged us as we approached
through the dark cloud to its silver
lining.
As I was good at drawing I designed
the logo of MMSP to be used on all
official documents whenever our
dream came true. Eventually MMSP was
established in 1978 and officially
started functioning in Raleigh Bros.
Building in the same place where it
exists now. The same logo is being
used in all official documents and
also on Mariner magazine. Thanks to
Allah swt for achieving our
cherished goal.
“ Mushkilon ka saamna jab bhi hua
hai Ay Khuda
Daamane Rahmat tera is haath se
choota naheen”
QUESTION:
What are you
currently doing in Singapore?
ANSWER:
Presently I am developing a Nautical
Learning Solution (NLS) comprising
user friendly software in the
numerical problem areas of
the module “Ship Stability” for DNS
3 / CoC class 4 and class 3 students
of International Maritime
Institutes. I have hired the
software development expertise
of “Intuitive Science
Technologies” based in Singapore for
developing the desired software
under my supervision.
This software is intended to upgrade
the Class 4 and Class 3 CoC courses
by providing an independent user
friendly learning aid to the
students in their revision and
preparation for exams/class room
tests etc. Notes (Definitions),
Worked Examples, Formulae, Units,
Graphs, Diagrams and Hints (on
calculator usage) are provided to
the user as per exam oriented
methodical approach.
The most important feature of this
software is that it is able to
generate numerous examples for
exercise at the click of a button.
In many cases, it is capable of
generating a few thousand problems,
at random, on each different type of
question. Thus, it will also be
useful for teachers/trainers in
setting up new questions with
confirmed answers for classroom
tests and examinations. |
