Sailing through life

Life on the high seas has its ups and downs. PERVIZ BHOTE touches upon the various facets of mariners' lives and observes that Chennai has become their favourite destination.

THE LAST two decades have seen Chennai metamorphose into a highly cosmopolitan society. "Except for the climate, this is a wonderful metropolis," says Sushma Kapur, who has lived in Mumbai all her life. Ever since the city became a major centre for the shipping industry, there has been quite an exodus of the marine fraternity from other port cities like Mumbai, Calcutta, Goa and Cochin. Migrating mariners to this city possess lucrative jobs and enjoy a high standard of living, besides a homogenised socio- cultural outlook. Anjali Bhatia, whose husband is a shipping executive, says, "I preferred to settle in Chennai, because unlike the hustle and bustle of other metros, this city moves at a moderate pace, it is cleaner and safer."

Besides a large 'sailing crowd' present in Chennai, there are those who were marine officers earlier, but have now taken up shore-based jobs in shipping companies, shipping agencies, and ship repair works. But once a mariner, always a mariner - the term sticks. Adaptability, acquired through experience of being onboard, enables this group to settle down almost instantaneously, within any social set-up. While accepting the local warmth, colour and flavour of their adopted city, they also share with its people the richness and variety of their myriad experiences of life at sea and in distant lands.

So when Captain Anup Kumar, who is a pilot with the Madras Port Trust, was asked whether he missed his family that lives in Jhansi, he promptly replied, "One tends to make a family wherever one settles down. Especially in the staff quarters provided by the Port Trust, every family unit has come down from somewhere else. But we're so close that even when we menfolk are away on duty, we're certain that someone will be around to help our family during an emergency."

Families of mariners get together quite often, and because of common experiences of the 'life at sea', there is an instant bond created. There are associations like The Institute of Marine Engineers (India), The Company of Master Mariners, and The Merchant Navy Officers' Association (MNOA), which conduct seminars, symposia and publish journals for dissemination of knowledge, and also organise social get-togethers to foster inter-personal relationships between members of the marine community.

The MNOA organises periodic get-togethers, specially to celebrate the various festivals like Diwali and Christmas, so that the members of the marine community who live away from their kith and kin do not miss the warmth of family ties during such times. The MNOA has often helped families in times of distress and emergencies when the Mariner was away on the ship.

Wives of many mariners who had to shelve their careers during their sailing days, have now settled down in jobs like teaching, party-catering and event management. Some have even picked up the threads of professions like medicine, law, architecture and fine arts. And there are several entrepreneurs too amongst them. When Sarla Shanker was asked how she felt about getting back to her law practice after such a long spell, she volleyed back, "Well, it's all a matter of self-confidence. Law hasn't changed for years, but I have certainly changed. After travelling so much and meeting so many people, one definitely is more sure of oneself, and our insight into assessing people's nature and character also improves."

Life on the high seas is a totally different experience when compared to shore life, especially for a mariner's wife. Geetha Shankar says, "There are no domestic chores to be done on the ship, except the laundry. It's a totally hassle-free life, no cares about provisions and stocks, or what menus to set. On the ships, the roles are reversed, and it is the (male) officers who have to bother about these mundane matters. We lead a carefree life."

Children on board have the advantage of having their fathers around them all the time. Arjun Bhatia, who spent his early years on the ship, recalls, "My father was just a shout away. But now he has an office job and comes home pretty late. And by the time I have finished my homework and dinner, it's time for bed. So now, I can play with dad only on Sundays."

Not so for eight-year old Rashmi Balaram whose father still sails. "I miss my father especially when he has just gone, or when he is not with me to celebrate my birthday." Nitika, who is four years old, pipes in, "When daddy goes on the ship, mummy is our mother and father."

"It's a constant change from 'master mode' to 'mistress mode' for the wife," commented Gita Pillai during a discussion.

"She learns to wear the pants in the family and then when the husband returns on leave, to her utter chagrin, he begins to assert himself and calls the shots." The saving grace is, that distance makes the heart grow fonder.

History reveals that any port city spells prosperity. Mumbai and Calcutta gained eminence primarily because they were maritime cities.

The shipping industry is a great contributor to the national exchequer as almost 94 per cent of trade in international goods is carried out by sea. Chennai is home to some premium training institutes such as the National Institute of Port Management (NIPM), Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET), Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training, Interface College and CMET, which is a marine workshop approved by the Directorate General of Shipping to train marine engineers.

The Merchant Navy offers lucrative career options to young men who are willing to work hard, take the rough and tumble of life, and also enjoy a good quality of living.

There is no degree awarded at the end of the courses, but one gets a Certificate of Competency which includes academic excellence coupled with 'life skills'.

Maintenance of International Standards is a must in the shipping industry if one wishes to survive in the highly competitive arena of International Shipping. The Institute of Marine Engineers (India) conducts an International Symposium every four years. This year, a two-day seminar, Marine Symposium 2000, was held in Chennai, recently.

Delegates from Scandinavia, the U.K., Europe, Japan and Singapore attended and 31 presentations were made on almost every aspect of the shipping industry.

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