The Hindu : 'Mysore' and `Madras' as affiliates

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2003

National

National

'Mysore' and `Madras' as affiliates

By Arunkumar Bhatt

Brigadiar G. Athmanathan of the Madras Regimental Centre receiving a model of INS Mysore from its Commanding Officer, Captain Arvind Raj Vardhan, after the destroyer was affiliated to the Madras Regiment in Mumbai on Monday. — PTI

MUMBAI NOV. 17. INS Mysore, the most modern destroyer of the Navy, part of the Western Fleet, and the Madras Regiment, one of the oldest and highly decorated infantry regiments of the Army, established an affiliation here today. A Charter of Affiliation was signed on board INS Mysore.

The presence of the yellow-and-green striped turbans and the olive green uniforms of the Madras Regiment among the sparkling white uniforms of the Navy for the ceremony symbolised a quest for jointmanship.

The idea behind the affiliation of two units of the different Services is to promote mutual understanding of the cultures, operational ethos and combat power of each other. Normally warships are affiliated to Army units with which they have historical or geographical bonds.

Thus, INS Mumbai, another destroyer, is affiliated with the Maratha Light Infantry, the aircraft carrier INS Viraat is with the Gadhwal Rifles and the Kashin class warship INS Ranjit is allied to the Punjab Regiment.

The relationship between `Mysore' and `Madras' is both geographical and historical. The heroism shown by the Mysore Army against the British is part of the folklore of the Madras Regiment. This force of the princely state got merged with the Madras Regiment to be its 18th Battalion, which is still called the Mysore battalion. This explains the presence of the troops of this battalion in today's ceremony. The battalion and the warship have the same crest, a double-headed eagle with folded wings. Taken from the Mysore state's coat of arms, it symbolises strength.

The troops of the Madras Regiment come from all the four southern States, and they spell the legacy of the Cholas, the Pandyas, and the Cheras, and so on. Lt.Gen. Dinesh Singh Chauhan, the Colonel of the Regiment, recalled the seafaring tradition and valour of the Cholas who defeated the Dutch in the Battle of Kolachal. The Army has not gone to any war after Independence without having among its ranks these brave, intelligent and loyal `thambis' (younger brothers), as they are affectionately called. The regiment has a large haul of gallantry medals, battle honours and unit citations.The earlier INS Mysore was the flagship of the Navy since the 1950s. It flew the flag of the fleet commander in the 1971 war and controlled the Arabian Sea. The new Mysore, a 6,700-tonne, home-grown destroyer, has 16 surface missiles, a battery of anti-aircraft missiles, torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets, powerful electronic sensors and two helicopters. Its deployment was of strategic significance during the Kargil war.

It was a combined guard of honour by Madras and Mysore to Gen. Chauhan, who is also General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command, and to Rear Admiral Vijay Shanker, Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet.

The `thambis' raised their war cry in Tamil, Veer Madrasi adi-kollu, adi-kollu (Brave Madrasi, hit and kill). To which the Mysore company responded thus: Sab se jyada kisme jor, Mysore! Mysore! (Who is the most powerful? Of course, Mysore.)

Brigadier G. Athmanathan, the Commandant of the Madras Regimental Centre, and Captain Arvind Raj Vardhan, Commanding Officer of INS Mysore, as also Gen. Singh Chauhan and Admiral Vijay Shanker signed the Charter of Affiliation. Capt. Vardhan presented Gen. Chauhan with a model of the ship and the latter presented the ship a statue of a ceremonially dressed `thambi.'

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National