General

Indian Military and the Naming of Weapons Systems

December 19, 2015 General

I’ve been trying to figure out how and why do the Indian Armed Forces name their weapons systems specifically after traditional Hindu terminology or those derived from the Sanskrit literature. Just to give you an example., under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) several missile systems and technologies were developed and named as Prithvi (Earth), Agni (Fire), Akash (the Sky), Trishul (the trident), and Nag (Cobra), which are prominent and regular Hindu/Hindi terms in the Indian culture. Some more, India’s original aircraft-carrier; also slated to relaunch under the same name, was called INS Vikrant (“courageous”), and other aircraft-carriers have all been named after Sanskrit/Hindu names – Viraat (Giant), (Vikramaditya  (“brave as the Sun”) and, the soon to be launched INS Vishal (Giant or Big). I couldn’t find a credible source to answer my question as to why Islamic or other traditional names do not figure in the list of Indian weaponry nomenclatures, and so I turned to Quora.

I asked – “Why isn’t (sic) the Indian armed forces using Islamic or other traditional nomenclatures for its weapons systems or military hardware?” It wasn’t that these names weren’t popular or that I had reservations about its use. But considering that India has a pretty vibrant and diversified culture of languages and traditions, and being particularly mindful of the concept of secularism deep-seated in her constitution, it was remarkable that the armed forces had not used Islamic or other religious terminologies for naming their weapons or hardware systems. I received a response from Sagnik Basu Choudhuri on Quora which cleared some air, and I thank him for his contribution.

I discovered that the names aren’t just meant to sound hip but they make logical sense when applied to their relevant weapons or hardware systems. For instance, the surface-to-surface missile is called “Prithvi” or Earth, the surface-to-air missile is called “Akash” or the Sky, though when I have to comprehend how an anti-tank missile could be called “Nag” or cobra, it does seem like the system was given just a fancy name without considering the metaphor (or maybe not). I would have much preferred “Ajit” (unconquerable) or “Anshuman” (the radiant) to ‘Nag’ honestly. But overall the armed forces seem to have selected names with regard to the inherent functions of the weapons or hardware systems. Though Sagnik has conceded in his reply to my question that there are not many systems which are named outside of the Hindu/Hindi/Sanskrit terminologies citing some examples. It’s also pleasing to discover that this matter hasn’t been  exploited for political gains though it’s a non-issue. Truth be told matters related to defence and security of any country should be delinked from undue political interference completely.

There are just 2 names (of the many I am sure) in the Indian military weaponry list which aren’t noted for its Hindi/Hindu/Sanskrit vocabulary, which I thought I should mention before ending my post.

INS Arihant (the Conqueror) – India’s fist nuclear-powered submarine; although that’s Sanskrit/Prakrit, the term “Arihant” figures prominently in Jain scriptures.

Shamsher (Sword of Justice) (thanks to Sagnik for this suggestion) – India signed a contract with aircraft manufacturer SEPECAT to license-build the Jaguar attack aircraft in India, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) produced 120 aircraft under the local name “Shamsher” or ‘Sword of Justice’. (Wikipedia)

River (TV Series)

December 17, 2015 General

My extreme fondness for thriller and suspense stories brought me to this 6-part British TV show called River on Netflix. Just like the other shows I had imagined this to be a mystery drama involving a police cop and his assistant joining forces to fight crime in a contemporary London setting, and the scenes played out exactly the way I had expected. But within minutes into the show the usual cop/thug drama turns into a creepy, supernatural, murder mystery that was successful in keeping me at the edge of my seat for the rest of the series.

Stellan Skarsgård plays a smart senior cop called Detective Inspector John River. A deep, sombre individual barely able to connect with the world outside of his own nonetheless truthfully connected with the voices inside his head. Struggling to revisit the disturbing sequences from his past, and remains fixated in the throes of his murdered colleague, while also getting mired in an immigration scandal bigger than he’d imagined. For the investigation to go ahead under his charge River must undertake scrupulous tests of his mental character and prove his sanity with the help of a fascinated psychiatrist played by Georgina Rich. The dramatizing by Skarsgård of an entity who appears to speak to himself being in a state of denial is laudable, when at times River’s hallucinations driven by his inner voices and conflict also leads him to become violent and aggressive in full public view. A sensitive, and brutal representation of people faced with situations, bordering schizophrenia, and that feeling of being judged unwontedly is quite palpable while watching River. To say the least, Skarsgård’s portrayal of John River is beyond words.

The culminating episode in which River traces the malicious truth was an emotional adventure personally. As unfair as it may seem River faces a numbing fact in realizing that a poignant moment has been lost forever in the sands of time and moving on with life is the only way forward for him. That apart the series lends itself to a particularly melodious disco track of the 70s called ‘I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves To Dance)’ by Tina Charles, which vividly echoes the feeling of mutual admiration between the lead pair. While I am not sure when or how would the next series of River do justice to the characters and the story, I am waiting anxiously to find that out sooner than later.

Thompson's Travels

The Great Explorer

November 13, 2015 General

Had I not been watchful about the TV commercials, I would have completely overlooked discovering this great explorer of Canada (or should I say North America). It came as a total surprise to me that over his longish career Thompson mapped over 3.9 million square kilometres of North America and he was described as “the greatest land geographer who ever lived”.

The Beginnings
David Thompson was born to Welsh migrants on 30 April 1770 in Westminster, England. Through personal hardships including losing his father at age two he eventually graduated to the Grey Coat mathematical school where he was introduced to basic navigation skills. His studies included algebra, trigonometry, geography, and navigation using ‘practical astronomy’. This would form the basis of his interest in exploration and his future career. In May 1784, at the ripe age of 14, he entered into a seven-year apprenticeship in fur-trading business with the Hudson’s Bay Company and arrived in Churchill (now in Manitoba). He never saw his mother or England again. At Churchill he was put to work copying personal papers of the governor of Fort Churchill, Samuel Hearne, and then transferred to nearby York Factory, a fur-trading post. And over the next few years spent time as a clerk at Cumberland House, Saskatchewan and South Branch House before arriving at Manchester House in 1787.

Training and First Measurement
It was at Manchester House that Thompson had a serious fall breaking his leg and spent the next two winters convalescing. During which time he refined and expanded his mathematical, astronomical and surveying skills under the supervision of Hudson’s Bay Company surveyor Philip Turnor. It took Thompson a full year to recover but was left with a limp for the rest of his life. It was here on February 1, 1790 that Thompson recorded his first navigational measurement to gain the longitude of Cumberland House. Over the next 4 months he would also calculate the latitude for the same location at 53° 56′ 44″ N by 102° 13′ W. During this navigational training in that winter, Thompson was left blind in his right eye probably due to observing the sun without proper eye protection.

End of Apprenticeship and Surveys
Thompson’s apprenticeship was due to end in 1791. So he appealed the company to give him surveying instruments instead of a suit of clothes. He traveled to York Factory where he presumably took possession of his new instruments. With these new instruments he set out to find a new shorter route to the fur-rich Athabasca country by way of the Churchill River and it wasn’t until 1996 and several trips that Thompson could find a more direct route to that country. In the winter of 1796-97, unhappy with Hudson Bay Company’s strong emphasis on trade, Thompson left the organization to cross over to a rival company called the North West Company. It was here that Thompson was asked by his new employers on his first major survey to explore the territory west of Lake Superior and the 49th parallel, which eventually became the US and Canada boundary. It’d be interesting to note that his journals contained hundreds of pages, of not just mapped land but also the cultural and religious practices of the inhabitants. His maps provided complete records of more than 3.9 million square kilometre and dozens of First Nation bands. Thompson thus also contributed to the knowledge of the overall geography of the northern part of the American continent.

Later Years and Death
He spent the next 15 years at North West Company exploring various parts of North America the details of which are beyond the purview of this article. But in all he spent 27 years mapping the west and over his entire career he had travelled and surveyed 100,000 km by foot, canoe and horseback! Thompson was aware that much of the lands that he had helped put on the map would eventually become farmlands pushing the aboriginal people out of it. He moved to Montreal in 1812 so that his children could get formal education doing odd jobs to pay the rent and kept working on the maps he had drawn of the west. The Canadian Encyclopedia mentions that he couldn’t find a publisher for his maps eventually selling it to Arrowsmith, a London-based publisher for 150 pounds. Arrowsmith didn’t publish it in Thompson’s name to earn him credit for his work, instead used the maps to correct their own. Thompson died in poverty and obscurity in 1857 and three months later his wife Charlotte passed away. Their marriage had lasted almost 60 months. Both are buried side by side in Montréal’s Mount Royal Cemetery.

Conclusion and Legacy
David Thompson’s survey and maps delineated the boundaries we live with today. He’s also credited with envisioning Canada as a modern nation which included vast western territories. David Thompson’s effort to not just mapping the lands but also the aboriginal cultural and religious practices is commendable and invaluable. Of course I can also value his work more closely because I have an impassioned love for hiking and geography. Though I still can’t find a ready reference of a timeline of Thompson’s surveys, I’d continue my efforts towards making that list. The Canadian government issued a commemorative stamp in 1957 on the centenary of his passing away.

References:

Discovering Klondike

November 11, 2015 General

Much as Twitter is a wonderful place for sharing updates, I realized early on it’s also a wonderful place to make lifelong friends. Regardless of where you are or the timezone one can always round up buddies around a clever discussion, as I mostly aim to do there. At one such rather insipid chat with @Shadez today I was introduced to the Klondike brand (which I foolishly thought he was referring to the Gold Rush). But the inquisitiveness drove me to taste one these ice-cream bars. And trust me, they were yum!

Then @hiway joined us to reveal how Klondike Bar was mentioned in one of the acts by the famed ventriloquist Jeff Dunham with his Achmed The Dead Terrorist. And before I knew I was enlightened by another discovery of a great act of ventriloquism, quite by chance! This was one of my lucky days loaded with fun and learning, and I couldn’t thank my friends enough for this. Cheers mates!

Rejection is Gratifying

November 9, 2015 General
If success is a measure of what you’ve achieved, then rejection or loss signifies the change that you must embrace in order to achieve success. Rejection is grappling against the tide, it’s like that flowing water which briefly encounters a rough patch of rocks. Dashing against it wildly. And then the tranquility sets in again as the stream continues towards its ultimate journey. Success only implies you have arrived at the summit, but for some it means the end of the road. I must confess that I have held my successes closer to my heart. But the rejections or losses weren’t ignored because I was blinded by success, they were just taken for granted. Because whatever it was — success or something similar, it became an integral part of my sojourn towards my destination until I decided to not to settle and move on. Carry my dreams to another level. The desire to succeed isn’t fulfilled if you are averse to rejections. So let the rejections today make up for the success of tomorrow.
Rejection is also about accepting unequivocal change. Rejection is a sign that perhaps you’re on the right trail. And while “Nothing is permanent” — as the Sun pierces the darkness turning it bright and sunny, as hot sweltering summers give way to icy cold winds. Thus too, success will come with time. Don’t stop until you have reached your destination and don’t stop looking around. Let the rejections embolden your spirits and make you more resilient. Keep track of your losses to make appropriate changes. And never ever stop dreaming! Success cannot be far away.