Monday, 28 October 2019


A  SPIRITED  OCTOGENARIAN

CDR  MADAN LAL SEHMBI


Lets never know what old age is;  Lets know the happiness time brings, not count the years.  Ausonius


The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasmAldous Huxley


            Both these wonderful quotes define Commander Madan Lal Sehmbi (85029-N) (NFMC L- 106), whom I  first met with his good lady Mrs Bakshish Kaur 9 yrs ago during the US Club Tombola. What impressed me most was his colossal amount of energy that he is blessed with. Even at 86 yrs today he could beat any young man in enthusiasm ….He drives all the way from  Vasai to Colaba and back (140 km), every Sunday to spend his day there, traversing the entire length of Mumbai central corridor via Thane single-handedly along with his Life companion… I have been meeting him every Sunday at US club for the past 9 years. He is perfectly fit as a fiddle and has been honoured with the Octogenarian Plaque of honour and memento from NHQ and NFMC.



         Cdr & Mrs Madan Lal have been blessed with daughter Meena and son Surinder, (Daughter-in-law Vinni). While the former is a British citizen, his Son’s family is settled in Vasai…Cdr and Mrs Madan Lal are staying in the same building a floor above his Son. One Sunday morning, 3 yrs ago when I met him at US club Tombola, he appeared so happily blushing and at a loss for words for his happiness…Why not… That morning he had received a call from England that His Daughter Meena had become a Grandmother as his grand-daughter Sharan Matharu had been blessed with a cute daughter, later named Ania. That made him and his good lady blessed Great-grandparents…An honour blessed to very few fortunate ones. WOW  !  he deserved to relish the golden ladder to heaven as they say.. …And he said laughing, “Mera janaza toh band baje ke saath jayega”.  Sir, that’s not anywhere near the horizon, God bless your youthfulness, Sir … To celebrate the occasion the couple had brought delectable sweets for all friends at the US club.

          Commander Madan Lal is known for his instant witty Shero-Shayari and has written volumes, which have been published in Hindi and Urdu dailies…He has also been contributing to the Facebook group YKDN (Yaad Kiya Dil Ne) founded by Cmde Ravinder PS Ravi, an active NFMC member,

      Little Madan was born on 29th Jun 1933 in vill Bagwain, Garhshankar Punjab. They were a large family of 3 brothers and 4 sisters. His father worked in MES. After his initial schooling in Punjab, the family shifted to Quetta where Madan did middle school. A day before partition they migrated back to Garhshankar, but unfortunately, his dear Mother passed away within 20 days after witnessing the horror at Attari on 14th Aug 47. Young Madan joined the Indian Navy in 1951 as a Boy of 18, when our fine Indian Navy was in the incipient state post-independence. He served onboard IN ships Sutlej, Gomti, Investigator, Ganga, Cannanore and Vikrant (3 times). He got commissioned in 1963 and was commended by CNS for expeditious overhauling of INS Talwar’s Turbo Alternators prior to its sailing for Russia to escort our First Submarine. In 1972 he was deputed to the Royal Malaysian Navy and during his 3 yrs tenure there he was commended by CNS of RMN for his professionalism in overhauling a number of GTs and upkeep of their speed boats. On his return, he was instrumental in the salvage operation of INS Godavari, when it got grounded on the shores of Male in mid-Seventies for which he was bestowed with the honour of Nau Sena Medal (Gallantry)…

         During his  MDL tenure, he pioneered the setting up of Nhava Yard for the manufacture of Off-Shore drilling platforms in 1981-83 prior to hanging his boots. For his professionalism contribution to Service Cdr Madan Lal was awarded Vishishth Seva Medal, besides NM (Gallantry) and Commendations by the Chiefs of the Indian Navy and Malaysian Navy. An honour unmatched.

        Cdr Madan Lal gets up every morning at 0400 hrs to indulge in his poetry passion. His today’s jottings for you,

FOR SATURDAY = 29 JUNE 2019
-------------------------------------------------
khush to hoon main - is baat se buhat 
ek saal aur badh - raha hai meri ummar mein 
--
magar bhool kaise jaaoon main bhi is baat ko 
ek saal aur kam ho raha - meri baaqi ummar mein 
---
waise to buhat khush hoon - main apni is zindagi se 
har ek cheez buhat achhi milli - hai mujhe is ummar mein 
----
khatam to hoti nahi kabhi bhi - ichhaayein insaan ki 
magar mujhe to buhat kuchh - milla hai is ummar mein 
-----
sajade to main karta nahi - bhagwaan ke raat din 
magar shukkar bajaa aata hoon - mauqe par is ummar mein 
------
buhat badda to nahi - magar chhotaa bhi nahi pariwaar mera 
buhat khiyaal rakhata hai jo mera - is ummar mein 
------
pad-naana ban chukka hoon do baar - main is ummar mein 
sone ki yeh do seedhiyaan - tayaar hain is ummar mein 
--------
pad-daada banane ke chakkar mein hoon ab main 
jis ka be-sabari se intezaar hai - is ummar mein 
--------
sangi saathi kayi mere - bichhad chukke hain -MADAN -
magar saath abhi tak chal rahaa hai hum safar is ummar mein


Sir,  Keep expressing yourself with Shero-Shayari, which is your forte ……May you continue to live long and continue to regale us with your witty writings ….!!  We at Team NFMC wish Cdr Madan Lal Sehmbi and his good lady very many glorious years ahead.

Shano Varuna …. Jai Hind.


Cdr MadanLal extr Left, Cdr VK Raizada Centre, Capt Mohan Ram 4th 




Cdr MadanLal 4th from Left, Capt Mohan Ram 7th 

























About the Author
Commander Rajinder Dutta (Retd) has been a Naval Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor with about 3000 hrs of flying on various fixed wing Aircraft of Indian Navy, viz HT-2, HPT-32, Kirans, Islander, Super Connie, Fokker F-27 and IL-38.

 He is Hon. Secy NFMC, a Master of Ceremonies and an avid blogger. 




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