PUNE  HONOURS  RAJU

The empowered woman is powerful beyond measure and beautiful beyond description.  

   Steve Maraboli

We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.     

Sheryl Sandberg

        Both these quotes aptly define the tensile steel that LtCdr Rajeshwari Kori is made of. She is a woman of substance and a lot more and has been an inspiring challenge to her male contemporaries in Dept of Civil Defence, Govt of Maharashtra. 

       

       Sunday, 13 Oct 2019 was yet another Red-letter Day for LtCdr Rajeshwari Kori (Retd) when the Veterans of Navy Foundation Pune Chapter gathered at Club Cloud9 near Salunkhe Vihar to honour her and her mother, Veer Nari Kashibai Kori (wife of Late  LtCdr Gangadhar Sangappa Kori from Regulating branch). Cdr Mohan Philip greeted everyone as they arrived to usher them into the Community Hall of Cloud9. We were literally at that altitude meeting and greeting our Naval brothers. Cdr Vijay Vadhera, President NFMC was invited by Cmde PK Malhotra, President Pune Chapter to introduce the dynamic young Veteran LtCdr Kori from Mumbai to the eager buoyant gathering of Veterans and their good ladies. Rajeshwari figures in the Limca Book of Records as the first Lady Officer to be posted to a Front Line Indian Naval Warship, INS Jyoti.

       There was a huge round of applause as Raju (a nickname coined for her by her Dad) took to the Podium. She briefly covered her Naval career and elaborated upon her present job as the Dy Controller Civil Defence with Govt of Maharashtra and the rescue efforts undertaken by her along with a team of Naval divers with Geminis during the recent Kolhapur floods. Raju indeed  has been making the Indian Naval Flag flying high in her second innings. You may read about her efforts in the Blog linked below. After her address, She and her Mother were presented with mementoes amidst roaring cheer of the gathering. Cmde Rajan Vir, who has turned a Nonagenarian was felicitated with a memento by Cmde PK Malhotra (Pic below). Cmde Vir is healthy and fine and we all wished him many more glorious years ahead.   

      The presentation was followed by a meet and greet of naval veterans of Pune amidst the flow of beer and drinks. The bliss of interacting with like-minded Veterans is Priceless. We were indeed excited to meet old Naval friends Cdr LK Virmani, Cmde JJ Verma, Capt P Tripathi, Cdr Vikram Karve (Blogger), Cmde Datar, Surg Cmde Ratan Singh, my coursemate Cdr Raj Swaminathan and his cheerful lady, Cdr Joglekar who reminded me of our Garuda days and the elbow bender evenings. Unfortunately missed to meet my HIAOOU pal Cdr Rajendra Pawar, who read my previous Blog on Rajeshwari and recommended this felicitation onto her from NFPC. Pawar was away on an an outststion visit. Meena met  some colleagues of her parents whom she used to call Uncle and Aunty as a kid in NOFRA, where she spent all her childhood. It was a great honour and pleasure to meet VAdm JS Bedi, VAdm Pasricha, VAdm S Samarth, VAdm L Lowe, VAdm Ravi Kalra (Comdt AFMC), RAdm MP Taneja, RAdm DV Taneja, RAdm MM Puri, RAdm CS Patham, Cmde Subodh Purohit, and other senior officers and their charming ladies. The buffet lunch to follow was indeed top class followed by delectable dessert: Caramel custard, Gulab Jamun and sweet chocolate.

         As the Veterans started departing Meena caught them in groups to click  snaps on her DSLR for my blog later, even as President, VP and Secy of Pune Chapter thanked each one for having graced the occasion. Meena and I were almost the last guests to leave, as we smilingly shook hands with Cmde PK Malhotra, Cdr Mohan Philip and Cdr S Nadgouda.  The  cheerful day for veterans was blessed by ‘Meghraj Indra’ who ensured a cool spray interspersed in some parts of the city for the rejuvinating drive back to their homes.

      While I was on wheel to our Khese Park home, I was wondering !  Agar koi hum Veterans se poochhe, ke zindagi mein kya khoya aur kya paya ? Toh hum be-Jijhak kahenge, ‘Jo khoya vo hai hamara bachpan hamari nadaani, aur jo paya wo hai hamare Rab ki meharbani ’… !!!

Shano Varuna … Jai Hind  !!

PS: Link to the Blog on LtCdr Rajeshwari Kori...👇

http://rajdutta26.blogspot.com/2019/08/mera-naam-raju-i-thinkwomen-are-foolish.html

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 the Hon. Secy of 'Navy Foundation Mumbai Chapter' and a blogger.  

http://rajdutta26.blogspot.com/