When an air warrior fired ‘poetic missiles’ penetrating R&D hearts…
Rare are occasions when one gets to hear a speech from a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) official packed with thought-provoking quotes and poems.
During the Foundation Day celebrations of one of the defence establishments in Bengaluru recently, Air Commodore Dr Deepak Gaur, Commandant, Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), IAF, unleashed a script that had many poetic moments, all thought-provoking ones.
He first quoted from A E Housman (1859-1936), revered as one of the greatest scholars ever lived. The English poet and classical scholar attained fame for his collection of poems ‘A Shropshire Lad.'
Quoting from a poignant poem from Housman, Air Commodore Gaur, said: "Four lines express the anguish of young soldiers who would rather be alive to enjoy than die. I quote from Housman.
"Here
dead
we
lie
Because
we
did
not
choose
To
live
and
shame
the
land
From
which
we
sprung.
Life,
to
be
sure,
Is
nothing
much
to
lose,
But
young
men
think
it
is,
And
we
were
young."
Rudyard Kipling's famous poem ‘If' comes alive
The top aerospace medicine expert in the country was emphasizing the need for developing equipment that would augment safety and save the lives of personnel of all three services.
"As long as we remain acutely aware why we do, what we do, we remain meaningful and we possess a sense of fulfillment," he said. Air Commodore Gaur complemented the defence lab for developing home-grown life support systems for soldiers, air warriors and sailors.
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the famous Bombay-born English short story writer, poet, and novelist was on Air Commodore's radar next.
Saying that Passion, Equanimity and Perseverance are key ingredients of an R&D person, the IAF brain quoted from Rudyard Kipling's famous poem, ‘If.'
"If
you
can
dream-and
not
make
dreams
your
master;
If
you
can
think-and
not
make
thoughts
your
aim;
If
you
can
meet
with
Triumph
and
Disaster;
And
treat
those
two
impostors
just
the
same;
If
you
can
bear
to
hear
the
truth
you've
spoken
Twisted
by
knaves
to
make
a
trap
for
fools,
Or
watch
the
things
you
gave
your
life
to,
broken,
And
stoop
and
build
'em
up
with
worn-out
tools.
R&D persons must be seekers of truth
Speaking to a packed audience and in the company of Dr G Satheesh Reddy, the newly-appointed Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister, Air Commodore Gaur drew a parallel between doctors and scientists.
"Doctors grapple with diagnosis, strive to cure and finally enjoy the smile of a cured patient. Scientists grapple with problems, strive for solutions and enjoy the Eureka Moment," he said.
Touching upon the desirable traits of a R&D person, Air Commodore Gaur said that they must be seekers of truth with honesty of purpose, commitment to the cause and with a helping attitude.
While the audience enjoyed every bit of gyan from the chief guest, the IAF official ended his speech quoting a verse from ‘Invictus', written by William Ernest Henley (1849-1903).
"If we have belief in ourselves, then no path will be too difficult, no impediment too daunting. Let me end this talk with a verse from Invictus," he said, quoting:
"It
matters
not
how
strait
the
gate,
How
charged
with
punishments
the
scroll,
I
am
the
master
of
my
fate:
I
am
the
captain
of
my
soul."
It was definitely an address with a difference for the defence gathering, who are otherwise used to the please-all, self-patting speeches often made by guests and guests of honour.
Will
the
inspiring
dose
of
thoughts
from
an
air
warrior,
have
any
impact
on
the
otherwise
lethargic
R&D
set-up
in
India?
That's
the
million-dollar
question
left
hanging!
(The writer is a seasoned aerospace and defence journalist in India. He is the Consultant Editor (Defence) with OneIndia. He tweets @writetake.)