A different ‘Truth’? The Soviet Shipyard and Odessa Port Trust gave the Patrol Boat Tests and Trials Team led by LCDR Kalidas, a rousing and grand farewell at Hotel Odessa in January 1967. Toasts galore were drunk to everyone’s good health and to Indisky-Sovietsky Drushbu (Indo-Soviet friendship). We had a gala time on the floor dancing the Charleston and Cha-Cha-Cha. Thanks to countless Vodkas and Tomato juices, we were all in a relaxed and friendly mood. Even the usually stern Mr. Sebeken (Head of the Shipyard team) unbent and was seen laughing and cracking jokes. I made bold to pop a question to him, which our interpreter Tanya initially hesitated to translate. But I egged her on. She then asked him “Mr. Sebeken, Lieutenant Mohan Ram wants to know, why you told them so many lies all these days?” Mr. Sebeken had told us a whole string of lies about dates of arrival of ships and other technical matters during interactions. Our three week deputation got extended to ten weeks due to late arrival of the boats at Odessa. The poker-faced man could bluff without batting an eyelid. He had also forced us to work in the open in cold weather and snow, for sample checking base and depot spares, to be sent to India. Sebeken demanded that we blindly accept that the base and depot spares were as per the spares list and sign a blank check. When Kalidas refused, he insisted that we check each and every item, which was manifestly impracticable. Again Kalidas refused and would not budge to pressure. Finally, we agreed to carry out a 10% sample check at random and certify that the sample check was in order. The spares would be checked in full after receipt at Bombay. As a punishment for our tough stand, we were made to work out in the open at -10 degree C, in pouring snow. We stood tough and faced the ordeal. Frankly, our relations with Sebeken were frigid. When Tanya asked him the question, Sebeken smiled and replied “We never write lies.” What he meant was that he might have told any number of lies during discussions but he would never put anything which was not factual, in writing! A good policy. (To be fair, when the B & D spares were counted in India, not a single item was short.) That was a novel definition of truth, Soviet style!
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 06:38:47 +0000
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