Height of women empowerment
It was 630 in the morning and my newly installed landline phone rang. It was a novelty in those days without the fancy features like called ID and such things. That was my friend Subramanian from Marketing at the other end. He is known for practical jokes. He said “Hey our LCA has scored a hit” I was flabbergasted and shouted into the phone “What did a war start somewhere?” There was no reply as Subbu cut the phone
I was left wondering about his cryptic message. Did our LCA beat Chinese Long Dong in dogfights over the icy wastes of Tibet? Or their clones in Pakistan? Or the much-feared American F16 or F35 over Pakistan? I was full of such doubts as I prepared for the much dreaded monthly review meeting.
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I was grumpy that morning with not much sleep with our mongrel in residence picking up fights with passing strays and the racket didn’t help my sleep at all. On top of that, today is the day of the monthly production review meeting chaired by our own formidable General Manager, Colonel Kaliandasany. Full Bird Colonel as they say in Hollywood movies.
He is reputed to have an elephantine memory and none can bluff his way out of tight spots. He remembers whatever one commits in a meeting even six months ago. If anyone underestimates him as he is a mechanical engineer running a defense electronic industry he has another thing coming.
The other day during a visit to the Airborne Radar Division, a full power test was going on and for some unknown reason, everyone on the shop floor was feeling uncomfortable. Then the GM walks in with all his entourage and after observing for some time says “Something seems to be missing”. Everyone was getting cooked in a huge microwave oven and feeling hot.
One technician sheepishly connected the missing antenna load resistor and everything seems to be ok. It should be credited to the designers of that power amplifier that with all that reverse power with no load did not burn the power amplifier.
We reached the conference hall and took our seats. The review started with the VHF Communication division. “What is the status of VHF com receivers? GM queried the chief manager. “Sir the front end is being held up by QC sir”. “May I know the reason,” GM asked. QC manager replied that the module is not meeting the minimum gain requirement of 60dB as per specification so we cannot pass them. It is generating a gain of only 40 Db.
Godbole, also nicknamed The Artful Dodger, the Inventory control manager spearheading the Indigenization drive, chipped in “Sir as part of the Indigenous drive we procured the same type of transistors BEL 3N200 from Indigenous sources. It met all the performance parameters as per specs and so we released it to the shop for production after passing through Inwards Goods Inspection... The item not meeting specs in production sets is news to me”
GM asked “What is the alternative now” Godbole replied that we have to revert to the original supplier and use the component from RCA.GM asked “How many per set” Godbole replied” Four transistors for each set and we procured 100 no’s for 25 sets. We have to send all the modules for rework to replace the units.” What is the lead time” GM asked. Godbole replied “Three weeks at the latest” GM kept silent for some time and was thinking of the explanation to be submitted to the Head Office as he had already committed delivery of 25 units by the end of that month.
That is the end of the indigenous drive launched by Godbole, The Artful Dodger.
Then there is Kotineni Sambasivarao popularly known as KSR’s Chief Manager from System Audit taking notes. He is from Vijayawada and is a crusader for eliminating SCs from the face of the earth. The higher-ups didn’t understand his animosity towards Dalits. One engineer from the SC community was posted in the Radar division under his charge and he made that person’s life hell by harassing, micromanaging, and determined to throw him out. So he wrote adverse remarks about that engineer and inadvertently the ACR passed all three levels of review and signed by the GM himself. Nobody noticed the adverse recommendation for extending the probation. So his probation was extended.
One day the probationer went up the roof of five floors and jumped to the ground in a clear case of suicide. As soon as his body hit the ground his head split open and he died on the spot. The security staff rushed to the roof of the fifth floor and found a note mentioning KSR as responsible for taking that extreme step. The vigilance chief got hold of that note and kept it hidden from everyone except the GM. The GM kept it a secret and put up a story that the engineer went to the Radar antenna to make some adjustments but slipped and fell. But the GM sent a confidential note to Head Quarters and was told to pull out that KSR from active production roles and be shunted out of the shop floor. Had the reality leaked out, the SC commission would have come down like a ton of bricks and the stink would have reached the Parliament itself. Many heads would have rolled out.
KSR was given a cabin with one assistant to lord over for sending and receiving correspondence to headquarters.
Next was the turn of IFF LCA from the R&D division. The shop manager claimed that all 50 units are pending with QC. The concerned DGM replied that QC is holding version 5 drawings whereas Designs has launched version 7 to the Engineering Dept. “There is utter chaos, sir, we do not know which version to use for inspection” The GM smiled and said to himself “Trust the civilians to mess up anything. “He said impatiently to the DGM Designs “Please sort it by the end of the day and keep me posted.”
Then came the turn of the Army project- Tank Gear Box Controller. “What is the position of this item?” GM queried. QC manager replied “Sir, Army people are not coming for inspection as the modified drawings of the neoprene gasket have not reached them. Marketing claims they have sent amendments but not received by COD Agra.” GM demanded to see the dispatch details which were promptly provided. In the mailing list, it was sent to Air HQ but not to COD Agra.GM became furious and asked the Marketing DGM “What has Air Force got to do with Vijayanta tank? Send the amendment to COD Agra and get an extension of the delivery period by tomorrow.” The same case was with the naval version of the IFF transponder where the delivery date has expired and the Amended DD was sent to Air HQ instead of Naval HQ and the Marketing Manager got some tongue-lashing from GM.
While all this was going on no one mentioned any air battles or skirmishes anywhere. The GM was not given to small talk apart from the business on hand alone. I expected to listen to the exploits of our LCA in distant lands and every country queuing up to buy our own LCA. I may not be a genius but they may need the services of a nuts and bolts counter like me. But sadly no one mentioned any skirmishes. I was dreaming of nude beaches and belly dancers.
Reviewed over and I was relieved that we escaped any reprimand as I went fully prepared. I gave strict instructions to my assistant Raju not to contradict but discreetly send some slips in case of any mistake from my end.
It was lunchtime and we all trooped back to the canteen after dumping the files our files in our offices. Subramanian was holding forth with full gusto at a distant table. After lunch, we used to gather at our favorite tree at the rear entrance for small talk before dispersing to our work spots.
As soon I met I shot the question uppermost in my mind “What is the brouhaha about LCA.” He said, “Relax it is about our own Aruna.” I asked, “Whatever happened to her.” Aruna was from the R&D department and was working on the Mission Computer of LCA.
Aruna was a short lady and had a combative attitude towards one and all. General Managers dreaded to cross her paths as they were terrified of her combative attitude, her mastery over MIL standards, and hence the nickname LCA, Light Combative Aruna. Then Subramanian filled in the details.
The long and short of it is, that she got married to another engineer in an arranged match. He was working in the ceiling fan industry. Aruna graduated from NIT with honors whereas her husband passed out from a Rural Engineering college. He is working in the nuts and bolts industry whereas she is working on Mission Computer of LCA no less and so naturally she is superior to him in all respects. So she felt she need not cook, wash his clothes, or sleep with him as it is below her station in life. She hated him and all his family members. Fights were raging in her household over trivial issues and finally, she used the dreaded Section 498A of the India Penal Code, the ultimate weapon of disgruntled and vengeful wives. Her husband and in-laws including his grandma were arrested and landed in prison. After spending one month in jail, they were released on bail and her husband promptly hanged himself inside the house.
That is the tale of the first kill of LCA even before joining squadron service.
Tag words: LCA, mission computer, Section 498A IPC.