TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO STEP OUT.
I COMMENCED THIS MARCH 37 YEARS BACK.
IT WAS LONG, IT WAS ARDOROUS, MANY A ROADS I TRAVELLED, MANY A HILLS I CLIMBED, MANY A GREAT MEN LED ME. AS THEY STEPPED OUT, I WAS PUSHED UP.
I WAS GIVEN THE HELM OF 3 SHIPS AND EQUAL NUMBER OF SHORE STATIONS. THE GOING WAS TOUGH, THE SEAS WERE ROUGH AND IN MORE NIGHTS IT WAS FLAT CALM AND SMOOTH.
I CAME ACROSS MANY GOOD PEOPLE. ALL ARE REMEMBERED ONLY WITH FONDNESS AND PRIDE. I TOILED ALWAYS TO MAKE THE SHIP PROUD.
MAKE THE MEN PROUD OF THEIR ACHIVEMENTS, THE HEIGHTS SCALED BY HARD WORK AND TOIL AND TO LOOK AHEAD TO CONQUER MORE. NEVER WE FALTERED, ALWAYS ACHIEVED WE REMAIN.
EVERY MILESTONE I CROSSED NEVER ALLOWED ME TO REST BUT GAVE THE STRENGTH TO TOUCH THE NEXT. THE CREDIT FOR ALL THIS IS NOT FOR ME -BUT FOR YOU. YOU GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO CHANGE. I TRUSTED ON YOUR COURAGE, HONESTY AND INTEGREITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, YOU NEVER FAILED ME. THANK YOU.
I HAVE AMASSED NOTHING IN SILVER, I LIVED ON WHAT I DESERVE AND GIVEN. I NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANYTHING OUT OF THE WAY. I GOT WHAT DESTINY HAD KEPT IN STORE FOR ME. SATISFIED AND COMFORTED I RETURN.
YOU ALL TRUSTED ME. EACH ONE OF YOU BELIEVED IN ME MORE THAN I CAN REPAY- YOUR LOVE, YOUR TRUST, YOUR CONFIDENCE IN ME IS THE GREATEST TREASURE I CARRY AWAY FROM HERE.
MUSCLES ARE NOT WEEK YET, HEART IS FULL OF COURAGE. IDEAS ARE NOT IN SHORT. BUT THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO STEP ASIDE FOR OTHERS TO COME FORWARD AND LEAD. THAT IS NATURES LAW! THAT IS NAVY'S WAY!
WHEN I ACCEPT YOUR SALUTE TODAY I KNOW IT IS THE LAST IN THIS LIFE. I ACCEPT IT WITH PRIDE AND HONOUR. NEVER TO FORGET BUT ETCHED IT WILL REMAIN TO MY GRAVE FINALLY. THANK YOU FRIENDS!
THANK YOU COMRADES!
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH ME IN THICK AND THIN. YOU GAVE ME STRENGTH, YOU MADE ME WHAT I AM. REMEMBER ME FOR WHAT I WAS. IF I HAD FALTERED, IF I EVER FAILED YOU, TRUST ME IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL. PARDON ME CONSIDERING AS SENILITY OF AN ELDER.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY AND THE CHILDREN- THEY ARE THE GREATEST ASSET OF YOU AND THE NATION. I WISH YOU ALL AND YOUR FAMILY GODSPEED AND LUCK.
I ONLY ASK YOU ONE THING FROM YOU ON THIS DAY AS I GO BEHIND THE CURTAIN. PLEDGE TO ME THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO ENSURE:
THAT THE FUTURE OF THE NATION IS SAFE.
OUR SEAS NEVER VIOLATED.
OUR BOUNDARIED NEVER TRESSPASSED.
OUR HONOUR ALWAYS PROTECTED.
OUR PRIDE NEVER COMPROMISED.
OUR DEMOCRACY RESPECTED AND NEVER CHALLENGED,
OUR FREEDOM EVER PRESERVED ,
OUR NATION NEVER EVER CONQUERED.
ALL THESE PLEDGES OF YOURS WILL ENSURE THAT....
SARA JAHAN SE ACHA HINDUSTAN HAMARA. .....
AND FINALLY JOIN ME FOR THE LAST TIME TOGETHER TO PROUDLY PRONOUNCE
'BHARATIYA NAU SENA KI JAI'. THRICE
JAI HIND.”
