Buying a Premier Padmini of 1978 vintage for Rs 30,000

In those days, HAL gave Rs 30,000 as car loan for purchase of a four-wheeler because it was that period when there were a few models of cars on the roads. Most popular in the four-wheelers were the grand old Ambassador car of the Hindustan Motors and Premier Padmini, the Indian version of the Italian Fiat. The amount of car loan was just enough to cover the cost of a second hand model and, when I became eligible to get a loan, I applied.
The approval of competent authorities used to take some time because there was an annual quota of loans that would be disbursed and, invariably, there would be someone who would try to squeeze in the queue quoting some reason or the other.
As I waited for the approval, I set in motion activities connected to acquiring a car, activities like carrying out a recee of the cars available in the market. To help me in this work I got hold of a Malayalee – he was a master in automobiles and, most of the garages in Nashik had hordes of Malayalee workers. That helped.

Finally, I zeroed in on a white colored 1978 Premier Padmini and settled for Rs 30,000. I paid the owner a token amount for booking. My application for loan had been cleared but imagine my surprise when I came to know that there was an embargo on issue of further loans for that financial year. It was a directive from HAL Corporate Office.
When I checked with my friends in Bangalore, they informed that the orders had certainly come but the local Finance department had decided to pay the loans to those whose approvals had come and then apply the embargo.
Unfortunately, in Nashik, the Finance department was a stickler for rules and, even though my loan had been approved, I could not get the loan amount. I was in a fix because I had already committed to the deal and had to, therefore, arrange the money from alternative sources.
All this happened just before my departure with the Russian specialist to New Delhi and I had to leave the car parked in front of my quarter. I never imagined that my son would take advantage of the ready availability of the car and, on the pretext of warming it up in the mornings, he would take the car out on the road.
By the time I returned from Delhi, he had mastered the art of driving and, later, taught me how to drive!! (to be continued …)

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Wing Commander who wore a wig and rode a scooter

Yes, this Wing Commander was the head of Customer Services and my boss. He was a unique person and the more I got to know him, the more was I struck by his methods. He was a Bengali and never spoke in Bengali. He owned a Fiat – an original Italian version. And, he maintained it by himself. If you opened the bonnet, you not find a speck of dust or a drop of oil anywhere. He also owned a scooter and would come to office on the two wheeler. In order to keep his wig from flying off, he used to hold it in place by a pair of goggles that he would place strategically on his forehead – to lock the edge of the wig in place.

This boss was different from others because he could also strum the guitar. This was revealed at the farewell party of a colleague. In order to liven up the evening, he had come with his instrument and sang some of his favorite sings. One of these was – ‘mere piya gaye Rangoon, wahan say kiya hai telephone …’
As I have mentioned earlier, he initially did not give much importance. But, one day, I discovered a letter from the IAF that he had marked to me by name. ‘Ghose, please discuss’. It was a purely technical subject and I discussed with my elderly colleagues on how I should approach the subject. But, their replies did not help. So, I decided to study the subject on my own, and gather as much information as possible.
That took me the rest of the day and next morning, I met my boss after he had settled in.
I narrated to him what I had found out and he appeared to be impressed. He wanted to see it himself and I accompanied down the stairs and climbed into the cockpit of one of the aircraft in the hangar. I had carried with be drawings and explained to him the nature of problem that our customers had referred to us for clarification.
That was my first test and I had passed it with flying colors because, soon he began to mark more and more such letters to me for my actions. (to be continued …)


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Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

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