Partners’ Day – 18th January
All Partners of our community would like to have a “Partners Day” / Artificers Day. This Day will be something similar to Navy / Army / Air Force Day.
Importance of this day in the calendar: This day will be considered as a festival and celebrate all Partners across the Globe, Partners in small or large group, greet and celebrate. Like any important day in one’s life or in a community or Group, we may celebrate it with GTG/Lunch/Dinner Meetings. We also may convey our Good Wishes to each other in person, over the Phone call or through social media. Apart from the above, individual Partners/or Groups may decide and celebrate, keeping in mind that such actions are not against any Law of the land or does not hamper Social Harmony and our behavior and conduct must be above board to make the whole fraternity proud of such acts.
Actions So far: Though, from time to time, this topic was raised, but due to non-seriousness of Partners on this account, it did not move beyond that short discussions over the table. But since last THREE years, partners were serious on these discussions and efforts put in to take it to conclusion. A large number of Partners took part in these discussions and deliberations. A large number of suggestions were put forth and discussed. While shortlisting the suggestions on Partners Day, we were able to list these as under.
1. Day when A-1 Class was recruited and can be called as the Birth Day of Artificers Fraternity.
2. Day when word Partner came into existence.
3. Day when large number of 85 Partners were released from service.
4. First Saturday of Dec, for e.g. this year it is 1 Dec 2018.
5. First week of May every year.
6. Since we all are from Navy, then why don’t we consider 4 Dec. “PARTNERS DAY”
All these points were now discussed with some of the Partners, who are active in one or the other activity of Partners/Artificers. We wish to inform all concerned that Only Retired/Released Partners were consulted, and none in Active Service was brought into loop. A brief on the discussions for every point mentioned above is given below.
1. Recruitment Day For A/01: Thanks to senior partners Thomas Chaze, Venugoal Nambiarand a few more senior partners, who travelled /visited to some very elderly Partners residing atdifferent Locations to dig the History of Artificers Recruitment. Some of us did approach INS Shivaji, but did not bear any fruit, as they were unable to provide this Historical information. As per the information available from Partners from Class 4 and Class 8. First six Classes, namely A/01 to A/06, were recruited and trained at Royal Naval Base at Karachi. First Batch was recruited in mid Jan 1942. Apprentices of A/01 to A/06 were shifted to ‘Strokers School at HMIS Dalhousie (Present INS Angre) by end of 1944. Early 1945 HMIS Shivaji was commissioned and all the Apprentices from A/01 to A/06 were shifted to Shivaji and A/07 was recruited at the same time. Later in mid July 1945 A/08 was also recruited and all 8 Classes were conducted at HMIS SHIVAJI. A/01 passed out of HMIS Shivaji in Jan 1946 and next class A/09 was recruited. This process continued thereafter. HMIS Shivaji renamed as INS Shivaji, on 26.02.1950, which she holds till date. We are unable to trace the year in which Artificer Apprentices recruitment was stopped for one year. Thus, it is evident and very clear that A/01 was recruited into Royal Indian Navy in Mid-January 1942. which is the Birth Day for Artificer Apprentices (Partners).
2 Day When Word Partners came into existence: It’s an important point and was considered. Though the word Partners looks like was born with the Birth of Artificers Apprentices undergoing training. But Very senior Partners were unable to recollect, if ever they used this word during training. But further down the line, partners do remember addressing each other as Gaonwalas and Partners, but unable to pin point, exactly, when it was born. It’s assumed that like an evolution, this must have got into our culture gradually Further search did not yield and concrete results, thus will be a wild guess to point out any Specific date.
3 Day When Large Number of Partners from A/85 were released from Service: We did try to find out on this point, but unfortunately a few classes below 85 and very few above 85 know about this Case and majority of the Partners are unaware of this incidence.
4. First Saturday of Dec, for e.g. this year it is 1 Dec 2018: While talking / discussing this point, we could not find any logic in picking up this date
5. First week of May every year: Same as point no 4 above
6. Since we all from Navy, then why don’t we consider 4 Dec.“PARTNERS DAY”: Majority believed Certainly NAVY DAY is celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm and is an important day. Placing Partners Day also on that, will lose its importance, it will be like a small plant under a towering tree, thus not considered.
Conclusion: Vast Majority of Partners are in favour of the Day when First Batch was recruited as it seems more logical and well accepted norm worldwide. This Day is Mid-January 1942.
Therefore, Partners Day has been concluded to be celebrated on 18 Jan of every year, with effect from 18 Jan 2019, however Partners can consider nearest weekend for organizing large gathering for the celebration purpose in their respective city / area.
Nice! And the Logo too is pretty