BHUBANESWAR: An autobiographical by Vice Admiral Shri Harilal Sharma (Retd) was released at an event held here on Sunday. While the book ‘My Years at Sea’ was written 20 years back during one of Sharma’s visits to the USA, it received excellent response on the internet which prompted him to release it in book format.
With the wonderful pay structure and facilities being offered in the defence services, Sharma thought it apt to release the book to make job seekers realise that the opportunities and adventures await them.
Sources said based on Sharma’s true life incidents, two Bollywood films, Rustom and Ghazi Attack, were released last year. “I took over as the second in command of the Flagship INS Mysore after Cdr Nanavati and Fleet Commander when PNS Ghazi was sunk,” said Sharma quoting from the book.
Speaking on the occasion, former DG Police Amiya Bhusan Tripathy said there is a need to read and propagate instances, personalities and their achievements which are milestones of Indian and Odia history. “Not many know that it was Admiral Sharma who commanded the Eastern fleet at Vizag which blocked the Chittagong port that proved crucial in liberating Bangladesh,” he added.
Among others, Major General (Retd) BK Mohapatra, former Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University of Culture Bimalendu Mohanty and social activist Murli Manohar Sharma also spoke.