Former Member of Parliament and Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi, who passed away in Pune, is remembered by a fellow cadet from the National Defence Academy as a natural-born organiser, a trait that defined his life from the academy to his political career.
NDA Days: The Foundation of a Natural Leader
Eighty two-year-old Wing Commander Vijay Shrotriya (Retd), who trained alongside Kalmadi in the prestigious 25th course of the NDA, shared his memories with The Indian Express. The course began on January 1, 1961 and concluded on December 1, 1963. Kalmadi had joined the academy after attending Fergusson College in Pune.
"I remember Suresh as a very energetic and approachable cadet," Wg Cdr Shrotriya recalled. "But one quality stands out: his instinctive ability to organise. During the fifth and sixth terms at NDA, he took keen interest in organising meetings and functions. Whether at the squadron or station level, he was always given that responsibility and excelled at it as if born to do it."
Service in the Indian Air Force: A Transport Pilot's Journey
After NDA, Kalmadi underwent training at the Air Force Flying College in Jodhpur and the Pilot Training Establishment in Allahabad. He was commissioned into the IAF in December 1964 as a transport pilot.
During his decade-long service, Kalmadi primarily flew the Fairchild Packet aircraft, a transport plane used for air maintenance and paradropping operations. He was posted in Agra for a significant period and, true to his nature, actively organised squadron and station-level activities there.
Wg Cdr Shrotriya noted that Kalmadi was in active service during both the 1965 and 1971 wars, though specific details of his operational participation remain unclear. Kalmadi retired in December 1974 after completing ten years of service, holding the rank of Flight Lieutenant. His final posting was as an instructor with the Air Force Training Team at his alma mater, the NDA.
From Uniform to Public Life: Fulfilling an Ambition
"Even during his IAF service, he expressed his intention to retire early," Shrotriya said. "He was interested in utilising his organising skills in public life and politics. And he did exactly as he intended."
After leaving the Air Force, Kalmadi ventured into business, starting a hotel and a venture named Sai Services. However, his true calling was politics, where he famously utilised his organisational prowess on a much larger stage.
The two coursemates last met at length around two decades ago during a reunion of the 25th NDA course, organised by then Army Chief General J J Singh, also a batchmate. Kalmadi hosted a get-together at his farm for the alumni. Their final brief meeting was about four years ago at an Air Force Day event, where Kalmadi was facing difficulty in movement.
Wing Commander Shrotriya, who served for 23 years before retiring in June 1988 and founding a computer hardware company, looks back at Kalmadi's life as a testament to a singular, powerful instinct: the instinct to bring people and events together.
