Hero of The Indian Navy- INS Vikrant

My Dear Young and Little Indians,

India has 15,106 km of land borders with other countries and 7,516 kms of coastline (borders along the seas)

A large country like India needs bigger ships to protect its coastline.

Ships that can carry naval officers and weapons are not enough.

We need ships that act as a full fledged military base.

This floating military base has to be self sufficient like a city.

This requirement is met by air craft carriers.

These ships are so huge that they can carry multiple fighter jets and offer take-off and landing facility to aircrafts.

 

INS Vikrant was the first air craft carrier of Indian Navy.

It was commissioned into the Indian Navy 60 years back on 4 March 1961.

After serving India and The Indian Navy for 36 years, INS Vikrant was decommissioned on 31 January 1997.

(Commission is a military term meaning joining the military. Decommission means leaving the military or retiring from service. When an officer or military hardware like ships and aircrafts join the military, they are said to be commissioned into the Force. However, the word ‘Decommission’ is used only for military hardware. The term used when Officers and men leave the force is ‘retirement’ or ‘superannuation’)

 

The first major operation that INS Vikrant saw was the annexation of Goa by India.

Goa, Daman and Diu were ruled by the Portuguese.

In December 1961, Indian Armed Forces pushed out the Portuguese and Goa, Daman and Diu became a part of The Union of India. This operation was called “Operation Vijay”.

INS Vikrant did not get an opportunity to be in action during Operation Vijay but the very presence of a huge air craft carrier (floating Indian military base) was enough to keep foreign forces away.

No country had the courage to sail near India in the Arabian Sea in order to help Portugal forces in Goa.

Goa was liberated in just 36 hours.

 

The other major operation of INS Vikrant was The India Pakistan war of 1971.

INS Vikrant was a part of The Eastern Naval Command.

Eastern Naval Command is that part of the Navy which is entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the eastern part of India.

East Pakistan (now called Bangladesh) was on the eastern side of India.

INS Vikrant imposed a Naval blockade in The Bay of Bengal.

This means the sea route to East Pakistan was blocked by INS Vikrant. Pakistani war ships from West Pakistan (now called Pakistan) could not reach East Pakistan.

Indian Air Force imposed Air blockade by not allowing Pakistani aircrafts to reach East Pakistan. And The Indian Army moved inside East Pakistan

Supply of arms and food was completely cut off. More than this, the Pakistani soldiers lost the will to fight because they knew they were cut-off from the rest of the world.

Surrender was the only option left.

 

Remembering INS Vikrant on its 60th Commissioning day (or its 60th Birthday) is made all the more important by the fact that we are celebrating the 50th year of India's glorious victory over Pakistan in 1971.

The military hardware-- ships, aircrafts, guns-- and the animals –military dogs-- that a soldier uses to trace, deter and kill the enemy are also our Heroes.

 

In June 1970 INS Vikrant developed some problems with its boilers and had to be docked for repairs.

Like a true soldier, INS Vikrant made itself ready and fit & fine by March 1971 when the possibility of a war was felt.

I feel INS Vikrant would have said this like an Indian soldier-

मैं भी लड़ाई में चलूँगा

मुझे पीछे छोड़ कर मत जाना

मैं इसी दिन के लिए तो फ़ौज में भर्ती हुआ था

 

My dear Indians,

Never ever forget your Heroes

 Someone has said-

"A nation that cannot honour its heroes is not worth the sacrifice"

India is worth a billion sacrifices..... and more.

Remember- Remind-Respect

Jai Hind !