On the day India turns 75, naval warships will hoist the tricolour on all six continents while a home-grown howitzer for the first time will be a part of the ceremonial 21-gun salute along with the British guns that are traditionally fired till now.
Over the past one and half months, the Indian Navy has orchestrated the deployment of its ships in such a manner that they can hoist the national flag on August 15 across six continents, three oceans and six different time zones in the presence of the local embassy officials and the diaspora.
Missile destroyer INS Chennai and frigate INS Betwa will be in Muscat, Oman in west Asia whereas patrol ship INS Saryu will be in Singapore. INS Trikand will be in Mombasa in Kenya (Africa), INS Sumedha in Perth (Australia), INS Tarkash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (South America), INS Satpura in San Diego (North America) and the sailing ship INS Tarangini in London (Europe).
In London, the crew of INS Tarangini would be paying homage to the Indian soldiers, who made supreme sacrifice during the two World Wars, at the Commonwealth Memorial gates.
Similarly, a ceremonial wreath laying by the Indian Navy ship crew is scheduled at Kranji War Memorial and the INA Marker in Singapore. At Mombasa (Kenya), the crew will participate in the inauguration of a commemorative pillar in the Battlefield area of the Taita Taveta region where Indian soldiers fought and sacrificed their lives whilst serving in East Africa campaign of World War – I.
The commemorative events in Kenya will also include battlefield tours, a mobile exhibition and a Light and Sound show at Fort Jesus highlighting the contribution of the Indian soldiers in WW-I as well as India’s struggle for independence.
At the main celebration event in the Red Fort, one of the main attractions would be the indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System prototype, developed by DRDO’s Armament Research & Development Establishment, Pune in partnership with Bharat Forge.
The special guests at the ceremony would be NCC cadets from each district and people from poor socio-economic backgrounds who are usually overlooked. These include Anganwadi workers, street vendors, MUDRA scheme borrowers and mortuary workers. More than 7000 invitees are expected to attend the Red Fort event for which the Delhi Police has stitched an elaborate security net spread across the city.