The gentle lapping of waves and the crisp winter breeze have a calming effect on those who boarded the fleet of warships on Friday.
Over 3,000 visitors, a majority of them being schoolchildren, a few senior citizens and teachers along with members of Veteran Sailors Forum and the Navy Foundation, have set off on a day-long cruise as part of the annual Navy Week celebrations presented by the Eastern Naval Command.
It was an exhilarating experience for many to watch eight ships of Eastern Fleet in action, including oil tanker INS Shakti , guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay , frigates INS Shivalik and INS Satpura and Khukri-Class corvette INS Kora and INS Khanjar , INS Kadmatt and off-shore patrol vessel INS Sukanya . Asymmetric threat, replenishment of fuel at sea, search and rescue operations by naval helicopters were some of the naval exercises demonstrated.
“It was truly inspiring to watch the uniformed men in action at close quarters. Wish to be part of Indian Navy for the respect it deserves,” shares B. Shakshi, a Class IX student of Navy Children School.
Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral B. Dasgupta outlined the activities of the Navy Week-2016. Prizes were given away to the winners of ‘Pratibimb-2016’ painting competition. For S. Sreenu, Class X student of Mrs. A.V.N. College High School, it was all the more exciting as he boarded a warship for the second time. “Earlier, I got second prize for the same contest, and this time I bagged the first prize. The best part is that we could skip school for a day and spend with our friends in the middle of the sea,” he confesses.
Students from more than 60 schools boarded over half a dozen warships. “Firstly, it is a wonderful experience to be part of the carnival. Interestingly, I earned this voyage as I topped the painting contest under the special children category,” explains S. Jawahar, a differently-abled student.
Cadets from Sainik School, Nagaland, found the port city quite impressive. “The city is much cleaner and beautiful than what we have imagined. However, we could not get along much with the local students, as they were communicating in Telugu with us,” says Pema Gyatsan, Standard IX cadet.
Senior citizens and teachers who were part of the cruise felt that it was the much needed break for them from their humdrum of lives.
