India’s Armed Forces are one of the largest and strongest in the world. According to a study conducted by a defence website in early 2021, India stands fourth in the world among nations with the strongest military force, after China, USA and Russia.
The study incorporated several variables and the ranking was calculated after taking into consideration various factors including budgets, number of inactive and active military personnel, total air, sea, land and nuclear resources, average salaries and weight of equipment.
India’s main military entities – Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force – have undertaken several initiatives to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and, through these events, have been showcasing the country’s military strength across myriad platforms and avenues. The events aim to inculcate national pride and develop a powerful and self-reliant India.
Raksha Mantri invokes all
On 13 August 2021, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh launched a series of major events, to be organised by the Armed Forces and various other organisations of the Ministry of Defence, to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence being celebrated as ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. He also congratulated the Ministry and the Armed Forces for organising various events across the country that represent the Indian ethos of ‘unity in diversity’ and help instil a sense of national pride among the people.
While calling out to the defence forces to celebrate the Mahotsav, the minister paid homage to the brave-hearts who laid down their lives and defended the sovereignty of the nation the nation since Independence. He remembered Captain Vikram Batra who made the supreme sacrifice during the Kargil war. The bravery and deep-rooted passion of the gallant heroes of India will always be an inspiration for generations to come, he said.
The five pillars of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav envisioned by the Prime Minister act as a guiding force for the country to move forward in the path of development and this includes the defence forces as well who have imbibed the same ethos.
India settings its own course
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh reiterated the government’s resolve to “develop a powerful and self-reliant Bharat which is peace-loving but fully capable of giving a befitting reply whenever challenged”. He assured the nation that the Armed Forces are fully equipped to deal with any challenge that endangers the safety, security, unity and integrity of the nation. The decisions aimed to promote unity among the Armed Forces will play a pivotal role in bolstering the security infrastructure of the country.
India is working towards achieving self- reliance in all spheres and the government’s action plan to make India ‘Aatmanirbhar’ in defence manufacturing is leaving no stone unturned. Today, owing to the measures undertaken by the government, India’s reliance on imports has decreased significantly.
In August 2021, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier(IAC) Vikrant, built at a cost of around Rs 23,000 croresuccessfully completed a five-day maiden sea voyage with asatisfactory performance of the key systems of the 40,000-tonne warship. The aircraft carrier, undertook crucial sea trials before induction into the Indian Navy next year. The warship’s namesake had played a crucial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
The delivery of Vikrant is being made to coincide with celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The carrier can operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, has over 2,300 compartments, is designed for a crew of around 1,700 people including specialised cabins to accommodate women officers.
Paramilitary forces join in
Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force of the Indian Army, launched a 3,000 km long ‘Freedom Cycling Rally’ as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. The rally started from Shillong till New Delhi and was conducted jointly with NTPC in September 2021. The rally commemorated 75 years of a progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture, achievements and also promoted the ‘Fit India Movement’.
In November 2021, as part of the Amrit Mahotsav, for the first time amazing motor cycle feats were performed by the brave soldiers of Border Security Force (BSF). The Border Security Force is a border guarding force of India, established in 1965, a paramilitary force charged with guarding.
India’s borders during peace time and preventing trans-national crimes. The BSF is the world’s largest border guarding force with strength of two lakh personnel.
The festival is being celebrated across the country as a mass festival in the spirit of public participation. Several programmes creating awareness among people about the glorious history of the border force personnel during the freedom struggle were held. This also included a ‘Dare Devil Show’ for general public and events to promote love for the country and Border Security Force.
An all-round celebration
As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the defence agencies in India have undertaken several initiatives and programmes. For instance, 75 teams of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) departed to unfurl the National Flag at 75 important passes and places in India, including the prominent ‘Umlingla Pass’ in Eastern Ladakh – the highest motorable road in the world at 19,300 feet above sea level.
The national flag is also being unfurled at strategic locations and infrastructure landmarks such as Atal Tunnel, Rohtang and Dhola Sadiya Bridge in the Northeast, etc. Additionally, under the 75 year celebrations, on 15 August 2021, the national tri-colour was unfurled at 100 islands pan-India by the Indian Coast Guard.
The Indian Army sent out teams to scale 75 mountain passes to mark the occasion including Saser La Pass in Ladakh region, Stakpochan Pass in Kargil region, Satopanth glacier and Harshil in Uttarakhand, Phim Karnla in Sikkim and Point 4493, Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh.
Raksha Mantri also launched several activities for the rejuvenation of 75 water bodies across 62 cantonments in India. A book titled ‘Deeds of Gallantry’, commemorating India’svictory in the 1971 war, detailing 20 selected battles and the valour of Indian soldiers, was unveiled by the Raksha Mantri. In order to pay homage to the freedom fighters and war brave-hearts, a pan-India movement ‘Swatantra Senaniyon Ko Naman’ was been launched where NCC cadets carried out cleaning and maintenance of 825 statues adopted by 825 NCC battalions.
Reaching out to the masses
As part of the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, a Jan Sampark Abhiyan for ex-servicemen was initiated where a representative each of the respective Zila Sainik Board along with a representative of the Indian Ex-Servicemen League will interact simultaneously with the fraternity in 75 districts across India. Minister Rajnath Singh virtually interacted with ex-servicemen in different states and urged them to provide suggestions to resolve issues faced by them.
A team of DRDO scientists was flagged off to the border area villages to celebrate Independence Day. DRDO is the Defence Research and Development Organisation – the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military’s research and development.
A Gallantrypedia module of Awardees has been launched to honour the Gallantry awardees and to motivate people, especially the youth, to interact. Through the portal, citizens will be able to share content about the awardees which would help in making the portal more engaging, dynamic and informative.