Nirmala Sitharaman flags off Navika Sagar Parikrama

 This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew and shall attempt to circumnavigate the globe on Indian Navy’s sailing vessel INSV Tarini.

The crew is expected to return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage. The expedition will be covered in five legs, with stop-overs at 4 ports viz. Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).

The event was attended by  Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral AR Karve Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Controller Personnel Services, IHQ MoD (Navy) besides other senior naval retired and serving officials as well as civilian dignitaries including family members of the crew and sailing enthusiasts.

During the ceremony at Goa,Sitharaman said, “This is a historic day for the country, which will be marked in the Navigation history of the world, and globally our women are going to stand out for something which most navies of the world would not have even thought of”. She further said that, “For this initiative I appreciate the Indian Navy and the mentors for inspiring, motivating and training these brave and courageous women”.

She expressed her absolute pleasure for being present at the momentous occasion and felt honoured to be amongst the crew and wished them a successful voyage.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba expressed satisfaction at continuation of the legacy of Indian Navy’s Ocean sailing expeditions which commenced in 1988 with expedition ‘Samudra’.

This was followed by first solo circumnavigation by Captain Dilip Donde (Retd) and non-stop circumnavigation of the globe by Cdr Abhilash Tomy resulting in India joining a select group of nine nations which have achieved such feats.

He said that the present circumnavigation by an all women crew is an extension of the above efforts and reflection of the Government’s efforts at Women Empowerment – “Nari Shakti”.

INSV Tarini is a 55-foot sailing vessel, which has been built indigenously, and was inducted in the Indian Navy earlier this year, thus showcasing the ‘Make in India’ initiative on the World forum. INSV Tarini is being skippered by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lt. Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.

During the voyage, the crew would monitor and report marine pollution on the high seas, as also interact extensively with local PIOs during various port halts to promote Ocean sailing.

During their voyage, the crew would also collate and update Meteorological/ Ocean/ Wave data on a regular basis for accurate weather forecast by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and subsequent analysis by research and development organisations.

The expedition titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’, is in consonance with the National policy to empower women to attain their full potential. It also aims to help discard the societal attitudes and mindset towards women in India by raising visibility of their participation in challenging environment.

Sailing encourages the use of environment friendly non-conventional renewable energy resources and this expedition therefore aims at harnessing the renewable energy.

Image: Spokesperson Navy Twitter page