Modi said, “Till today Indian Naval flags carried a sign of slavery which has been replaced with a new one inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
New Delhi: While commissioning INS Vikrant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday also unveiled the new Naval Ensign (flag) for the Indian Navy. The programme to commission INS Vikrant was carried out in Kochi at Cochin Shipyard Limited.
Unveiling the ensign, Modi said, “Till today Indian Naval flags carried a sign of slavery which has been replaced with a new one inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
The new ensign will be replacing the present one that carries the Saint George’s Cross with the Tricolour in the top left corner of flag. This ensign is a successor to the pre-Independence ensign which had the red George’s Cross on a white background with the Union Jack of the United Kingdom on the top left corner.
On August 15, 1947, the Indian defence forces continued to use the British colonial flags and badges and only on January 26, 1950, the flags and badged were Indianised.
How does the new ensign look?
The new ensign features the national emblem with the Tricolour on the top left corner of flag. The national emblem is encompassed by an octagonal shield atop an anchor and beneath it, is Navy’s motto ‘Sam No Varunah’.
The new ensign and inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Depicting steadfastness, the golden border surrounding the national emblem draws inspiration from the seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Meanwhile, the octagonal shape of the national emblem has been designed to represent the eight directions, symbolising the multi-directional reach and multi-dimensional operational capability of the Indian Navy.
