DAILY SUARGAM | JAMMU EDIT-OPINION TUESDAY | JUNE 15, 2021 6 EDITORIAL INS Rajput: A grand tale of achievement CHOODIE of a war with our she was acquired till Capt. G. M. on board, and thereafter missioning ceremony. Restoration of 370 SHIVARAM Western neighbor. In she was decommis- Hiranandani as her first every second day we The pennant flies on the 2019, Rajput was the sioned, INS Rajput has Commanding Officer. had a lot of dignitaries mast as long as the ship The more I stare at first ship to engage in been the fastest ship in The commissioning coming on board”, is in service. On decom- The Congress has created a stir in polit- her, the deeper I fall in underwater SPURT the Indian Navy. No crew was sent to Soviet states Capt. Singh. missioning, the pennant ical circles with the statement of it's sen- love with her. What a (Self Propelled wonder they called her Russia for intense train- Between 1980 and is brought down signal- ship! Elegant, majestic, Underwater Reusable the Usain Bolt of the ing. “Capt Hiranandani 1988, INS Rajput was ing that her service has ior leader and former Union Minister slender and graceful, Target) target torpedo Navy. An Indian Naval had handpicked the joined by her siblings concluded. that party will restore Article 370 of she looks regal as she firing. She was also the delegation visited crew and we felt moti- INS Rana, INS Ranjit, A special pennant Indian Constitution after it comes to magnificently glides on first ship to fire the Moscow in 1974 in vated, it was a great INS Ranvir and INS equal to the length of the deep blue seas. INS supersonic Brahmos search of screening ves- honour. Life in the Ranvijay; collectively the ship is made for the power in Jammu and Kashmir State. The Rajput, the pride of the cruise missile. sels for aircraft carriers. Soviet Union wasn’t known as Rajput class decommissioning cere- controversial Article which has granted a Indian Navy, bid good- She has been a sym- The team was easy, it was a commu- destroyers. The presti- mony. special and unique status to Muslim bye on 21 May after a bol of the Indian Navy’s impressed with the nist regime with strict gious Rajput regiment Decommissioning the glorious stint of 41 transition to the formi- large anti-submarine surveillance. Looking of the Indian Army ship is an event that is majority State of J&K among all states of years. It evoked an dable force that it is vessel which was then back, it was a great aligned with INS replete with sentiment India has been a cause of encouragement overwhelming flood of today. Whether it was in service with the experience, but when Rajput, set a new trend. and strong memories of for secessionist forces in J&K right from emotions, pride and Operation Pawan Soviet Navy. we went through it we Wherever the ship attachment, challenges sadness, as I watched against the LTTE in Sri The Indian Navy felt I didn’t bargain for would sail, before and accomplishments. inception and it has been a barrier to the decommissioning Lanka, Operation wanted gunnery and this”, recalls Capt. reaching the port, a tall Watching the ceremony implementation of Central laws passed ceremony online. I was Cactus off the coast of missile weapons on S.N.Singh (retd) who well-built sailor in tra- online brought a flood first introduced to her the Maldives, the board to be augmented was part of the commis- ditional Rajput attire of memories. The chat by Parliament in J&K with the result the in November 1986, as box was agog with par- rulers in erstwhile State of J&K main- the wife of a naval offi- ticipants recalling their tained monopoly for about seven cer who was serving on experiences, some hilar- the ship. There she was! ious and some intense decades and Indian Government was Majestic, gently sway- with technological unable to tighten noose on them with the ing at the jetty in details. Commander State enjoying special constitutional Vishakhapatnam. G.V.K. Unnithan (retd), I delightfully recall who was commanding position under Indian Constitution. The my excitement as I set INS Prachand recalls a BJP from Jansangh days have taken a foot on the gangway to comical incident from pledge to eradicate this constitutional be welcomed by the early 1984, which could officer on duty with a well be straight out of a anomaly and bring J&K at par with other proud salute, ‘Jai Hind’, movie. “During one of states of country. The party struggled for to be followed by rich the exercises, the then about seven decades for the same and it Naval traditions. The Chief of Naval Staff, following two years I Admiral Dawson was attained the goal after coming to power saw very little of my on board another ves- at Centre at second consecutive term in husband; Rajput had sel. 2019 and annuled the special taken over his life. But He commanded that never did I feel even a the Deputy Chief of Constitutional status of J&K which party hint of anger or envy. Naval Staff, (the rank of feels was not needed. With its abrogation INS Rajput D51, the Vice Admiral) should a great injustice was removed with West number I eagerly immediately be brought looked for amongst an on board Rajput. I took Pak refugees and Balmiki Samaj who array of ships at the jet- my ship to bring him and denied citizenship rights in J&K. For the ties, had engulfed my he had to cross over to first time these people got citizenship life too. For 41 years she Rajput by jumping over served the nation with numerous bilateral and and an ASW (antisub- sioning crew. with a sword in his the bars mid sea. It was at rights in J&K. This was a very good deci- unparalleled dedica- multinational relief marine warfare) heli- “Sailing back was fun, hand would stand on sea state three. We bring sion. Moreover with the abrogation of tion. With the motto operations, antipiracy copter to be included. we were very excited to the bow of the ship; he the ships so close to each Article 370 the hegemony of Kashmir “Raj Karegi Rajput”, operations in the Gulf The Soviet designer cre- come back home. We was like a mascot. other in what is termed a she braved the rough of Eden, relief opera- ated a completely new entered Mumbai on 26 Decommissioning is an ‘postman’s knock’. That centric leaders ended totally who had seas with toughness tions during the cyclone design to include these September 1980 travers- emotional moment for a Vice admiral had to considered J&K as their political asset. and remained ever vigi- in Orissa, the tsunami requirements. What ing through the Black those associated with a cross over in such a fash- But there false pride got eroded with lant to protect maritime in the Andaman & emerged was a very Sea, Mediterranean Sea, ship. She was bid ion was indeed a sight. interests and sovereign- Nicobar Islands or modern vessel; the Red Sea and Arabian farewell in a solemn His suitcase was thrown bold decision of Modi Ji. However some ty of the nation. earthquake in Jakarta, fastest and most power- Sea. From the time we ceremony honouring across from one ship to disgruntled parties like, Congress, Left Since being commis- INS Rajput rose beyond ful ship propelled by left the Soviet Union her for the services ren- the other. Fortunately it and National Conference and Left sioned, Rajput has expectations. “INS gas turbines. The ship and reached India we dered to the nation. was not the age of mobile sailed over 7,87,194 Rajput has been singu- was equipped with an were tailed by A ship is decommis- cameras”. “We are all Parties are still befooling public on the nautical miles which is larly instrumental in array of sensors and American aircraft; there sioned at sunset, when very happy that Rajput name of reinstatement of controversy on equivalent to navigat- bringing about a sea weapons; long range were maritime recon- the pennant and flag made her exit while she ing the world 36.5 times change in the outlook of radars and sonars, sur- naissance planes moni- are brought down from was in her complete fit- name of Article 370 which is a thing of and 3.8 times the dis- the Indian Navy. face-to-surface missiles, toring our progress”, the mast to the tunes of ness, she exited in style past. By making such statements tance from Earth to The exacting stan- surface-to-air missiles, Capt. Singh continues. the Last Post. Every while in full form, like a Congress is losing its public base. The Moon. Rajput’s tenure dards set for the com- antiaircraft guns, torpe- INS Rajput arrived in warship carries a com- Dhoni or Tendulkar”, is replete with a grand missioning crew have does, and antisubma- erstwhile Bombay to a missioning pennant, says a senior officer of statements are slated to provide an record of achievements. been followed to this rine rocket launchers. rousing welcome. “We indicating she is a ‘man INS Rajput. The legend opportunity to BJP in countering In 1986, she participat- very day”, the INS Rajput was com- were escorted by a lot of of war’. Pennant is a of INS Rajput is not over, Congress and raising nationalis passion ed in Operation Commanding officer missioned on 4 May ships, CNS Admiral flag that is hoisted on the nation awaits the Brasstacks, when the said in his farewell 1980, at Poti, Georgia Dawson visited the the main mast of the third generation of among people.