Each year, Navy Day is celebrated on December 4 to mark the daredevil attack by the Indian Navy on Karachi Naval Harbour in 1971. As the nation marks 50 years since the 1971 war, The Indian Express spoke to Commodore Arvind Rawal, Commanding Officer of INS Shivaji, the premier technical training institute of the Indian Navy located at Lonavala in Pune. Alumnus of both National Defence Academy and INS Shivaji, the Commodore has had challenging tenures at sea, ashore and overseas, and was Additional Principal Director at Directorate of Marine Engineering, Naval Headquarters, before assuming the command of INS Shivaji. Excerpts.
Q: Tell us about the Navy Week and events in the run-up to the Navy Day. This year it is special as the nation marks 50 years since the 1971 war.
A: This Navy Day is certainly special. The Navy Week at INS Shivaji started with a medical camp for defence civilians, the populace from Kurvande village which we have adopted and other underprivileged people. Other than checking for their basic health markers, we distributed masks, sanitisers and medicare kits among them. We also held a boat-pulling regatta, which took place at INS Shivaji after a considerable gap. We have also conducted the Shivaji half marathon. On Saturday, a wreath-laying ceremony is planned along with a continuity drill by the sailors along with hornpipe dance by cadets of the Sea Cadet Corps. There were extensive outreach programmes for school and college students in Pune, briefing…
