Prime Minister Narendra Modion September 2 will unveil the new naval ensign (flag) for the Indian Navy in Kochi, Kerala. The prime Minister is in Kochi for the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited.
Indian Flash looks at the significance of having a new naval flag.
NAVAL FLAG; TAKING AWAY SAINT GEORGE’S CROSS
Earlier, the Naval flag had the red George’s Cross on a white background with the Union Jack of the United Kingdom on the top left corner. Though the new ensign will completely remove the colonial past, the design of the same has not been revealed yet. The Defence forces continued to use the British Colonial flags even after Independence. However, the flags were changed after India became a republic on India becoming a Republic on January 26, 1950. The Union Jack was replaced with the tricolour in the canton, but the St George’s Cross was retained. India replaced the George’s Cross with the naval crest in the middle of the Navy’s ensign in 2001. However, this was reverted in 2004 after complaints said that the new flag was indistinguishable as the blue of the Navy crest merged with the skies and the sea. The only change was that the red George’s Cross had the state emblem derived from the Lion capital of Ashoka in the middle. In 2014, the words ‘Satyamev Jayate’ were included on the flag below the Ashoka emblem in Devanagri script.
NAVAL FLAG; SAINT GEORGE’S CROSS
The red cross on white background in the Naval flag is called as the Saint George’s Cross. It is named after Christian warrior Saint George, who is believed to have been a crusader during the third crusade. he flag was adopted by England and the city of London in 1190 to identify English ships entering the Mediterranean.
