A grand ceremonial parade and flypast were held at Southern Naval Command in Kochi to mark India’s 79th Independence Day.
The day started with Vice Admiral V Srinivas, the flag officer commanding-in-chief of the Southern Naval Command, laying a wreath at SNC War Memorial to honour the bravehearts who had made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
Addressing the parade, he recounted the long and arduous journey of freedom which laid the very foundation of modern India. “The rise of the country from the ashes of colonialism to world’s largest democracy redefines India’s place in the global order,” he said.
Maritime security, he added, was the “cornerstone of India’s national security and sovereignty”. “The growing presence of external regional forces manifests into significant challenges,” Vice Admiral Srinivas noted.
Moreover, he emphasised, the current geo-political situation around the world is witnessing “a great power rivalry with constantly changing strategic alliances”.
“Asymmetric threats — such as attacks on maritime trade and narcotics trafficking through the seas — continue to remain major challenges in the region. Closer home, the recent maritime accidents involving multiple container cargo ships off the coast of Kerala serve as a reminder of the emerging non-traditional challenges to maritime security,” he observed.
On Operation Sindoor, Vice Admiral Srinivas underscored that the cohesive action “demonstrated the strength of jointness and strategic foresight of the Indian Armed Forces”.
“The Indian Navy,” he stressed, “played a critical role in asserting dominance and denied operational freedom to the adversary. The Navy’s ability to establish uncontested control over the seas also validated our multi-domain capabilities in a complex threat environment.”