Naval Ensign has evolved over centuries; red stripes dropped in new design
New Delhi: Indian Navy on Friday got a new ensign, shedding a trace of its colonial past on the representational flag of the force that has evolved over the centuries, drawing from symbols of the British rule to the emblem of the Republic.
An ensign is essentially a flag bearing a particular design that is carried by vessels or formation of a naval force, indicating its identity and denotes nationality, especially in the high seas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the ensign during a ceremony held in Kochi to commission India's maiden indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
"Today on the historic date of September 2, 2022, India has taken off a trace of slavery, a burden of slavery. The Indian Navy has got a new flag from today. Till now the identity of slavery remained on the flag of Indian Navy. But from today onwards, inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the new Navy flag will fly in the sea and in the sky", Modi said as he dedicated it to the legendary Maratha king.
The new ensign has dropped the horizontal and vertical red stripes that symbolised the Cross of Saint George, reminiscent of the colonial era, which existed in its previous version. An octagonal shape with twin golden borders in its fly area that draws inspiration from the seal of the Maratha ruler has been incorporated.
The blue octagonal shape encompasses the National Emblem sitting atop an anchor depicting steadfastness. It is superimposed on a shield with the Navy's motto "Sam no Varunah", meaning: 'Be auspicious unto us Oh Varuna', according to a video released by Navy.
The octagonal represents the eight directions symbolising the Indian Navy's multi-directional reach and multi-directional operational capability it said.
Indian Navy also tweeted to hailed the unveiling of the new ensign as "a momentous day in the history of #IndianNavy".
The Indian Navy draws its origin to the colonial period, and before assuming its identity as a naval force of an independent India, its nomenclature has undergone multiple changes over the last few centuries, spanning the rule of the British East India Company to the direct rule under the Crown after the 1857 Mutiny and eventually the country earning Independence in 1947 and becoming a Republic three years later.
