BHARATI PAWASKAR
It was a moment of pride for the dashing, daring officers when Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, VSM, Commandant Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (MCEME), Col Commandant, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) flagged off Indian Army All Arms ‘Around Indian Peninsula Wind Sailing Expedition’ from Haldia on October 21. The challenging expedition will go around entire Indian Peninsula starting from Haldia and finally culminating at Porbandar, Gujarat.
Sailors have often been referred to as a marine indicator species exposed to environmental issues first hand; walking across beaches strewn with plastic, sailing across polluted shores and are acutely sensitive to coastal changes. In wake of the same cause along with idea of fostering the spirit of adventure, Indian Army has planned this expedition.
The expedition team comprising of 30 officers, 20 JCOs and OR including five lady officers is accompanied by 8-10 sailors who will be on board at a given point of time. Being sailed on ocean worthy Bavaria class 44 feet boat, the expedition will be conducted in nine legs keeping in mind the distance, safety and wind patterns.
Including Goa, the expedition will have nine Ports of Calls, namely Haldia, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Wynnum, Kochi, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Porbandar. The team would change crew and move on at Karaikal and Trivandrum ports. The expedition is expected to reach Goa mid- November.
“The expedition will train the officers and men in seamanship and boat handling besides preparing them for more challenging expeditions like ‘Circumnavigation of Globe’ and completed in 40 days depending on favourable weather conditions,” briefed team leader of the expedition, Major Alok Kumar Yadav, adding, “With such unprecedented feat our team is planning to enter the Limca Book of Records for sailing around the Indian peninsula”.
“We, the sailors share special place with marine flora and fauna, and are often first to witness the mounting anthropogenic pressures being faced by our shores. This makes us all the more sensitive and responsible to spread the awareness and promote holistic measures to galvanise community action against such threats,” states Major Mukta Gautam who is a part of the expedition along with four other women officers. “We look forward to collaborate with various NGOs to make masses ride the wave of awareness on marine pollution and actions required,” she expressed. Major Mukta who has always been an adventure seeker, recalls quitting her lucrative IT job with one of the finest MNC, Infosys, to join army and then choosing to be a professional mountaineer she keeps trying and challenging self.
“Such expeditions go a long way in generating interest in adventure activities amongst our men and in projecting a positive image of Indian Army,” concludes Lt General.
