New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil the new Ensign of the Indian Navy on Friday in what is described as “doing away with the colonial past.” The new Naval Ensign will be unveiled during the commissioning of the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.
While there was no details on the new Ensign, it is likely to shed the
current ‘Cross of St George’ — the red cross on a white background.
The current Indian Navy flag is white with a horizontal and vertical red
stripes intersecting at the centre (depicting Cross of St George). The
emblem of India is superimposed on the intersection, and the National Flag is in the upper canton next to the staff.
The Cross of St George has been on the Naval Ensign except for a small period in between 2001 and 2004 when it was replaced by the Indian Navy crest. It was brought back due to complaints by Navy personnel that blue colour of the crest blended with blue colour of sea and sky. This time Indian emblem was added at intersection of the flag. Some years later “Satyameva Jayate” was included in the flag.
The Cross of St George was first added to then Royal Indian Navy flag in 1928. Saint George is the patron saint of England and also known as the military saint. The Cross of St George has been associated with the
Crusades.
The new Naval Ensign will be flown on all Indian Navy’s warships and its bases.
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