New Indian Naval Ensign A fitting tribute to the rich Indian maritime heritage

In a bid to do away with the “colonial past”, the Saint George’s Cross has been removed from the Indian Navy’s new flag. Instead, it now features the national emblem with the Tricolour on the upper canton (top left corner of flag). The national emblem is encompassed by an octagonal shield and sits atop an anchor. Beneath it is the Navy’s motto ‘Sam No Varunah’.

The new ensign has been inspired by Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled a new ensign (nishaan) for the Indian Navy during the event to mark the commissioning of INS Vikrant in Kochi.
What is the new ensign?

The new ensign consists of the national flag on the upper canton, a blue octagon encasing the national emblem atop an anchor to depict steadfastness, superimposed on a shield with the Navy’s motto “Sam No Varuna” (a Vedic mantra invoking the god of seas to be auspicious) in Devanagari.

The octagon represents the eight directions and has been included as a symbol of the Navy’s “multidirectional reach and multidimensional operational capability”. The golden borders of the octagon have been inspired by the seal of Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The ensign of the Indian Navy has undergone multiple changes since India gained Independence from the British empire. Before Independence, the Navy’s ensign carried the Union Jack on the upper canton along with St. George’s Cross. In 1950, the Union Jack was replaced by the Indian flag but the cross was retained.

In 2001, St. George’s Cross was replaced with the naval crest, but the cross was brought back in 2004 – this time with the national emblem superimposed in the middle of it. In 2014, “Satyamev Jayate” was written in Devanagari script, right below the emblem.
The motive

According to a video released by the spokesperson of the Navy, the change in the ensign is a way to shed the “last remnants of the colonial past”.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled a new ensign of the Indian Navy during the commissioning of the country’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier – INS Vikrant – at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.
The new naval ensign unveiled on Friday was Nishaan. The earlier ensign of the Navy was a white flag with horizontal and vertical red stripes, with the Emblem of India emblazoned at the intersection of the two stripes, and the tricolour placed in the canton.

What is Ensign?

Naval Ensigns are flags that naval ships or formations bear to denote nationality.
ens

The new Ensign

Navy’s new ensign drops the St George’s Cross and incorporates the royal seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The new ensign has the national flag on the upper canton. A blue octagonal shape with the national emblem sits atop an anchor, superimposed on a shield with the navy’s motto.

Background of Indian Navy Ensign

The Indian Navy draws its origin to the colonial period. On October 2, 1934, the naval service was renamed Royal Indian Navy (RIN), with its headquarters at Bombay (now Mumbai), according to information shared on a website of the Indian Navy.
With the partition of India, post-independence, the Royal Indian Navy was divided into the Royal Indian Navy and the Royal Pakistan Navy.

With India becoming a Republic on January 26, 1950, the prefix ‘Royal’ was dropped and it was rechristened as the Indian Navy.
The Union Jack was replaced with the tricolour after Independence in 1947, in the canton.
The horizontal and vertical red stripes, symbolising the Cross of Saint George, are reminiscent of the colonial era, and are likely to be dropped in the design incorporated for the new ensign.

On 26 January 1950, the Crown in the naval crest, depicted with an anchor, was replaced by Ashokan Lion for the Indian Navy’s Emblem. The invocation to Lord Varuna (The Sea God) in the Vedas was adopted by it for its emblem, with the motto: “Sam no Varunah”, meaning: ‘Be auspicious unto us Oh Varuna’. The inscription of ‘Satyamev Jayate’ below the State Emblem was included in crest.
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INS Vikrant will contribute in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region, Vice Chief of Indian Navy Vice Admiral SN Ghormade had said last month, ahead of the commissioning of the warship which is built at a cost of around Rs 20,000 crore.

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