Navy veterans to mark golden jubilee of Minicoy lighthouse takeover

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Kochi, Mar 31 (UNI) In a journey marked with nostalgia and excitement, a group of eight Naval veterans, who participated in the 1956 takeover of the strategic Minicoy lighthouse from the British, left here this evening for the island to attend the event's golden jubilee.

Talking to mediapersons onboard INS Tir, just before leaving for Minicoy, Lakshadweep, the veterans recalled that they were ''lily white midshipmen'', aged 18 to 20 years and in their third year at the NDA, when they were tasked to take over the Minicoy light house, a strategic beacon on one of the busiest sea routes in the world.

While India had attained Independence in 1947, it took another nine years to ''liberate'' the Minicoy lighthouse due to certain administrative hitches, including the fact that the formal handing- over required the ''assent'' of the British Queen.

''Ultimately, India did not wait for Britain to hand over the lighthouse. We were tasked to take it over and we did it,'' Commodore M S Pavithran, Naval Officer-in-Charge, Kerala and Lakshadweep, said.

Describing the take-over as a ''solemn event'', Rear Admiral (Retd) P P Sivamani said it was not an offensive but a peaceful operation. The first generation INS Tir arrived off Minicoy Island on April 1, 1956. At sunset on that day, the Union Jack was lowered, and the next day, the tri-colour was unfurled atop the lighthouse while the midshipmen presented arms to the sound of the bugle.

In a re-enactment of the same event, the second generation INS Tir left for Minicoy this evening. The veterans on board, all well past their 70s, will witness the cadets of the 1st Training Squadron hoist the Tri-Colour on the lighthouse an April two with the Naval Band playing in attendance.

''The Indian Navy has done itself proud to remember the event and fossils like us. Maybe, some of us will be around to mark the 75th anniversary also,'' one of the veterans remarked.

The eight officers, who retired from service and are now settled in various parts of the country, came to Kochi on their own expense to take part in the event.

The officers are VAdm A C Bhatia, RAdm P P Sivamani, Commodores J P Carnerio and M Kondath, Commanders L K Mathur, H K Nag and K S Sood and Lt. Cdr L Kumar.

UNI ARC VV VD PC2045

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