NET News Desk
The Indian Coast Guard on Wednesday named its Fast Petrol Vehicle (FPV) in the honour of freedom fighter from Assam Kanaklata Barua in Kolkata. Kanaklata Barua was martyred during the Quit India Movement in 1942.
Additional Secretary in the defence ministry, Jiwesh Nandan commissioned the ICG ship through video conferencing in the presence of ICG DG K Natarajan, GRSE CMD Rear Admiral VK Saxena (Retd), Coast Guard Region Commander (NE) AK Harbola and other MoD dignitaries.
The commissioning ceremony of ship Kanaklata Barua was held on Sep 30. Director-General of Indian Coast Guard, Krishnaswamy Natarajan said, “It is my honour to commission Indian Coast Guard ship Kanaklata Barua. Indian Coast Guard being largest in South-Asian region deals with dynamic situation and is vital in protecting wide-ranging multi-interest of nation. Even amid pandemic, maritime security continues to be challenging task.”
@IndiaCoastGuard Fast Patrol Vessel Kanaklata Barua commissioned 30 Sep 20 at #Kolkata by Shri Jiwesh Nandan, IAS, Additional Secretary, MoD through video conferencing from #Delhi in presence of DG K Natarajan DGICG, CMD M/s GRSE & dignitaries of MoD pic.twitter.com/c7ffZ3SeuF
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 30, 2020
It is the fifth and last in a series of FPVs. The entire design of the FPVs has been developed locally by the Indian shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. according to the specific requirements of the Indian Coast Guard. The other four are ICGS Priyadarshini (named after Indira Gandhi), ICGS Annie Besant (British Writer), ICGS Kamala Devi (after Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay), and ICGS Amrit Kaur (politician).
@IndiaCoastGuard ship Kanaklata Barua, last in series of 05 FPV indigenously designed & built by M/s GRSE #Kolkata in lines with PM’s vision @makeinindia, a fine example of #AtmanirbharBharat, will be commissioned today at #Kolkata by Shri Jiwesh Nandan, IAS, Additional Secy, MoD pic.twitter.com/l7lTB5DTbe
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 30, 2020
ICG ships are named after women freedom fighters of the country and the ICG earlier had an FPV named after Kanaklata, which was decommissioned in 2017 after 20 years of service from Port Blair as its base. The new vessel will replace the decommissioned vessel.
As per reports, the FPVs are suited for patrolling, surveillance, maritime, anti-poaching operations, anti-smuggling and also for fishery protection, and rescue and search missions. As per a GRSE official, the FPVs are medium-range surface vessels with a length of around 50 meters and a displacement of over 300 tonnes, propelled by three MTU 4000 Series engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 35 knots. The ship is designed to carry one RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) high-speed boats and one Gemini boat for swift boarding and Search & Rescue operations.
Kanaklata Baruah is one of the youngest martyrs of the Quit India Movement. She led the Mukti Bahini, a procession of freedom fighters from Assam to unfurl the Tricolour at Gohpur Police station on September 20, 1942. Undeterred by the police, the procession continued marching ahead when the police fired upon the procession. Kanaklata was shot and the flag she was carrying with her was taken up by Mukunda Kakoti who too was shot at. Both Kanaklata and Kakoti were killed in the police firing. Kanaklata was only 17 years of age at the time of her martyrdom.
