The all-women crew of the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) TARINI – the current toast of the Indian nation and the millions of members of global Indian diaspora has given another reason to everyone to celebrate – by sailing through the vast South Oceans in less than expected time.
“We were expecting to take about 30 days to reach from Freemantle (Australia) to Lyttleton (New Zealand).
“However we made it in 24 days,” said much elated Lieutenant Commander P Swathi, the navigation officer of the vessel, immediately after the boat touched the shores of New Zealand.
This could have been even better by one day, as the boat had almost made it to the port a day before on Tuesday, November 28, and were hovering within 30 nautical miles of the port waiting for favourable winds.
The jadedness of being held-up so close to their destination, against their wishes, was expectantly visible all over their faces.
However, it was infinitesimal in comparison to their overflowing sense of courage, will-power, contentment and pride in being able to achieve what they have set out to achieve initially before leaving the port of Freemantle in Perth, West Australia, on Monday, October 23.
With this, the second leg of the 'Navika Sagar Parikrama' – a historic Indian Navy's maiden all-women circumnavigation around the world, came to an end.
Clearly, India’s women-power, which has been bursting the seams for a while has once again made its mark at the international level.
INSV Tarini is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.
This is another subtle accretion in the narrative of India’s women power challenging many conventional perceptions, both within and outside India.
It is pertinent to note that the Indian women’s power does not face challenges within India, but also outside India, where people alien to India’s culture and glorious traditions of contribution of women in the history of India often indulge in taking a free-hit on perpetuating the conventional and often negative attitudes towards India’s women power.
This all-women global circumnavigation expedition is not only a statement of women power within India, but also outside India, where it is being demonstrated that 1.5 billion people of Indian origin around the world are willing to rally behind the women power of India.
Overflowing emotions
The fact that the Indian state and the current government of India stands resolutely behind their brave women was further illustrated by the personal presence High Commissioner of India, Sanjiv Kohli, along with his wife Dr Ruma Kohli, Captain Chetan Chandegave, India’s Defence Attaché to Australia and New Zealand, and few more officers from the Indian Navy who had been specially flown-in all the way from India, to welcome these brave women officers at 8.00 a.m. when the boat first touched New Zealand shores.
This was completely separate from the official and customary reception of the crew on NZ shores planned for later part of the day.
The statement coming out from the government of India is pretty loud and clear that India not only salutes its women power, but also stands resolutely behind them.
The traditional Kiwi-friendship and bonhomie was also on full display as few senior officers from the Royal New Zealand Navy flown-in especially from the main naval base at Davenport, Auckland, made it a point to be personally present in the morning, a non-official event, when the boat actually touched the NZ shores.
Emotions were overflowing when the vessel touched shores after twenty-four day of stay in what experts believe are tough waters of the Southern Oceans.
The official welcome ceremony which started with Whakatau-traditional Maori welcome by members of Rapaki marae later in the afternoon, with the gracious presence of dignitaries including Andrew Turner, Deputy Mayor of Christchurch City, High Commissioner of India, Sanjiv Kohli, officers of the Indian Navy and RNZN and several prominent members of the local Indian community in Christchurch.
The official welcome at the Port was followed by an opportunity for dignitaries to get a peek inside the vessel.
This was quietly followed by the murmurs of bewilderment, surprise and an undiluted sense of appreciation for the courage and will-power of the crew of INSV TARINI.
Probably, it had quietly set the process of hushed-talks and the folklores in New Zealand, especially among the Indian community in New Zealand, about the indomitable spirit of the brave women crew of the INSV TARINI.
More on INSV Tarini’s arrival in New Zealand will follow soon.