Not
only that in fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took personal briefings periodically
on the preparations, particularly as it was not just about India and the Indian
Navy but about positive naval diplomacy to build and strengthen goodwill with
littoral nations. Appropriately, he announced at IFR, India will be hosting the
first global summit of maritime nations in April. The experience of IFR
at this port city on India’s Eastern seaboard in the Bay of Bengal should provide
a platform in preparations for that strategic gathering. IFR was a big
event, and the foreign participants included 33 Chiefs of Naval Staff, 32 Heads
of Delegations, 88 Delegates and 29 Military Attaches from various embassies in
India. Thoughtfully again, Admiral Dhowan told
India Strategic, the Navy decided to give due importance to the state
of Andhra Pradesh and the city of Visakhapatnam in particular for hosting and
welcoming the IFR. Without the enthusiastic support of the state Chief Minister
N Chandrababu Naidu and the people of this city, the event would not have been
successful. That’s why, he said, the event was designated as: International Fleet
Review, Visakhapatnam 2016. The people fully justified the Navy’s confidence in
them. ENC is based here, and at least 200,000 citizens were seen enthusiastically
participating and supporting the event. In fact, all the cinema halls – more than
15 – in this city showed live on their screens the main events from the opening
ceremony to the City Parade on the RK Beach, where several huge LCD screens were
put up all along to enable the people to view whatever was in the focus of the
TV cameras. IFR was a great festival. The presence of a large number of
Indian and foreign naval personnel in shining white uniforms, ships big and small,
fly past and an operational demonstration in which Indian Navy’s MiG-29K and IAF’s
Jaguar combat aircraft fired at simulated targets. A firing demonstration by the
Navy’s most sophisticated submarine killer aircraft, Boeing P-8I, drew wide applause.
It was a show worth being there for. President Pranab Mukherjee in fact called
it “majestic” while Mr Modi enthusiastically shared the spirit of enthusiasm prevalent
there. The presence of battle ships, aircraft and uniformed personnel,
and the boom of their guns and weapons are always thrilling. But sure enough,
this show was not about launching a war but for expressing allegiance for the
Indian Navy to their Supreme Commander, the President of India, and to build bonds
of friendship and cooperation with foreign navies to tackle future threats. There
were families, and people, and attention was paid to social events to generate
smiles and a feeling of bonding. Visakhapatnam had to be a city of smiles
and happiness. Some entertainment was called for, and everybody, officers and
men, Indian and foreigners, and the people of the city, applauded when, on one
of the evenings, there was a beautiful and scintillating dance performance by
Bollywood’s famous Shyamak Davar dance troupe and a guest appearance by film stars
Akshay Kumar and Kangana Ranaut. It was a Great Show, inspiring Pride,
and that also with Smiles. Thank You, Dear Navy. | 
