New Delhi: In the coming year, Indian Navy officers from the top three ranks — admiral, vice admiral and rear admiral — will get new epaulettes for their uniforms, as part of the Navy’s plans to move away from the “shackles of colonialism”.
In a post on the social media platform X (previously Twitter) Friday, the Navy unveiled the design of the new epaulettes, detailing the changes that are being made.
The change in the design of the epaulettes for senior Navy officers was earlier announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, this month.
The “Indian Navy proudly unveils the new design of admirals’ epaulettes. Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Navy Day 2023 at Sindhudurg, the new design is drawn from the naval ensign & inspired by rajmudra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and is a true reflection of our rich maritime heritage,” said the Navy on X.
It added that the adoption of the new design reaffirms the Navy’s commitment to the two pillars of Panch Pran (five vows) — virasat par garv and ghulami ki mansikta se mukti, which roughly translate to being proud of one’s traditions and freedom from the shackles of colonial mentality.
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Elements of the epaulette
Giving details of the elements included in the new epaulette design, the Navy said that the the rajmudra-inspired octagon “represents the eight cardinal directions, indicative of an all-around long-term vision”.
Further, the golden Navy button “reiterates its resolve to do away with ghulami ki maansikta”, it said.
The Indian sword on the epaulette emphasises the “very essence of our raison d’etre”, which is “cutting edge of national power and win wars through dominance, defeating adversaries and overcoming every challenge”, said the Navy’s post.
It added that the telescope symbolises a long-term vision, foresight and a weather-eye in an ever-changing world.
In the new epaulette design, the base on which the Ashoka capital (the national emblem) is placed will now be a shape of the octagon. Earlier, the Ashoka capital was placed on a crown-shaped red patch.
The new design shows that the shape of the stars — which indicate the rank of the officer — will also undergo changes.
In 2022, the Indian Navy unveiled a new naval ensign, which carried the St George’s Cross. The earlier ensign was a white flag with the cross. At the intersection of the cross was the national emblem with the tricolour placed on the top-left canton.
This year, the Indian Navy also did away with the practice of holding the colonial-era baton. A ceremonial baton is now placed appropriately in the office of the head of the organisation of every unit. The ceremonial handover of the baton is now undertaken within the office as part of a change of command.
At the Sindhudurg event, the Prime Minister had announced that taking inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, India is marching ahead today by leaving behind the mentality of slavery. “I am happy that the epaulettes worn by our naval officers will now showcase markers of the heritage and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he said.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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