Riding the waves of valour and compassion

December 4 is not just a date on the calendar; it is a reminder of a night when the Indian Navy changed the course of history. Navy Day commemorates the spectacular success of Operation Trident, the audacious 1971 naval assault on Karachi harbour. In the annals of global naval warfare after World War II, Operation Trident shines as one of the finest examples of precision, courage, and maritime strategy. The memory of that night still stirs national pride, for it marked the moment when India stepped into its role as a decisive maritime power.

- SANTHOSH MATHEW

On that December night, a group of young Indian naval officers and sailors set out on missile boats, racing through the darkness of the Arabian Sea towards one of Pakistan's most heavily guarded ports. They had only one asset - unshakeable confidence in their mission. When they struck Karachi, the results were devastating for the adversary. PNS Khaibar was sunk, fuel tanks burned for days, and Karachi harbour was left crippled. It was a flawless demonstration of surprise and planning, and it announced to the world that India could defend its maritime interests with formidable strength. That is the legacy we remember every Navy Day.

This year, the celebrations held at Shanghumugham in Thiruvananthapuram carried an added symbolism. The waves that kissed the shores of Kerala echoed India's renewed commitment to its maritime destiny. For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been a theatre of trade, culture, and civilisation. Today, it is also a theatre of power.

Alfred Thayer Mahan, the great maritime strategist, once said: "Whoever controls the sea controls the world." More than a hundred years later, his words find resonance in India's rise as a naval power in the Indo-Pacific. Alongside this strategic viewpoint is Woodrow Wilson's more idealistic reminder: "The sea is for all." Together, these ideas describe India's approach - strength balanced with openness, security blended with cooperation.

The most remarkable transformation in India's defence story is the rise of the Indian Navy from a modest, equipment-dependent force to a confident, indigenously capable power. In the early decades after Independence, India largely depended on ships built abroad. Today, it stands among the rare handful of nations capable of designing and building its own aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, and submarines. This shift - "from buyers to builders" - is perhaps the Indian Navy's greatest success.