Indian Navy’s women officers about to reach home after circumnavigating the globe
In September 2017, a team of six women officers of the Indian Navy set out to circumnavigate the globe, in an expedition titled Navika Sagar Parikrama. The task was not easy as this was the first-ever attempt by an all-women Indian team to accomplish this feat. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi a couple of days before embarking on their path-breaking journey, the six Navy women officers sailed off on the INSV Tarini, their small 17-metre-long and 5-metrewide Indian-built sailboat. Eight months later, they are about arrive back home in India. At present, they are just a few nautical miles off Goa, inching closer to the Indian shores, after completing their record setting voyage. History will be created on Monday evening, when they touch the Indian shores, as Navika Sagar Parikrama will not only become the first ever all-women Indian team to circumnavigate the globe, but also the first ever all-women military team in the world to complete this feat, apart from being the first Asian all-women team to do so. The fact that this is purely an indigenous project will make every Indian proud of their achievement.
This correspondent managed to establish contact with the crew members of INSV Tarini, moments after they entered the Indian waters after battling gutsy oceanic winds and huge waves. Responding to his questions, 29-year- old team leader, Lt Cdr Vartika Joshi said, “From shore appointments held by women officers to making it to the oceans, we have come a long way, yet there is a longer way to reach. It took a humungous amount of commitment and hard work to arrive until here. The journey is definitely path-breaking and we hope it gives hopes to many more. The importance of this voyage is evident from the fact that the honourable Prime Minister and Defence Minister themselves have been great supporters of this