Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it a sacred tradition to celebrate Diwali with India’s brave soldiers every year. This time, he may spend the festival of lights with the Navy’s warriors. According to sources, Prime Minister Modi could travel to Goa on Monday, where he will celebrate the nation’s biggest cultural festival with Navy personnel deployed on INS Vikrant. If this happens, his visit will send a thunderous message to Pakistan: there’s still time to mend your ways, or next time it will be the Navy that alters your geography.
It must be noted that during ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian Navy didn’t directly participate, yet the mere possibility of its involvement sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s security agencies. When news emerged that INS Vikrant was on active surveillance duty in the strategic Arabian Sea region, serious threat discussions erupted in Islamabad’s defense circles.
Now, the possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi arriving on INS Vikrant on Diwali has deepened this message even further, that India is not just a land power, but has become the emperor of the seas.
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INS Vikrant: A Fortress Floating On The Ocean
INS Vikrant isn’t just an aircraft carrier; it’s the symbol of India’s maritime might. Weighing approximately 45,000 tons and stretching 262 meters long, this ship can carry over 30 fighter aircraft and helicopters.
This is India’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier constructed with homegrown technology, prepared by Cochin Shipyard and commissioned by the Navy in September 2022. Platforms like MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, and Advanced Light Helicopters can be deployed on it.
Its greatest strength is the ‘ski-jump flight deck’, which gives fighter aircraft the capability to take off from extremely short distances. Vikrant has cutting-edge systems like sensor networks, radar systems, and electronic warfare suites that make it a mobile war center.
Why Is Pakistan Terrified Of Vikrant?
The strategic geography of the Arabian Sea has always been sensitive for Pakistan. Its entire maritime lifeline, Karachi Port, Gwadar Port, and oil import supply lines, passes through here. In such circumstances, the mere presence of an aircraft carrier like INS Vikrant puts Pakistan’s navy in a defensive position.
If the Indian Navy enters any conflict between the two nations, Vikrant’s air wing can target Pakistan’s coastal installations from 300-400 kilometers away. Along with this, India possesses long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft like the P-8I Poseidon that can monitor every movement up to Gwadar.
According to a naval officer, ‘An entire Combat Group of the Indian Navy moves with Vikrant, which includes missile frigates, submarines, and support ships. Pakistan knows this isn’t an ordinary ship, but a mobile war front.’
Does Pakistan Have Any Answer?
Pakistan’s navy is considered small but alert. It has 10 major warships, 5 submarines, and some Chinese-assisted anti-ship missiles. But compared to these, India has over 150 warships, 16 submarines, and two aircraft carriers (Vikrant and Vikramaditya).
Pakistan’s biggest weakness is its air defense and radar coverage. If Vikrant becomes part of any operation in the Arabian Sea, tracking it or responding will be nearly impossible for Pakistan. Many defense experts believe that Pakistan currently has no weapon or platform that can cause serious damage to Vikrant’s task force.
The Tradition Of Diwali At The ‘Front’
It should be mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with the nation’s soldiers every year. In 2014, he went to Siachen Glacier, in 2015 to Punjab’s front posts, in 2016 to the Himalayan borders, and in recent years to forward outposts in Rajasthan, Kashmir, and Arunachal.
If this time he celebrates Diwali on INS Vikrant, it won’t just be tradition, but a strategic message that India is now as self-reliant and confident at sea as it is on land. This will be a clear warning to China in the Indian Ocean and to Pakistan in the Arabian Sea that India will protect its maritime interests at any cost.
