Relic from India-Pakistan 1971 war stands tall in Changampuzha Park
KOCHI: As tensions escalated between India and Pakistan, rumours were abound that the Indian Navy had deployed INS Vikrant, its most formidable naval asset, to the Western front. For many, it rekindled memories of the old INS Vikrant and its carrier-borne aircraft — Sea Hawks and Alize, which wreaked havoc during the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
'Then, INS Vikrant was deployed on the Eastern front and was the mainstay of India's naval blockade of East Pakistan in the Bay of Bengal,' recalled Cdr S R Nair (retd), who served with the Southern Naval Command.
Indeed, the old INS Vikrant — the first aircraft carrier of the Navy — was a powerful deterrent and a strategic game-changer for India, as were the Sea Hawks and Alizes that it was home to.
Sea Hawk, the British-made, single-seat jet fighter aircraft, caused extensive damage by bombing Dhaka, Khulna and Chittagong in present-day Bangladesh, while the French-built Alize defended the naval blockade from submarine attacks. The Sea Hawk squadron (White Tigers) was commanded by Lt Cdr S K Gupta (retd) and the Alizes (Cobras) by Lt Cdr Ravi Dhir (retd).
As time rolled up, the fighter aircraft were phased out, and even the majestic aircraft carrier was decommissioned — on December 31, 1997.
However, a relic of this era remains at Changampuzha Park in Kochi — a Sea Hawk fighter. 'The Navy gifted the fighter to the Kochi and displayed it at the park on December 4, 1999. The development came following a request from the Greater Cochin Development Authority,' P Prakash, president of Changampuzha Samskarika Kendram, told TNIE.
'The vintage aircraft is in fairly good condition and is periodically maintained by the Navy. A new coat of paint was given three years ago. It is, no doubt, a cherished relic that revives memories of a time when Kochi was the launchpad for many successful war operations,' Prakash said.
Today, Sea Hawks adorn several museum foyers and public spaces across the country, evoking memories of how they once inflicted heavy damage to Pakistan. 'The one in Changampuzha Park is the original version, though the engines were taken out,' added Cdr Nair.
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