Bhubaneswar: Vice Admiral (PVSM) S.H.Sarma, who commanded the Eastern Fleet in the Bay of Bengal as a Rear Admiral, which played a significant part in the 1971 war, returned to the state capital after being felicitated in New Delhi.
He had been invited as part of the ongoing “Swarnim Vijay Varsh” celebrations marking India’s victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The event also coincided with Vijay Divas.
The “Swarnim Vijay Varsh” celebrations were launched by PM Narendra Modi by lighting four victory flames which commenced their journey from the eternal flame at National War Memorial, New Delhi, on December 16, 2020. These victory flames were despatched to four cardinal directions of the country.
One such flame also came to Odisha to the home of Vice Admiral S.H.Sarma
He was the senior-most veteran to grace the events in the national capital. On December 13, he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial on behalf of the Indian Navy, and also wrote a message in the electronic visitors’ book there. On December 14, he and other veterans were felicitated by the Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh at the New Delhi Cantonment. He was the first veteran to be felicitated.
On Thursday, the Chief of Naval Staff and other Senior Naval Officers felicitated and applauded him for having been the first Fleet Commander of the Eastern Fleet and for having taken the fleet to Victory. The CNS, Admiral R Hari Kumar, said that even though 50 years have passed it is difficult to forget the daring maritime escapades. As General J.S.Aurora had said, “The Indian Navy had reduced the task of the Indian Army threefold in the Eastern Sector”.
These celebrations also coincided with the Admiral entering his centenary year on December 1, 2021. Another coincidence is that Admiral joined the Royal Indian Naval reserve on December 16, 1942, and Vijay Divas is also celebrated on the same day every year.
He is the only surviving Naval officer to have served in World War II and the 1965 and 1971 wars.
