Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister :

It gives me immense pleasure to be present amongst all of you on the occasion of commissioning of state-of-the-art Coast Guard Ship, ‘Vigraha’ today.

The commissioning of this ship showcases significant improvement in our coastal defense capability as also our ever-increasing ‘self-reliance’ in the defense sector

This ship is 100 meters long and equipped with the latest technologies of the day. Be it the navigation system or communication equipment, sensors or other installed equipment, all these are going to meet the needs not only of today but also the future for a long time to come.

I will not go into much technical details about the ship, but I will definitely say a couple of things about which I am very happy. First, from its design conception to development, the ship is completely indigenous.

The ‘ALH’ manufactured by HAL can also be operated on this ship. I see this as a symbol of how the government, coast guard, and public and private sector together can protect the integrity and sovereignty of this country

The ICG has always been ready to extend help our neighbouring countries in line with the spirit of inclusiveness. During the fire on the tanker ‘New Diamond’ last year, and the cargo ship ‘Express Pearl’ this year, you have provided active and timely assistance to Sri Lanka.

Friends, the journey that started from ‘Vikram’ between the Ministry of Defence, Coast Guard and L&T has reached ‘Vigraha’ today through ‘Vijay’, ‘Veer’, ‘Varaha’, ‘Varad’ and ‘Vajra’.

The word ‘विग्रह’ has very beautiful interpretations in our texts. On the one hand, its meaning has been told to be ‘free from any kind of bondage’, on the other hand, it has also been interpreted to mean the specific ‘bondage of one’s duty and obligations’.

It is my firm belief that this ‘विग्रह’ of ours, completely free from the shackles of any kind of challenges, and having specific bonds of service and duties to the nation, will become a successful watchdog of the coastal borders of our country.