By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, SEP 21, 2024: RAKSHA Mantri Rajnath Singh, on September 20, 2024, flagged-in, in New Delhi, a first-of-its-kind Open Water Swimming Expedition to the 21 Islands of the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago named after the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) Awardees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had named 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman & Nicobar after the PVC awardees on January 23, 2023 on Parakram Diwas commemorating the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

To commemorate the first anniversary of the renaming, the Tri-service Andaman & Nicobar Command launched 'Expedition Param Vir', wherein a team of personnel from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard undertook swimming to all the 21 islands as a tribute to the valour & sacrifice of the 21 gallantry awardees and unfurled the National Flag at each island. The 11-member expedition team was led by the acclaimed open water swimmer and Tenzing Norway National Adventure Awardee Wing Commander Paramvir Singh.

In his address, the Raksha Mantri commended the courage & ability of the team, which successfully completed the expedition by overcoming numerous challenges at sea, and brought the stories of valour & sacrifice of the Param Virs to the people. He stated that the expedition was in line with the Government's efforts towards ensuring that the gallant deeds of our soldiers, who sacrificed themselves in the service of the nation, are known to the people, especially the youth, and that these bravehearts become their heroes. He expressed hope that the Armed Forces personnel will continue to bring glory to the nation and be a source of inspiration for the youth.

During the event, the Expedition Flag was handed over to the Raksha Mantri by the team. The flag was witness to the entire expedition, its challenges, camaraderie and finally the successful completion. It represents the cause and stirs emotions of patriotism and pride. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (CINCAN) Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan and other senior officials were present during the flag-in ceremony.

The expedition was formally flagged-off by CINCAN on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, 2024 from Vijayapuram, with an inaugural swim to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Dweep. The team swam to all 21 islands, more than 300 kms, over a period of five months. The expedition culminated on 78th Independence Day on August 15, 2024. The final swim was undertaken by 78 personnel from the Armed Forces and the Coast Guard, swimming from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Dweep to the Vijayapuram.

All the swimmers undertook the expedition as per the International standards and regulations for the category of 'Unassisted Open Water Swim', which mandate that swimmers can be attired only in swim trunks, goggles and caps. During the expedition, the swimmers faced a number of challenges, which included severe exhaustion, extreme dehydration, sunburns and turbulent sea conditions. There were also multiple encounters with deadly marine life in the area. The entire expedition was undertaken without a single mishap, a stupendous achievement considering the fact that a majority of the participating personnel were undertaking an Open Water Sea Swim for the first time.