Expressing the solidarity and gratitude to healthcare workers, police and others at the frontlines of the battle against the Covid-19, the Indian Air Force, Army and Navy joined hands today and paid floral tribute, showering petals on hospitals. To show their support to Covid-19 warriors, flypasts, lit-up ships and musical tributes by army bands outside hospitals took place across the country. From Srinagar to Hyderabad, Mumbai to Itanagar, the flypasts by the air force and the navy added to the tribute.
On Friday, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, with all three service heads, announced the “gesture of special gratitude” will consist of the Air Force conducting flypasts across the length and breadth of the country. Another “gesture of special gratitude” will be helicopters showering petals on hospitals and Army bands playing outside medical buildings in most districts, he said.
Commending this unique gesture Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the Armed Forces has always been of immense support during tough times and their display of solidarity with the frontline COVID Warriors is equally remarkable. Shri Modi said, the country has waged a strong fight against the global pandemic and it has been possible all because of the courageous frontline warriors. Home Minister Amit Shah extended his compliments to the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and to the three service chiefs for their decision to organize a spectacular display of solidarity. All three service Chiefs will today, lay wreath at the Police Memorial in New Delhi to honour the efforts of security personnel for their exceptional and heroic efforts. AIR Correspondent reports on the series of activities slated to take place today.
The C-130 carrier of the Indian Air Force flying at a very low altitude will cover the entire length of the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari overlooking Dal Lake in Srinagar, Rajpath in Delhi, Bada Talab in Bhopal, Marine Drive in Mumbai, Vidhan Sabha in Bengaluru, Vivekanand Rock in Kanyakumari including many other places of significance.
Across the country from Itanagar to Gandhinagar including cities like Mumbai, Kolkata , Chandigarh, Varanasi, Patna, Lucknow, similar feat can be witnessed between 10 to 11 in the morning. Roaring in the skies and marking a salute to the COVID warriors the fighter planes Sukhoi-30 , MiG-29 and Jaguar will flypast over the National Capital at ten fifteen in the morning. Similar spectacle can be witnessed in the skies of Mumbai , Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Patna, Lucknow, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Port Blair, Chennai, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar ranging from 10.30 A.M. till 12.30 noon. Army Bands will visit many hospitals treating Corona patients throughout the day and play tunes to honour the Corona Warriors.
Hospitals in Mumbai , Kochi, Vizag and Goa will also witness showering of petals from Navy helicopters from 10 in the morning. The efforts of the COVID-19 Warriors will also be appreciated by Indian Coast Guard by illuminating the ships at 25 locations including Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai and Vizag covering the entire coastline of the country which can be witnessed from 7:30 in the evening till midnight.
