It will be a proud moment for the nation as India takes a giant leap this month in military-industrial production. On April 11, in the Cochin shipyard, the first rivet will be driven in to set in motion the construction of an aircraft carrier. Only three other nations have had the ability to build aircraft carriers of this magnitude. We became the first developing country to possess an aircraft carrier when INS Vikrant joined the fleet, within 15 years of our gaining independence, and in just another six we got submarines. Nehru's vision to make us self-reliant was brought to fruition in the '70s by naval designers rolling out frigates in the Mazgaon Docks. Other types of ships followed, even submarines when Mrs Indira Gandhi laid the keel of the first of two submarines. That was 21 years ago and we would have been exporting them by now if our politicians had shown some nationalism and not been churlishly irresponsible in opposing the government's naval shipbuilding program.

Let the debate whether the Navy should operate aircraft carriers or let the IAF take control of all air-efforts, go on, but the major thrust of our acquiring an indigenous aircraft carrier should not be missed. The world will ungrudgingly begin to admire this exciting endeavour of our skills, economic strength, political will and national pride. Now the matter of naming the new ship: we sailors are superstitious about names. Aircraft carriers in the United States have been named after personalities: thus USS Nimitz, Eisenhower, Kennedy. The United Kingdom opts for inspiration, thus, HMS Invincible, Triumph, Victorious, Indefatigable, Implacable and so on. The French and the Russians are a bit vague in this matter.

In our Navy, naming of ships revolves round the defence ministry's Nomenclature Committee which delves into well established norms based on history, culture, mythology, archaeology and selects badges, crests and names. Names of ships are a serious business, taken serious note of by worthy politicians and which, after due process, are finally approved by none other than the President himself. There may be a tendency among officials to sign on behalf of their dignitaries endorsing, "RM has seen," "PM has concurred," "President has approved," but many stalwarts, among them Nehru, Radhakrishnan, Giri, have endorsed how they felt about a proposal. They had both the time and the inclination to do so. This is how INAS Utkrosh, the new air station in the Andamans, got its name. NHQ recommended Mayur, the Hindi word for peacock. It passed the Defence Minister easily, but the file was returned by the PMO with Indira Gandhi's endorsement in her own hand: Mayur is not a bird of the sea; it is not aggressive; also it looks quite ugly in flight. The 'think tank' came up with an alternate and that air station became Utkrosh.

We have followed the practice of naming ships after islands, rivers, fish, weapons etc. How Vikrant got her name is another interesting story. The first four names suggested by the MoD were rejected — Sumeru (being the name of an un-locatable mountain); Himalaya (was unthinkable having been a stone frigate in Pakistan); Kailash (for no apparent reason); and Vindhya (not found inspiring enough by Raksha Mantri V.K.K. Menon). Further names considered but rejected were: Everest (not in India); Kanchenjunga (not acceptable); Nanga Parbat and Amarnath (not favoured by Krishna Menon who opined that naming aircraft carriers after mountain peaks was inconsistent with a ship known for her mobility as opposed to the immobility of a mountain).

It was then decided to stick to abstract terms and thus the name Vikrant was born. In the 1971 war, she lived up to her motto Jayema Sam Yudhi Sprdhah (I Completely Defeat Those Who Dare to Fight With Me). Then followed Viraat with her inspiring motto Jalameva Yasya Balmeva Tasya (Only the Strong will Lord over the Sea). It was expected that the Gorshkov would carry an abstract name too and prove to be a lucky ship with guardian angels hovering above or perhaps by naval tradition she would be a successor, born-again Vikrant. But no, she will be INS Vikramaditya. Good luck to those who sail in her and to the big one due to sail a few years from now. Perhaps she will bear the name of another emperor (Harshavardhana ?) or will it be an abstract one like Vayu, Vaibhav or some such?