In a first, made-in-India gun used for ceremonial salute at Red Fort on Independence Day

India

oi-Prakash KL

New
Delhi,
Aug
15:
For
the
first
time,
a
home-grown
howitzer
gun,
was
used
for
the
ceremonial
21-shot
salute
to
the
tricolour
at
the
historic
Red
Fort
on
Independence
Day.

After
attaining
freedom
in
1947,
India
was
using
British
guns
for
the
ceremonial
salute.
“The
sound
that
we
always
wanted
to
hear,
we
are
hearing
it
after
75
years.
It
is
after
75
years
that
the
tricolour
has
got
the
ceremonial
salute
at
the
Red
Fort
for
the
first
time
from
a
made-in-India
gun,”
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
said.

The
home-grown
howitzer
gun,
Advanced
Towed
Artillery
Gun
System
(ATAGS),
is
developed
under
the
Government’s
‘Make
in
India’ initiative.
The
gun
has
been
especially
customised,
with
certain
technical
specifications
tweaked
for
the
ceremony.

The
Prime
Minister
said
all
Indians
will
get
inspired
and
feel
empowered
on
hearing
this
made-in-India
gun
roar.
The
indigenous
howitzer
gun
that
was
used
for
the
ceremonial
salute
on
Monday
has
been
designed
by
the
Centre-run
Defence
Research
and
Development
Organisation
(DRDO).

Massive
significance
of
this
item
in
the

#IndiaAt75
celebration
—
the
indigenous
public-private
ATAGS
artillery
gun
in
the
ceremonial
21-gun
salute.
Symbolism
important,
full
support
crucial.
Shed
ghosts
of
Bofors.
Sovereignty
very
much
depends
on
atmanirbharta
in
defence.

pic.twitter.com/AEqvbgJ0Ij

— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor)

August
15,
2022

I-Day
2022:
PM
Modi
says
Tribal
freedom
fighters
kept
struggle
for
Independence
alive
in
every
corner

In
his
speech,
Prime
Minister
Modi
also
commended
the
armed
forces
personnel
for
adopting
his
vision
of
Atmanirbhar
Bharat
(self-reliant
India)
and
taking
steps
towards
realising
it.
“I
want
to
salute
the
soldiers
of
this
country
from
my
heart.
The
manner
in
which
my
vision
of
Atmanirbhar
Bharat
has
been
collectively
adopted
by
the
soldiers
and
officers
of
the
armed
forces,
I
can
not
salute
them
enough.”

It
is
not
a
small
resolution
when
a
soldier
decided
to
list
300
items
that
it
will
not
import
from
other
countries,
Modi
said.
He
was
referring
to
the
Defence
Ministry’s
decision
to
issue
multiple
“positive
indigenisation
lists”
that
lists
300
plus
items
which
will
not
be
imported
after
a
certain
period
of
time.
“I
can
see
the
seeds
of
Atmanirbhar
Bharat
in
that
resolution
that
will
lead
to
the
birth
of
a
big
tree,”
Modi
added.

Also,
for
the
first
time,
MI-17
helicopters
showered
flowers
at
the
Red
Fort
during
Independence
Day
celebrations.