Marshal of the Air Arjan Singh passed into the mist of time, this evening, bringing to an end the spectacular innings of a very charismatic and respected leader of India. He was all of 98 years.
I shan't venture to write an epitaph on him because there are many who knew him up close, worked with him and interacted with him, one on one and it's they who should be giving us anecdotes about him. I must hasten to add that whatever I know about him is there in the public domain!
But I shall definitely tell you as to how he has figured all through my life, thus far.
In the early '60s, while I was studying at the Naval Primary School at Colaba, Bombay, I'd come across his name for the first time, when the then Air Marshal Arjan Singh became the Air Chief. His leadership of the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Pak war of '65 was spectacular and the heroic tales of how the Air Force's timely support to the Indian Army scripted the outcome of that war in various sectors, is folklore.
The manner in which the Air Force demolished the Pakistani tanks in the Khem Kharan sector, during the war, later became the basis of the money grossing Hindi movie, 'Border' made by JP Datta. That and many other battles changed the complexion of the '65 war and Ayub Khan's grandiose plans to gain an upper hand on our western border lay in tatters.
Soon after the war, the government having seen the synergy between the forces during the war, had upgraded the Air Chief's post to that of an Air Chief Marshal and Arjan Singh became the first ACM. After being at the helm of the IAF for about six years, he'd retired at 50 years and went on to become India's Ambassador in Switzerland and the Holy See. Thus, all through my studies in school, up to class XI and subsequently, at the NDA, his name figured in the General Knowledge books and had to be reproduced at various examinations/competitions that I had taken part in.
After another similar appointment abroad, he returned to India to become the Lieutenant Governor of the union territory of Delhi.
It was in Apr 2000 that I'd reached New Delhi thanks to my appointment at the Naval Headquarters. After a year in a hired accommodation at NOIDA, we shifted to an MES-allotted accommodation in the Delhi cantonment. Initially, the defence officers' enclave that we'd shifted into was known as 'Arjun Vihar' but it was soon changed to 'Arjan Vihar' and it was then, that we came to know that the colony was, indeed, named after the Air Chief Marshal!
He was constituted 'Marshal of the Air' in 2002 and since then, I and my service mates took it as a matter of pride whenever the Marshal of the Air Arjan Singh graced public occasions. He was handsome and dignified and carried his rank to perfection. He'd, by then, become an icon of our times!
RIP Marshal of the Air Arjan Singh! My salute to a charismatic leader and an icon of flawless leadership. They don't make them leaders like you any more!
Tailpiece.
Have finally decided to go to Neelamperoor to attend the 'Pooram'(The annual festival) of the famous Devi temple out there, after days of dithering. Radhan chettan and Sathi chechi are thrilled that they're coming along with us! Neelamperoor also happens to be my grandfather's ancestral place, where my mom had spent a few years of her childhood.........it's really a place of pilgrimage, for me!
I shan't venture to write an epitaph on him because there are many who knew him up close, worked with him and interacted with him, one on one and it's they who should be giving us anecdotes about him. I must hasten to add that whatever I know about him is there in the public domain!
But I shall definitely tell you as to how he has figured all through my life, thus far.
In the early '60s, while I was studying at the Naval Primary School at Colaba, Bombay, I'd come across his name for the first time, when the then Air Marshal Arjan Singh became the Air Chief. His leadership of the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Pak war of '65 was spectacular and the heroic tales of how the Air Force's timely support to the Indian Army scripted the outcome of that war in various sectors, is folklore.
The manner in which the Air Force demolished the Pakistani tanks in the Khem Kharan sector, during the war, later became the basis of the money grossing Hindi movie, 'Border' made by JP Datta. That and many other battles changed the complexion of the '65 war and Ayub Khan's grandiose plans to gain an upper hand on our western border lay in tatters.
Soon after the war, the government having seen the synergy between the forces during the war, had upgraded the Air Chief's post to that of an Air Chief Marshal and Arjan Singh became the first ACM. After being at the helm of the IAF for about six years, he'd retired at 50 years and went on to become India's Ambassador in Switzerland and the Holy See. Thus, all through my studies in school, up to class XI and subsequently, at the NDA, his name figured in the General Knowledge books and had to be reproduced at various examinations/competitions that I had taken part in.
After another similar appointment abroad, he returned to India to become the Lieutenant Governor of the union territory of Delhi.
It was in Apr 2000 that I'd reached New Delhi thanks to my appointment at the Naval Headquarters. After a year in a hired accommodation at NOIDA, we shifted to an MES-allotted accommodation in the Delhi cantonment. Initially, the defence officers' enclave that we'd shifted into was known as 'Arjun Vihar' but it was soon changed to 'Arjan Vihar' and it was then, that we came to know that the colony was, indeed, named after the Air Chief Marshal!
He was constituted 'Marshal of the Air' in 2002 and since then, I and my service mates took it as a matter of pride whenever the Marshal of the Air Arjan Singh graced public occasions. He was handsome and dignified and carried his rank to perfection. He'd, by then, become an icon of our times!
RIP Marshal of the Air Arjan Singh! My salute to a charismatic leader and an icon of flawless leadership. They don't make them leaders like you any more!
Tailpiece.
Have finally decided to go to Neelamperoor to attend the 'Pooram'(The annual festival) of the famous Devi temple out there, after days of dithering. Radhan chettan and Sathi chechi are thrilled that they're coming along with us! Neelamperoor also happens to be my grandfather's ancestral place, where my mom had spent a few years of her childhood.........it's really a place of pilgrimage, for me!
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