Whilst its just another story and incident for some, I will keep fighting for the cause that took you away from me, she wrote.
How many fighters have to give up their life for you to wake up? Squadron leader Samir Abrol’s wife asks some hard questions
The bereaved family of late Squadron Leader Samir Abrol, one of the two test pilots who died in a Mirage-2000 crash in Bengaluru last week, has said while the bureaucracy enjoy its "corrupt cheese and wine", the air warriors are given "outdated machines" to fight.
An emotional poem penned by Abrol's brother Sushant, posted on Facebook, states it is an "unforgiving" job to be a test pilot given the risks it posses.
"While the bureaucracy enjoyed its corrupt cheese and wine. We give our warriors outdated machines to fight, They still deliver it with all their prowess and might," Sushant said in the post that was widely shared.
Abrol and Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi, both from Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, died after their fighter jet crashed.
They were conducting an acceptance sortie of the Mirage-2000 trainer, which had been newly-upgraded by state-run aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, when it crashed on Friday.
Meanwhile his wife wrote in a post that she wanted answers.
I am Garima Abrol…..I am the wife of Martyr Squadron Leader Samir Abrol….whose tears are still not dry…It still hasn’t sunk in that you are gone. No one has the answer to my questions. Why YOU ?
My husband was a proud Indian and i loved sending him off to serve the nation with a morning cup of tea and a head held high.
Every soldier’s wife’s biggest fear in life is when her husband would be called to the front line and serve in an active war. I too had this fear. Many a times I woke up crying after having one such bad dream…But Samir would hold me, console me and tell me…that is the ultimate purpose of his job…to be able to serve our nation when the call comes…He wanted me to be brave, as that’s what he was, a brave soldier, patriot to the core.
Such is the job of a soldier…it does not bring you fame…no one cries when you leave but the family…It does not make you a celebrity…the media covers it for a day and drops it just like they have done for the pilots who have met the same untimely fate before Samir…Then everyone forgets about it.
How many more of these pilots have to give up their life to shake you up and make you realise there is something really wrong in the system?
A pilot is not made in a day, it takes a decade of training for their souls to get molded for the job…How many fighters have to give up their life for you to wake up?
I do not want any other sister of the Armed Force family to suffer the pain that I am going through. Words can’t describe how painful it is out here alone without my better half, my BATMAN.
I need answers...
Whilst its just another story and incident for some, i will keep fighting for the cause that took you away from me.
1. What his brother wrote
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And as he fell from the sky onto the ground,
With broken bones ; all but a black box was found.
His ejection was safe but parachute caught fire,
Shattered the family and all that he desired
Never had he breathed so heavy, as for the last time,
While the bureaucracy enjoyed its corrupt cheese and wine.
We give our warriors outdated machines to fight,
They still deliver it with all their prowess and might.
Once again a martyr was killed,
As he fell from the sky onto the ground.
Unforgiving is a job of a test pilot
Someone has to risk it to show others the light
2. 'Alarming increase in crashes'
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A petition was filed in the Supreme Court Wednesday over the "alarming increase" in crash of aircraft and helicopters of the Indian Armed Forces, seeking direction to the Centre to take steps to ensure that such accidents do not occur in future.
The public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed after a Mirage-2000 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on February 1 at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport here killing both the pilots -- Squadron Leader Samir Abrol and Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi, both from Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment.
The PIL has sought setting up of a court-monitored committee comprising a retired judge of the apex court and experts from Indian defence services to conduct a thorough enquiry into the Mirage crash.
The PIL, filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, said the committee should fix responsibilities of erring government officials and others for the lapses leading to such incidents and also to suggest measures to ensure that it does not occur again in future.
3. 35 crashes since 2015-16
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The petitioner has referred to a recent media report which said that Indian Armed Forces have lost over 35 aircraft and helicopters in crashes since 2015-16 in which 45 lives have been lost.
Since 2011, the Indian Air Force, the Army and the Navy have recorded accidents of over 75 aircraft and helicopters in which over 80 persons have died, the plea said referring to the report.
Srivastava said he has filed the plea in view of "alarmingly increasing number of crashes of various aircrafts and helicopters belonging to the Indian Armed Forces in the recent times, leading to loss of precious lives of a number of air warriors of India".
He said that issue raised in the plea pertained to "sheer violation of fundamental rights of the victims of Indian Air Force jet crash".
In a separate development, the bereaved family of Abrol has said that while the bureaucracy enjoys its "corrupt cheese and wine", the air warriors are given "outdated machines" to fight.
4. Crash last Friday
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A Mirage-2000 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed Friday at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport here killing both the pilots, a Defence official confirmed.
Though the pilots made a bid to eject, they were caught in the flames as the plane crashed with a huge explosion, the official added.
"This morning, a Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft on an acceptance sortie after upgrade crashed at the HAL Airport, Bengaluru," a Defence public relation officer said in a statement.
"Both occupants sustained fatal injuries. Further details are awaited. Investigation into the cause of accident is being ordered," he added.
The pilots were identified as Squadron Leader Samir Abrol and Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi, both from Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment.
A police official said, "the body of one the pilots was completely charred while the second pilot was rushed to the Command hospital."
Later, the second pilot succumbed to the injuries, the official said.
An eye-witness said the plane went up in flames as it crashed with an explosion and thick smoke billowed from the spot, leaving passersby and residents living around the airport in a shock.
Soon firefighters and ground staff at the airport swung into action to douse the flames and tried to bring out the pilots.
