Proud parents of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman get standing ovation

India did not shy away from showing how their son had captured the nation’s heart for the past few days to the parents of Wing Commander Abhinandan. The Varthaman couple received a standing ovation from co-passengers onboardd the Chennai-Delhi flight they took on late Thursday night to receive the officer at Wagah Border on Friday evening.

Air Marshal S Varthaman (retd) and wife Shobha Varthaman were welcomed onboard as fellow travellers cheered for their son while the proud parents made their way to their seats in the plane. In the video that captured moments of the Varthamans boarding in Chennai and deplaning in Delhi, the couple remained composed, exchanging nothing more than a polite smile. In a heart warming gesture of respect and gratitude, all the passengers, instead of usual jostling to be amongst the first to deboard, let the former Air Marshal and the missus exit first when the flight landed in the national capital an hour after midnight. They even clapped and gave a standing ovation to Wing Commander Abhinandan, hailing his courage, grit and grace in enemy captivity. They left for Amritsar after landing in Delhi.

Son of a decorated Indian Air Force veteran and doctor mother, Wing Commander Abhinandan was captured by the Pakistan army on Wednesday when his Mig-21 Bison crashed during an air duel with a Pakistani F-16. The fighter pilot shot down the jet before his own went down, forcing him to eject. He landed in Pakistan and was taken into custody by their army. 

The officer comes from a forces family with bravado running in his genes. His father Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, who also flew Mig-21, was a test pilot and has been received several honours, including Param Vishisht Seva Medal. He was superannuated five years ago. Wing Commander Abhinandan’s grandfather Simhakutty was also in the IAF and had served the nation during World War II.