National
Nation bids adieu to Arjan Singh with 17-gun salute, flypast (Second Lead)
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Hundreds of mourners bid a tearful adieu to Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Arjan Singh whose last rites were performed amid a 17-gun salute and a flypast at Delhis Cantonment area on Monday.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the three service chiefs, and several former chiefs and senior officers were among those who paid tribute to the soldier, mostly remembered for his military leadership during the 1965 war with Pakistan.
A flypast by India’s most potent fighter jet Su-30 and Mi-17 V5 helicopters was carried out and a 17-gun salute by the ceremonial battery honoured the Marshal who died on Saturday after a massive cardiac arrest. He was 98.
The mortal remains — kept at his Kautilya Marg residence on Sunday for visitors to pay their tributes — were brought to Brar Square in a decorated gun carriage.
The tricolour-wrapped coffin was then placed atop a pedestal where top political leadership and serving and retired military officers paid tribute to the first and the only five-star officer of the IAF.
Sitharaman, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Army chief General Bipin Rawat, Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, besides several former service chiefs, relatives and friends, were among those present.
After wreaths were laid and tributes paid, a prayer was said by a Sikh priest, following which the tricolour was removed from the coffin and handed over to his family.
The body was then placed on the funeral pyre.
Last honours were accorded to the hero, who inspired generations of Indians in his years of service to the nation, with the ceremonial battery of Indian Army giving a 17-gun salute with their 25-pounder guns.
Soon after, three Mi-17 V5 helicopters flew over with the IAF insignia in a ‘vic’ formation, followed by three Su-30 fighter jets in a “missing man” formation.
The formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flypast of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot, a well-known military service member or veteran, or a well-known political figure.
A military band played farewell tunes, as Arjan Singh’s son Arvind, who had flown in from the US, lit the funeral pyre after religious rituals.
A tri-services guard lowered arms as a mark of respect.
Born in Lyallpur (now Pakistan’s Faislabad) on April 15, 1919, Arjan Singh was a fourth-generation soldier.
Taking over as the chief of IAF in 1964 when he was hardly 44, Arjan Singh led the force in the 1965 war, and has been lauded for his vision for modernisation of the Indian Air Force.
A fighter pilot, Arjan Singh had flown over 60 types of aircraft during his career, led the formation at the flypast over Red Fort on the first independence day in 1947, and was still flying as the chief of the IAF in the 1960s.
He served in different capacities after retiring and in 2002, he became the first and only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank as Marshal of the Indian Air Force.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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