Remembering Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh: ‘A man of integrity, a kind-hearted leader, an incomparable Air Warrior’

Veterans remember Marshal Arjan Singh as a fair, benign and charismatic man who led by example. (Source: PTI/File)

AS the nation paid respects to Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 98, IAF veterans remembered him as “a man of integrity, a kind-hearted leader and an Air Warrior who leaves behind an incomparable legacy.”

Remembering him as a leader with a humane approach, Air Chief Marshal Anil Yashwant Tipnis (Retd) who served as the Chief of Air Staff (COAS) from 1999 to 2001, said, “He was a man of great integrity and a leader who led by deeds and not mere words. The Air Warriors who served in the Air Force when he was at the helm knew that the tasks given by him will be doable and knew that he would never ask others to do something that he himself would not do, and that is a great quality of a military leader. So, people trusted him without reservations.”

He added, “And the trust was not limited to the soldiers, but extended to even their families and non-combatants. As a soldier fights for the country, he always thought about his families, and these families too had trust in Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh as a caring leader. Also, as a chief, your job is not always to give pats on the back, but also to point out the shortcomings, and he did it in an extremely humane way. He never raised his voice while doing that.”

Calling the Marshal an iconic soldier, Air Chief Marshal P V Naik (Retd) who was COAS between in 2009 and 2012, said, “I had the fortune of interacting with him several times, before and after I became the Air Chief. On every Air Force Day, there is a Chief’s dinner and a parade and he graced the occasion every year without fail. He had an outstanding persona, all the charisma of a military leader and all the courtesy of a diplomat. He and his wife Teji were a wonderful couple and through the trust they have formed, they made an invaluable contribution towards the welfare of Air Force family.”

He added, “Like any great leader who strives to leave behind a great legacy, he has left behind something that is incomparable. The image of the ramrod straight soldier will remain in our minds for years to come. It is also rare to find a person about whom absolutely no one talks negatively. He was one of those rare gems.”

Group Captain Dilip Parulkar (Retd), an IAF war hero of two wars against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 whose escape from the war prisoner camp near Rawalpindi in 1971 is a well-documented story, said, “I was a young pilot when he led the Indian Air Force in the 1965 war against Pakistan. In 1966, it was he who pinned the Vayu Sena Medal on me at Palam, a moment I can never forget.”

He added, “He was a fatherly figure for all the men in uniform and an inspiration for generations to come. He was a fair, benign and charismatic man who led by example. He will always be in our hearts.”