‘We must give him a smiling send-off’: Brigadier LS Lidder’s wife

Describing her husband as “larger than life”, she said she felt more sadness than pride at the moment.

“He was larger than life… everybody knows that. You can see how many came to say goodbye. He had a wonderful personality… always used to spread love. Probably that is why people are also mourning my loss. But… we must give him a good farewell, a smiling send-off, I am a soldier’s wife. I have nothing more to say,” she said, holding back her tears.

#WATCH | “…We must give him a good farewell, a smiling send-off, I am a soldier’s wife. It’s a big loss…,” says wife of Brig LS Lidder, Geetika pic.twitter.com/unLv6sA7e7

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2021

“There is more sadness than pride… life now is very long but… whatever. If this is what God wants, we will live with this loss. But this is not the way we wanted him back. If it was not meant to be… I don’t know. He was a very good father. My child will really miss him. So its a big loss,” she added.

#WATCH | Daughter of Brig LS Lidder, Aashna Lidder speaks on her father’s demise. She says, “…My father was a hero, my best friend. Maybe it was destined & better things will come our way. He was my biggest motivator…”

He lost his life in #TamilNaduChopperCrash on Dec 8th. pic.twitter.com/j2auYohtmU

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2021

Lidder’s daughter, Aashna, said her father was her best friend. “I am going to be 17. So he was with me for 17 years… we will go ahead with happy memories. I’m happy he didn’t have to suffer. It’s a national loss. My father was a hero, my best friend. Maybe it was destined and better things will come our way. He was my biggest motivator…”

On Wednesday, Indian Air Force’s Mi17V5 helicopter crashed near Coonoor with CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 12 others on board. Thirteen of them were killed in the crash while lone survivor Group Captain Varun Singh is under treatment at Command Hospital in Bengaluru.