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Misplaced priorities of the Modi Government and its irrational planning making it difficult for people to see the tectonic development all around?
In recent years we lost five Fighter pilots as the outdated MiG jets crashed in the mid-air. The MiG-21 crashed in which Squadron Leader Abhinav Chaudhary was killed last Friday was the third accident this year.
May be, I might have missed some other names as well.
They are not only numbers; they were the important ones to their families and friends.
Does anybody attach any value to their lives?
Normally I do not comment on any political issues but couldn’t avoid making my views in these cases as a fellow citizen of this great country, as we are losing our fellow countrymen daily because of some irrational planning and misplaced priorities of the Indian Govt.
Despite my deep respect for Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, I would say that building of the World’s highest statue of Sardar Patel costing Rs.3000 crore and initiation of the Central Vista project costing around Rs 20,000 crore is open to question.
The cost of the Central Vista Redevelopment project, which also includes a Common Central Secretariat and the Special Protection Group (SPG) building, has been estimated to be around ₹20,000 crore (US$2.8 billion)spread over four years.
A developing country like India can’t afford such luxury. The countrymen would have praised the Government, had they instead, given priority to revamping the country’s public health infrastructure for saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of fellow citizens lost every year for want of proper medication and health care. The situation in this on-going Covid pandemic is a glaring example!
The Indian Air Force would have also expressed their gratitude if the Government had replaced the 58 years old MiG fighter jets which have outlived their normal lives and claimed many precious lives of our Air warriors over the years due to avoidable accidents. These obsolete MiGs are now described as “flying coffin.”
Since 1963, India has introduced more than 1,200 MiG fighters into its Air Force.
As of 2019,113 MiG-21s are known to be in operation in the IAF.
However, the planes have been plagued by safety problems.
Over 400 MiG-21s have crashed since 1971-72, killing over 200 pilots and 50 civilians on the ground.
PM Modi, a great leader, has crossed many miles in lesser time than any predecessor of 7 Race Course. Even overall news of BIG SCAMS is not in the market for long 7 years, a commendable task considering past 2G, COAL-GATE, and other FAME Black Pearl activities by the previous regime.
But as we are passing with great difficulties as a nation we must put on hold luxury items and invest in lifesaving activities. Scrap Flying Coffins MiGs and replace them with Rafale or Sukhoi or other better ones.
These obsolete MiG fighters should be replaced immediately in the greater interest and safety of the IAF brave hearts.
These are my personal views, others may differ.
Reported by Ms. Pratyusha Mukherjee, a Senior Journalist working for BBC and other media outlets, also a special contributor to IBG News. In her illustrated career she has covered many major events and achieved International Media Award for reporting.
