Abhinandan Varthaman
Abhinandan Varthaman | |
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Born | Tamil Nadu, India | June 21, 1983
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 2004-present |
Rank | ![]() |
Service number | 27981[1] |
Battles/wars | 2019 India–Pakistan standoff |
Awards | ![]() |
Abhinandan Varthaman VrC[3] (born 21 June 1983) is an Indian Air Force fighter pilot who, during the 2019 India–Pakistan standoff, was held captive in Pakistan for 60 hours after his aircraft was shot down in an aerial dogfight.[4][5][6] He was awarded with Vir Chakra by the Indian government for allegedly downing a PAF F-16 with his MiG-21 Bison, though his claim has been rejected by Pakistan and neutral analysis.[7][8][9][10]
Pakistan released videos and images showing Varthaman being rescued from a violent mob of villagers by its soldiers, receiving first aid and being questioned while blindfolded. Pakistan decided on 28 February 2019 to release him. He returned to India at Wagah on 1 March 2019. His distinctive style of moustache and his sentence "the tea was fantastic" during the interrogation also gained massive popularity in the media following the incident.
He was promoted to the rank of Group captain from the rank of Wing Commander on November, 2021.[11]
Career and personal life
Abhinandan Varthaman was born on 21 June 1983 in Tamil Jain[12] Family.[13] Varthaman's family is from Thirupanamoor, a village about 19 km (12 miles) from Kanchipuram.[14] His father is a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Marshal (OF-8) and his mother is a doctor.[15][16]
Varthaman was educated at Sainik School, Amaravathinagar.[15] He graduated from the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the combat (fighter) stream of the IAF as a flying officer on 19 June 2004.[17] He was trained at the IAF centres in Bathinda and Halwara, promoted to flight lieutenant on 19 June 2006,[18] and to squadron leader on 8 July 2010.[19] Varthaman was a Su-30 MKI fighter pilot before being assigned to the MiG-21 Bison squadron.[20] He was promoted to wing commander on 19 June 2017.[21]
Varthaman is married to a retired Squadron Leader and lives in Chennai. They have two children.[20][22]
Capture
On 27 February 2019, Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 as a part of a sortie that was scrambled to intercept an intrusion into Indian-administered Kashmir by Pakistani aircraft. In the dogfight that ensued, he crossed into Pakistani airspace and his aircraft was struck by a missile. Varthaman ejected and safely descended into the village of Horran in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, approximately 7 km (4.3 miles) from the Line of Control.[23][24]
Local villagers said Varthaman could be identified as an Indian pilot by the Indian flag on his parachute.[23] Upon landing, Varthaman asked the villagers whether he was in India, to which a young boy lied by saying "Yes."[23] Varthaman reportedly raised pro-India slogans, to which the locals responded with pro-Pakistan slogans. Varthaman began firing warning shots. The villagers captured and manhandled Varthaman before he was rescued by the Pakistan Army.[25][24]
Later that day, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed an Indian pilot was missing in action after a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft was lost while engaging with Pakistani jets.[26][23][27] A statement released by the IAF also said before the crash, Varthaman had shot down a PAF Lockheed Martin F-16.[28][29][30] At a media briefing on 2 March 2019, nearly two days after the aerial engagement between PAF and IAF, the IAF displayed the parts of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, which could be used only by the PAF's F-16. The IAF also said they had identified the electronic signatures of the aircraft and confirmed that F-16 were used during the skirmish. As claimed by Indian media, according to an agreement between the U.S. and Pakistan, Pakistan is only allowed to use the F-16 against terrorists.[31] However, Foreign Policy magazine quoting an anonymous U.S. official stated that the agreement did not involve any such terms "limiting the use of the F-16s."[9] Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations Director General refuted the later claims and said F-16s had not been used in the incident.[32] The US-based Foreign Policy magazine, quoting two anonymous U.S. Defense Department officials, reported in April 2019 that an audit didn't find any Pakistani F-16s missing, and that all jets were accounted for.[33][10] U.S. officials also refused to confirm whether Pakistan had used F-16s in the conflict, citing it as a bilateral matter between the U.S. and Pakistan.[34]
Videos
Videos and images released by Pakistani authorities showed Varthaman being rescued from a violent mob by Pakistani soldiers[35] and being interrogated while tied and blindfolded with a bloody face.[25][35] Other videos showed him receiving first aid and being further interrogated over tea.[36][25][35] The media received a mixed reception; some commentators criticised the reports as a "vulgar display" while others praised the intervention of the Pakistani soldiers when Varthaman was in the hands of the mob and was being beaten.[35] The release of the videos was suspected of being a violation of the Geneva Conventions and were deleted by Pakistani authorities after they went viral.[37] Experts gave different opinions about the validity of the Geneva Convention to this case.[38]
Repatriation and subsequent developments
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Wagah_border.jpg/220px-Wagah_border.jpg)
On 28 February 2019, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan announced at a joint sitting of the Parliament of Pakistan, that the government had decided to release Varthaman the next day as a "gesture of peace".[39] Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, said his government announced the release of the IAF Wing Commander out of a desire for peace and that there was no compulsion or pressure on Pakistan, as was implied by the Indian media.[40] However, The New York Times reported that several outside countries including United States and China had been urging Pakistan to release the Indian pilot to de-escalate the crisis.[25]
However, in October 2020, a senior opposition leader who was Speaker of the National Assembly during the PML-N government in Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had claimed in the National Assembly that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was released after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a meeting of Pakistan's top leaders that India would attack Pakistan if Varthaman weren't released.[41][42][43]
Varthaman crossed the India-Pakistan border at Wagah on 1 March 2019.[44][45][46] At a political rally, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Varthaman's release, saying the nation was proud of him.[47] Hours before his releiase, a new video showing Varthaman praising the Pakistani army while criticizing the Indian media was released to the Pakistani media. IAF later said it had been filmed while Varthaman was under duress.[48][49][50][51] A medical check-up upon his return located multiple bruises and a fractured rib but no 'significant injuries'.[52] Varthaman said the Pakistani authorities did not physically torture him but subjected him to considerable "mental harassment". Pakistan said he was treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.[53]
Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain Mahasamiti chairperson Manidra Jain announced Varthaman would be awarded the Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa Puraskar on 17 April 2019, the date of Mahavir Jayanti.[54] In August that same year, he was presented with the Vir Chakra gallantry award.[8]
After the government's decision to release Varthaman was announced, a petition was filed before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking an injunction to stop the process but the court dismissed it on the same day. The petition argued Varthaman must be released only after the cessation of active hostilities, as per the Geneva Conventions, since the Indian pilot “was arrested when he was on a mission against Pakistan.” The petition was rejected by the Islamabad High Court, citing the consensus of the parliamentarians and that "When all the parliamentarians agree at a point...[a] debate over it is unnecessary". In addition the IHC Chief Justice Minallah also stated that the courts do not have the power to intervene in foreign affairs, according to a Supreme Court verdict in 2014.[55]
Aftermath
The Tea is Fantastic (Internet Meme)
After Abhinandhan was captured by Pakistani forces, a video of him taken by a soldier went viral in which he was seen being interrogated while drinking Pakistani tea. The interrogator asked him different questions about his health and how he was treated to which he acknowledged the human treatment by the Pakistani Military. The interrogator then asks if he was enjoying his tea to which Abhinandhan replied "The tea is Fantastic". This statement of Varthaman went viral and turned into a Meme in the Pakistani Online community.[56][57]
Abhinandhan Moustache
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Abhinandan_Mustache.png/220px-Abhinandan_Mustache.png)
Varthaman's style of moustache has become popular in India and is widely called the "Abhinandan cut".[58][59][60][61]
The style is similar to a combination of old gunslinger moustache and mutton chops worn by Franz Joseph I of Austria.[60] It resembles the moustache worn by actor Suriya in the Singam film series and Rajinikanth's moustache in Petta (2019).[62]
Indian actor Ranveer Singh's barber, Darshan Yewalekar, has quoted saying that "the beard sported by the IAF pilot will soon be called India's very own Varthaman style."[63] A number of companies used the moustache in their advertisements. Dairy company Amul produced a video showing a young girl wearing an Abhinandan-shaped milk moustache.[64][65] The advertisement was posted on Twitter and received more than 170,000 views within 24 hours.[66][67] Pizza Hut also posted a tweet showing the Abhinandan moustache on 3 March 2019.[68][69]
Awards and Decorations
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Vir Chakra | Wound Medal | ||
General Service Medal | Samanya Seva Medal | Special Service Medal | |
Siachen Glacier Medal | Sainya Seva Medal | High Altitude Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal |
See also
References
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- ^ "Abhinandan to get Vir Chakra on Independence Day: Facts about India's 3rd highest gallantry award". India Today. 14 August 2019.
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- ^ Markey, Daniel (2022), "The Strategic Implications of India's Illiberalism and Democratic Erosion", Asia Policy, 17 (1), National Bureau of Asian Research: 77–105, doi:10.1353/asp.2022.0010,
The Modi government's public mischaracterizations of the February 2019 Balakot airstrike and subsequent air skirmishes, including subsequently debunked claims of a destroyed terrorist camp inside Pakistan and India's downing of a Pakistani F-16 jet, have already raised questions in the United States about New Delhi's credibility and communications strategy in the midst of an exceptionally dangerous regional context.
- ^ a b Peri, Dinakar (14 August 2019). "Wing Commander Abhinandan to be awarded Vir Chakra". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ a b Seligman, Lara (4 April 2019), "Did India Shoot Down a Pakistani Jet? U.S. Count Says No.", Foreign Policy, retrieved 15 January 2022,
India's claim that one of its fighter pilots shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet in an aerial battle between the two nuclear powers in February appears to be wrong. Two senior U.S. defense officials with direct knowledge of the situation told Foreign Policy that U.S. personnel recently counted Islamabad's F-16s and found none missing.
- ^ a b Lalwani, Sameer; Tallo, Emily (17 April 2019). "Did India shoot down a Pakistani F-16 in February? This just became a big deal". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
The controversy flared up when a Foreign Policy article stated that the Pentagon had accounted for all of Pakistan's F-16 jets... The IAF responded last week by releasing "irrefutable" evidence — including electronic signatures and radio transcripts — that Pakistan lost a fighter jet during the February aerial combat. A number of U.S. and Indian defense analysts called the evidence circumstantial... The Pentagon, like the State Department, has yet to issue a public statement on the F-16 count, but there have been no counter-leaks contradicting the Foreign Policy report.
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- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 30 September 2006. p. 1371.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 28 June 2008. p. 796.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 4 February 2012. p. 119.
- ^ a b "Profile of a true HERO – All you need to know about Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman". Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
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- ^ a b c d Gettleman, Jeffrey; Raj, Suhasini (1 March 2019). "Pakistan Frees Indian Pilot Who Was Beaten by a Mob and Then Served Tea". Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "India-Pak Tensions LIVE: IAF Wing Commander Missing After MiG-21 Crash, Pakistan Claims He is in Their Custody, Says Govt". News18. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ Thomson Reuters (27 February 2019). "Saved from a Pakistani mob, a downed Indian pilot becomes the face of the Kashmir crises". cbc.ca. CBC News. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
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- ^ a b c d Gettleman, Jeffrey; Raj, Suhasini (1 March 2019). "Pakistan Frees Indian Pilot Who Was Beaten by a Mob and Then Served Tea". Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
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- ^ Casiano, Louis (27 February 2019). "Pakistan may have violated Geneva Conventions after posting video of captured pilot". Fox News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
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{{cite news}}
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- ^ https://www.dawn.com/news/1466413
- ^ https://tribune.com.pk/story/2345503/three-years-on-pakistani-twitter-celebrates-a-happy-fantastic-tea-day
- ^ Suri, Manveena. "Indian pilot returns home a hero and sparks mustache trend". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "Abhinandan's gunslinger moustache evokes awe, youngsters rush to replicate style". Asian News International. 3 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Abhinandan Varthaman's Gunslinger Moustache Is All The Rage in India". NDTV. S Shobana. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Bengaluru hairdresser gives 650 men 'Abhinandan' moustaches for free to honour IAF pilot". The Indian Express. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Abhinandan Varthaman's moustache may be the next styling sensation in India". Hindustan Times. IANS. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Want to look cool? Beard it like Abhinandan". The Times of India. IANS. 4 March 2019. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Suri, Manveena (4 March 2019). "Indian pilot returns home a hero and sparks mustache trend". CNN. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Amul Pays Tribute to IAF Pilot Abhinandan's 'Mooch' in New Ad, Twitter Says it Will be Next Fashion Trend". News18. 3 March 2019.
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- Living people
- 1983 births
- Indian aviators
- Indian Air Force officers
- Indian prisoners of war
- Prisoners of war held by Pakistan
- Shot-down aviators
- Tamil people
- People from Tamil Nadu
- National Defence Academy (India) alumni
- Recipients of the Vir Chakra
- Sainik School alumni
- Tamil Jains
- 21st-century Indian Jains
- 21st-century Indian military personnel