Mohali link of new Air Chief
Chandigarh, December 17
The next Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, has his roots in Mohali. He was born in Gharuan village, adjoining Chandigarh’s satellite township, on September 7, 1957.
Air Marshal Dhanoa’s father, Sarayan Singh, was the Punjab Chief Secretary during the 1980s and later served as adviser to the state Governor, while his sister is residing in Chandigarh. His grandfather, Capt Sant Singh, had served with the erstwhile British Indian Army.
According to locals, the Air Marshal’s family had a house and some land in the village, but had disposed it of. He had last visited the village in September 2014 to attend a “bhog” ceremony.
Gharuan is a village of about 10,000 inhabitants and while residents are by and large unaware about Air Marshal Dhanoa, a few still remember the legacy of Capt Sant Singh. Some of Air Marshal Dhanoa’s relatives still reside there.
Air Marshal Dhanoa is an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College and the National Defence Academy. — Vijay Mohan
