Thousands turn up as coffin of MiG pilot arrives in Jammu

RS Pura (Jammu), July 30

Slogans for his long afterlife rented the air as the coffin of Flight Lieutenant Advidtya Bal arrived at his home in Jinder Mehlu hamlet of border belt of RS Pura where thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to the fighter pilot.

In an atmosphere of gloom, the village youth mourned the death of their role model, who rose to become a fighter pilot from this small hamlet.

Bal’s mortal remains arrived in a service aircraft at the Air Force station here.

In a ceremony at the IAF station, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Air Commodore GS Bhullar paid tributes to Bal, who made the “supreme sacrifice in Rajasthan in service of the motherland,” officials said.

Carried in a km-long cavalcade of private vehicles and Tricolour-donned motorcyclists, the IAF cortege took to the road from Jammu IAF station and arrived at the martyr’s home amid chanting of “Advidtya Amar Rahay.” People had gathered outside the pilot’s home since morning, waiting for the coffin to arrive and bid him last goodbye.

His family members broke down at the sight of the coffin. Bal will be cremated with full military honours at a place near the village, officials said.

Bal was one of the two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots who were killed on Thursday night when their twin-seater MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashed during a training sortie near Barmer. Wing Commander M Rana from Himachal Pradesh was the second pilot.