Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot

[bloo]

Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot
Shiv Aroor | Headlines Today | New Delhi, January 16, 2014 | UPDATED 18:11 IST


Nine years after sustaining debilitating injuries in a MiG-21 crash in Rajasthan, an accident in which he stayed inside the doomed aircraft till the last moment in order to save a village on the ground, Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Sanjeet Kaila now faces the full might of an unapologetic state. Next week, the still serving officer, who was forced to move to less strenuous duties following severe spinal injuries in the crash, will be at the Delhi High Court to respond to a shocking littany of insults heaped on him in the form of two affidavits filed by the Ministry of Defence and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

The affidavits, accessed by Headlines Today, read like a tirade against the aggrieved pilot, repeatedly calling into question his motivations, his character and his intentions.

Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Sanjeet Kaila
In May 2013, Wing Commander Kaila dragged the MoD and HAL to court after 2 RTI queries revealed to him starting August 2012 that a manufacturing defect by HAL arising from 'poor workmanship' had been found by a Court of Inquiry, to be the direct cause of the 2005 crash that left him a severely painful chronic condition called cervicalgia, that completely rules out any strenuous exercise, leave along fighter flying. Wing Commander Kaila has told the High Court that repeated representations by him to the MoD for redressal between December 2012 and May 2013 were ignored, forcing him to sue. The officer has also repeatedly told the court that he is not looking for monetary or other compensation, but for accountability to be fixed on HAL for the crash.

But the MoD and HAL have responded to the pilot's petition with extreme aggression, unleashing a volley of aspersions on Wing Commander Kaila's case. In ten separate places, the aspersions case on him are (a) That he did not seek legal remedy immediately after the crash, (b) That he is primarily looking for compensation, (c) That accidents of this kind (involving proven manufacturing defects) are an 'occupational hazard', (d) That he has only himself to blame for the damage to his 'career progression', (e) That he is angry and frustrated as a result of being denied a promotion to the rank of Group Captain (equivalent to Colonel in the Army), (f) That his injuries were not a result of the crash, but commensurate with age, (g) That the pilot's case affects morale and discipline in the IAF, (h) That the pilot's case affects operational efficiency and integrity of the armed forces as a whole, and probably, the most stinging, (i) that Wing Commander Kaila has filed the case to somehow mask his own 'fault' and 'negligence'.

HEADLINES TODAY has learnt that Wing Commander Kaila, shocked by the questions that have been raised on his character and integrity in court, is preparing to contest all of the assertions made by the government in its reply to his petition with documentary evidence, including medical reports, official communications within the IAF and other material. The case will be coming up shortly before a new bench of the Delhi High Court.

On 4 January 2005, Wing Commander Kaila, then a Squadron Leader at the IAF's frontline fighter base in Nal, Rajasthan, took off on a regular flight exercise in a MiG-21 (Tail No. C-2236) as part of daily flying duties. His aircraft jerked dangerously to one side immediately after take-off. Over radio, he was informed by his wingman in a MiG-21 flying near him that his aircraft's tail was on fire. According to his petition, and thereafter recorded in official communications within his unit, "Despite a near-complete engine/control failure and at grave risk to his own life, Kaila continued to stay put in an almost uncontrollable aircraft so as to steer it away to safety from a nearby village. To save human life, he ejected only seconds before the crash of the aircraft." Despite the crash, Wing Commander Kaila continued to fly fighters for nine months after the accident, but was then forces to stop after his condition in his spine abruptly deteriorated. A Court of Inquiry into the crash revealed that the chief caused of the accident was a fatigue crack in the welded portion of the after burner manifold leading to a fire in the aircraft -- the structural weakness of the safety-critical component was attributed by the IAF to to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at the HAL's MiG-21 license production facility.

Wing Commander Kaila's decision to sue the government last year created waves in armed forces circles, given that this was the first time a crash survivor had sued the government seeking redressal against the violation of his fundamental right to life, especially the right to work in a safe environment, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India.


Read more at: Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot : North, News - India Today

 

[T90TankGuy]

Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot
Shiv Aroor | Headlines Today | New Delhi, January 16, 2014 | UPDATED 18:11 IST


Nine years after sustaining debilitating injuries in a MiG-21 crash in Rajasthan, an accident in which he stayed inside the doomed aircraft till the last moment in order to save a village on the ground, Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Sanjeet Kaila now faces the full might of an unapologetic state. Next week, the still serving officer, who was forced to move to less strenuous duties following severe spinal injuries in the crash, will be at the Delhi High Court to respond to a shocking littany of insults heaped on him in the form of two affidavits filed by the Ministry of Defence and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

The affidavits, accessed by Headlines Today, read like a tirade against the aggrieved pilot, repeatedly calling into question his motivations, his character and his intentions.

Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Sanjeet Kaila
In May 2013, Wing Commander Kaila dragged the MoD and HAL to court after 2 RTI queries revealed to him starting August 2012 that a manufacturing defect by HAL arising from 'poor workmanship' had been found by a Court of Inquiry, to be the direct cause of the 2005 crash that left him a severely painful chronic condition called cervicalgia, that completely rules out any strenuous exercise, leave along fighter flying. Wing Commander Kaila has told the High Court that repeated representations by him to the MoD for redressal between December 2012 and May 2013 were ignored, forcing him to sue. The officer has also repeatedly told the court that he is not looking for monetary or other compensation, but for accountability to be fixed on HAL for the crash.

But the MoD and HAL have responded to the pilot's petition with extreme aggression, unleashing a volley of aspersions on Wing Commander Kaila's case. In ten separate places, the aspersions case on him are (a) That he did not seek legal remedy immediately after the crash, (b) That he is primarily looking for compensation, (c) That accidents of this kind (involving proven manufacturing defects) are an 'occupational hazard', (d) That he has only himself to blame for the damage to his 'career progression', (e) That he is angry and frustrated as a result of being denied a promotion to the rank of Group Captain (equivalent to Colonel in the Army), (f) That his injuries were not a result of the crash, but commensurate with age, (g) That the pilot's case affects morale and discipline in the IAF, (h) That the pilot's case affects operational efficiency and integrity of the armed forces as a whole, and probably, the most stinging, (i) that Wing Commander Kaila has filed the case to somehow mask his own 'fault' and 'negligence'.

HEADLINES TODAY has learnt that Wing Commander Kaila, shocked by the questions that have been raised on his character and integrity in court, is preparing to contest all of the assertions made by the government in its reply to his petition with documentary evidence, including medical reports, official communications within the IAF and other material. The case will be coming up shortly before a new bench of the Delhi High Court.

On 4 January 2005, Wing Commander Kaila, then a Squadron Leader at the IAF's frontline fighter base in Nal, Rajasthan, took off on a regular flight exercise in a MiG-21 (Tail No. C-2236) as part of daily flying duties. His aircraft jerked dangerously to one side immediately after take-off. Over radio, he was informed by his wingman in a MiG-21 flying near him that his aircraft's tail was on fire. According to his petition, and thereafter recorded in official communications within his unit, "Despite a near-complete engine/control failure and at grave risk to his own life, Kaila continued to stay put in an almost uncontrollable aircraft so as to steer it away to safety from a nearby village. To save human life, he ejected only seconds before the crash of the aircraft." Despite the crash, Wing Commander Kaila continued to fly fighters for nine months after the accident, but was then forces to stop after his condition in his spine abruptly deteriorated. A Court of Inquiry into the crash revealed that the chief caused of the accident was a fatigue crack in the welded portion of the after burner manifold leading to a fire in the aircraft -- the structural weakness of the safety-critical component was attributed by the IAF to to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at the HAL's MiG-21 license production facility.

Wing Commander Kaila's decision to sue the government last year created waves in armed forces circles, given that this was the first time a crash survivor had sued the government seeking redressal against the violation of his fundamental right to life, especially the right to work in a safe environment, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India.


Read more at: Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot : North, News - India Today

As someone who comes from a military family it make me wonder, my father joined the army way back in 62 when there was a call for officers, he served in the army for close to 32 yrs , yet never expected a safe working environment. It was the nature of the job that your life will be in danger. i guess "serving" means different thing to different people.

 

[Dandpatta]

As someone who comes from a military family it make me wonder, my father joined the army way back in 62 when there was a call for officers, he served in the army for close to 32 yrs , yet never expected a safe working environment. It was the nature of the job that your life will be in danger. i guess "serving" means different thing to different people.

quote > Despite the crash, Wing Commander Kaila continued to fly fighters for nine months after the accident, but was then forces to stop after his condition in his spine abruptly deteriorated. A Court of Inquiry into the crash revealed that the chief caused of the accident was a fatigue crack in the welded portion of the after burner manifold leading to a fire in the aircraft -- the structural weakness of the safety-critical component was attributed by the IAF to to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at the HAL's MiG-21 license production facility. < unquote

Fighting, knowing, that you are going to loose your life in war or loose a limb in the line of duty is one thing. Knowing that the endangerment to your life was a result of poor workmanship at HAL's Mig-21 lic.production facility - is a cause to note and quite another thing. This wasn't a bullet that pierced his tail fin or a missile that jerked his plane off. When the IAF itself attributes a defect by HAL, what room does one have to argue that an officer like Wing Commander Kaila is in the wrong ?

How many pilots have lost their lives in Mig-21s especially in the IAF? How many times our govt. put aside all flaws under the carpet until a very strong mother of Flt.Lt Abhijit Gadgil went on an all out offensive to fight for her (deceased) son's case?

 

[OrionHunter]

These skunks (babus and politicians) especially in the MoD must be made to serve in Siachen for one month every year of their goddamn lives. They are the biggest spokes in the wheel. These fookers in the MoD who've never even fired a pistol in their pathetic lives are making decisions on serious service matters whilst sitting comfortably in their air conditioned ivory towers. What an irony!

 

[halupridol]

our system....

 

[Peaceful Civilian]

Send those politicians in siachen, then see how their burning *** turns into malfunctioned ***. Then ask questions from them, their experience, and reason for malfunctioned ***.

 

[T90TankGuy]

quote > Despite the crash, Wing Commander Kaila continued to fly fighters for nine months after the accident, but was then forces to stop after his condition in his spine abruptly deteriorated. A Court of Inquiry into the crash revealed that the chief caused of the accident was a fatigue crack in the welded portion of the after burner manifold leading to a fire in the aircraft -- the structural weakness of the safety-critical component was attributed by the IAF to to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at the HAL's MiG-21 license production facility. < unquote

Fighting, knowing, that you are going to loose your life in war or loose a limb in the line of duty is one thing. Knowing that the endangerment to your life was a result of poor workmanship at HAL's Mig-21 lic.production facility - is a cause to note and quite another thing. This wasn't a bullet that pierced his tail fin or a missile that jerked his plane off. When the IAF itself attributes a defect by HAL, what room does one have to argue that an officer like Wing Commander Kaila is in the wrong ?

How many pilots have lost their lives in Mig-21s especially in the IAF? How many times our govt. put aside all flaws under the carpet until a very strong mother of Flt.Lt Abhijit Gadgil went on an all out offensive to fight for her (deceased) son's case?

My father has 4 serious accidents during his service during peacetime , he never blamed any one , he always said it went with the job . thats how i feel too . but the newer generation fell differently , that's their right too.

 

[airmarshal]

This is very unfortunate. The state should have defended this pilot rather than insulting him. But this is the way bureaucracy is in India and Pakistan - relic of the Raj.

 

[FaujHistorian]

The case should be settled out of court

But HAL must show what corrective actions has it take to ensure such defects will not be repeated.

Not a good idea to drag armed services and officers (even when retired) through the court system (unless there is criminal case)

 

[Indischer]

quote > Despite the crash, Wing Commander Kaila continued to fly fighters for nine months after the accident, but was then forces to stop after his condition in his spine abruptly deteriorated. A Court of Inquiry into the crash revealed that the chief caused of the accident was a fatigue crack in the welded portion of the after burner manifold leading to a fire in the aircraft -- the structural weakness of the safety-critical component was attributed by the IAF to to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at the HAL's MiG-21 license production facility. < unquote

Fighting, knowing, that you are going to loose your life in war or loose a limb in the line of duty is one thing. Knowing that the endangerment to your life was a result of poor workmanship at HAL's Mig-21 lic.production facility - is a cause to note and quite another thing. This wasn't a bullet that pierced his tail fin or a missile that jerked his plane off. When the IAF itself attributes a defect by HAL, what room does one have to argue that an officer like Wing Commander Kaila is in the wrong ?

How many pilots have lost their lives in Mig-21s especially in the IAF? How many times our govt. put aside all flaws under the carpet until a very strong mother of Flt.Lt Abhijit Gadgil went on an all out offensive to fight for her (deceased) son's case?

That's how most Court of Inquiry reports are, actually. The IAF always points fingers at HAL's substandard workmanship while HAL shows paperwork that certify the quality standards of all work carried out.

If HAL was found guilty in a CoI, it's only when there were certain lapses in the procedural aspect/Quality certification of work done. The solution usually involves more quality checkpoints during production/assembly.

I'm afraid the NOC signed by the pilots involving hazardous work(basically any flying activity) will mean that the Courts won't entertain such pleas.

 

[kurup]

It is not a secret that our bureaucrats and politicians do not give our military men the respect they deserve .

IMO , more and more ex-military men joining politics will bring changes to that .

 

[Hemlock]

My father has 4 serious accidents during his service during peacetime , he never blamed any one , he always said it went with the job . thats how i feel too . but the newer generation fell differently , that's their right too.

No doubt your father is a brave man, but lets analyse your statement "He(your dad) never blamed anyone" in respect to our national interest.shall we?

If your father's injury or god forbid debilitating condition happened in the line of duty was due to
1: The enemy (This case is obvious, enemy doest give a damn about our Jawans life,its their duty to to kill us,right?)
so that brings us to the second type:
2: Mishap (the word often defined as 'unfortunate accident', so unfortunate that no one could predict it or prevent it, its what theist call, 'Act of God')

and there is an another, third type of events mate,what we as call as
3: (i) will-full negligence,
(ii) laziness in quality control,
(iii) I weld-but you fly and die
(iv) I keep on welding the same manner and others keep on dying after you, and
(v) finally I will only stop and rethink when my pay-check is stopped due to accountability.

Let you be the judge, If inaction, after knowing that your career snatching, life threatening event is not an 'Act of God' but a preventable human error that if not acknowledged in public and shown to be rectified could cause unnecessary loss of life in future.
should that inaction,pursed lips,its my fate, be still viewed as honour to our nation ?

I rest my case, PERIOD.

 

[T90TankGuy]

No doubt your father is a brave man, but lets analyse your statement "He(your dad) never blamed anyone" in respect to our national interest.shall we?

If your father's injury or god forbid debilitating condition happened in the line of duty was due to
1: The enemy (This case is obvious, enemy doest give a damn about our Jawans life,its their duty to to kill us,right?)
so that brings us to the second type:
2: Mishap (the word often defined as 'unfortunate accident', so unfortunate that no one could predict it or prevent it, its what theist call, 'Act of God')

and there is an another, third type of events mate,what we as call as
3: (i) will-full negligence,
(ii) laziness in quality control,
(iii) I weld-but you fly and die
(iv) I keep on welding the same manner and others keep on dying after you, and
(v) finally I will only stop and rethink when my pay-check is stopped due to accountability.

Let you be the judge, If inaction, after knowing that your career snatching, life threatening event is not an 'Act of God' but a preventable human error that if not acknowledged in public and shown to be rectified could cause unnecessary loss of life in future.
should that inaction,pursed lips,its my fate, be still viewed as honour to our nation ?

I rest my case, PERIOD.

Like i said the older generation looked at things differently and me being one of them i do to . i do not feel the need to assign blame , but to each his own .

 

[Indo-guy]

Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot
Shiv Aroor | Headlines Today | New Delhi, January 16, 2014 | UPDATED 18:11 IST


Nine years after sustaining debilitating injuries in a MiG-21 crash in Rajasthan, an accident in which he stayed inside the doomed aircraft till the last moment in order to save a village on the ground, Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Sanjeet Kaila now faces the full might of an unapologetic state. Next week, the still serving officer, who was forced to move to less strenuous duties following severe spinal injuries in the crash, will be at the Delhi High Court to respond to a shocking littany of insults heaped on him in the form of two affidavits filed by the Ministry of Defence and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

The affidavits, accessed by Headlines Today, read like a tirade against the aggrieved pilot, repeatedly calling into question his motivations, his character and his intentions.

Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Sanjeet Kaila
In May 2013, Wing Commander Kaila dragged the MoD and HAL to court after 2 RTI queries revealed to him starting August 2012 that a manufacturing defect by HAL arising from 'poor workmanship' had been found by a Court of Inquiry, to be the direct cause of the 2005 crash that left him a severely painful chronic condition called cervicalgia, that completely rules out any strenuous exercise, leave along fighter flying. Wing Commander Kaila has told the High Court that repeated representations by him to the MoD for redressal between December 2012 and May 2013 were ignored, forcing him to sue. The officer has also repeatedly told the court that he is not looking for monetary or other compensation, but for accountability to be fixed on HAL for the crash.

But the MoD and HAL have responded to the pilot's petition with extreme aggression, unleashing a volley of aspersions on Wing Commander Kaila's case. In ten separate places, the aspersions case on him are (a) That he did not seek legal remedy immediately after the crash, (b) That he is primarily looking for compensation, (c) That accidents of this kind (involving proven manufacturing defects) are an 'occupational hazard', (d) That he has only himself to blame for the damage to his 'career progression', (e) That he is angry and frustrated as a result of being denied a promotion to the rank of Group Captain (equivalent to Colonel in the Army), (f) That his injuries were not a result of the crash, but commensurate with age, (g) That the pilot's case affects morale and discipline in the IAF, (h) That the pilot's case affects operational efficiency and integrity of the armed forces as a whole, and probably, the most stinging, (i) that Wing Commander Kaila has filed the case to somehow mask his own 'fault' and 'negligence'.

HEADLINES TODAY has learnt that Wing Commander Kaila, shocked by the questions that have been raised on his character and integrity in court, is preparing to contest all of the assertions made by the government in its reply to his petition with documentary evidence, including medical reports, official communications within the IAF and other material. The case will be coming up shortly before a new bench of the Delhi High Court.

On 4 January 2005, Wing Commander Kaila, then a Squadron Leader at the IAF's frontline fighter base in Nal, Rajasthan, took off on a regular flight exercise in a MiG-21 (Tail No. C-2236) as part of daily flying duties. His aircraft jerked dangerously to one side immediately after take-off. Over radio, he was informed by his wingman in a MiG-21 flying near him that his aircraft's tail was on fire. According to his petition, and thereafter recorded in official communications within his unit, "Despite a near-complete engine/control failure and at grave risk to his own life, Kaila continued to stay put in an almost uncontrollable aircraft so as to steer it away to safety from a nearby village. To save human life, he ejected only seconds before the crash of the aircraft." Despite the crash, Wing Commander Kaila continued to fly fighters for nine months after the accident, but was then forces to stop after his condition in his spine abruptly deteriorated. A Court of Inquiry into the crash revealed that the chief caused of the accident was a fatigue crack in the welded portion of the after burner manifold leading to a fire in the aircraft -- the structural weakness of the safety-critical component was attributed by the IAF to to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at the HAL's MiG-21 license production facility.

Wing Commander Kaila's decision to sue the government last year created waves in armed forces circles, given that this was the first time a crash survivor had sued the government seeking redressal against the violation of his fundamental right to life, especially the right to work in a safe environment, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India.


Read more at: Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot : North, News - India Today

what exactly government trying to prove and achieve by this kind of witch hunt ,if Court of Injury has already established the cause for the accident ?

As the Vahidaji ( mother of IAF pilot ) in movie" Rang De Basanti " questions ....MIG to fir se ban sakta hai , humare bacche toh wappas nahi aa sakte ?

How many young pilots have lost their lives and livelihood due to poor equipment maintenance in preceding decade....answer is numerous .

why is government fighting against our own defenders ?

will our government ever mature ?