Launch of my first poetry book ‘हाशिये पर मुस्कुराती ज़िंदगी.. Thankful to @Kavishala_Hindi and all my dear ones..

Colonel Shukla's recent critique of the IAF mistakes cultural confidence for institutional decay & selective nostalgia for strategic analysis. As a veteran IAF officer I find the piece more revealing of the author’s assumptions than of any genuine leadership deficit in the service. The charge that Sanskrit quotations and references to the Ramayana at official briefings somehow “Hindutva-ise” the Air Force is particularly thin. Indian public life has always drawn upon our civilisational language. When an air marshal opens a media briefing with a verse, it is treated as ideological signalling. Had the same officer quoted Churchill or Clausewitz, it would have been praised as intellectual breadth. The objection appears less about professionalism and more about discomfort with any open affirmation of Indian civilisational identity within uniformed institutions. That discomfort is the author’s, not the IAF’s. The suggestion that Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra’s post-retirement appointment is evidence of ideological reward is equally unconvincing. Officers who plan and execute complex operations under real constraints are often asked to take on civilian responsibilities for a variety of reasons, competence being high among them. Reducing a successful operational career to a political transaction does a disservice. It also assumes that every subsequent appointment must be viewed through a single ideological lens. This makes an analyst with an agenda. On the “zero-error syndrome,” the article recycles an old complaint. Risk aversion is a real institutional tendency in any large military, particularly one that operates under nuclear thresholds and simultaneous continental and maritime pressures. Equating measured caution in 2020 with a permanent loss of offensive spirit is an oversimplification. The same service now accused of timidity has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to hold and dominate difficult terrain when the operational picture and political guidance aligned. Leadership is not measured by how quickly one escalates; it is measured by whether the force remains ready, cohesive and capable when the moment actually arrives. The claim of a growing disconnect between “lions” and “donkeys” is the oldest refrain in military commentary. Junior officers have always grumbled about seniors; seniors have always fretted about the quality of juniors. What has changed is the volume of public commentary that turns ordinary institutional friction into a civilisation-level crisis. The IAF continues to attract, train and retain officers who fly demanding missions in difficult conditions. That record is more relevant than seminar-room complaints about language and vocabulary. Colonel Shukla ends by invoking the Truman–MacArthur clash as a model of principled military independence. The analogy is misplaced. India’s constitutional framework and civil-military traditions are not those of America in 1951. Indian service chiefs have long given candid military advice while remaining within the boundary set by elected authority. That is not weakness; it is the system working as designed. Demanding that senior officers “seize the moment” by publicly challenging government policy is not a call for better leadership. It is a call for a different political arrangement altogether—something practised in Pakistan. In the end, the article reads less like a diagnosis of military leadership and more like serious discomfort with the cultural self-confidence now visible in parts of the armed forces. One can debate the wisdom of particular public statements or post-retirement appointments. Turning those debates into a sweeping indictment of the IAF’s professional character is rather like criticising the entire batting order because one batsman prefers a particular stance. The scoreboard of operational performance remains the best measure. On that measure, the IAF continues to hold its own explains Air Marshal Nambiar of the Kargil fame.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIDEO YOU WILL SEE TODAY IS THIS ONE!!! 🥹♥️ Sheetal Devi proudly showing off the three medals she won at the Asian Para Games 2026! 🥇🥇🥈 WHAT A CHAMPION! 🫶✨

From sampling dozens of replies (top and latest), nearly all oppose or mock the call for street protests against "vote chori." Insults, refusals to join, and accusations dominate; clear agreement is rare to nonexistent in the samples. Rough estimate: 90-95%+ of comments do not agree with him.

*To the Press* On behalf of *People Against SIR* Dated: October 20th, 2026. *Call to the Nation* *Let’s rise to the Challenge* Dear Citizens of this Country, Indian democracy is in a very deep Crisis. The electoral process has been hijacked. The voter list has been manipulated. The above-the-law Election Commission, has been handpicked to unashamedly and singularly serve Modi - Shah. Youth are on the streets. Many in prison. The time has come for us - We the People - to pour into the streets and say *Stop the Attack on Our Democracy* On October 14th Organisations of Student, Youth, Kisan, Workers, Women, Dalit, Adivasi, Minorities, Disabled, Transgender etc., met to form a broad alliance under the banner of *People Against SIR*. They have called for a Peoples March on October 23rs to restore democracy and create Jantar Mantar's all over the country. *Har hath me Tiranga and Har Gali me Jantar Mantar (In Every Hand the Tricolour and in Every Street a Jantar Mantar).* On behalf of all the Organisations which are part of "People Against SIR", We call upon People of this Country who see themselves as Patriots to rise to this Challenge. We can’t afford to wait any longer. Draw strength and take the initiative at your location. This is a Peoples Movement - we all need to be leaders of this movement. Create space for the youth. As the future belongs to the youth of this country we need to band together with them to create a *Collective Strength to Regain Our Democracy*. We also call upon Political parties of INDIA bloc to join us and be part of the October 23rd Peoples March and give strength to Jantar Mantar protests all over the Country. *Gyanesh Must be Removed and Prosecuted* *SIR Must be Scrapped and All Deleted Voters Must be Restored to the Voter Rolls* *Conspiratorial Amendment to the Election Commissioners Act 2023 should be Repealed.* *A New Election Commission Appointed through an Unbiased Process - Just Revision of the Voter Rolls - Return to the Paper Ballot - Fair Elections through Election Reforms* *All Power to the People* *Constitution will Prevail* *Conspiracy will Fail* *On behalf of "People Against SIR"* - Prakash Raj - Prashanth Bhushan - Parakala Prabhakar. - Rakesh Tikaith - Anjali Bharadwaj - ⁠Ganesh Devy - Tushar Gandhi - Abhijit Dipke - Neha bora - Aishe Ghosh - Viraaj Devang

A FULL CIRCLE. A SALUTE TO THE LEGACY. Today, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, undertakes his last sortie in the Indian Air Force, alongside his first flying instructor, Wg Cdr V S Kochar (Retd), in the same HJT-16 Kiran aircraft in which his flying journey began on 28 January 1984. At Air Force Academy, Dundigal, the years come full circle in a moment that celebrates a lifetime of service, an enduring passion for flying and the timeless bond between a pilot and his instructor. It is also a heartfelt tribute to the veterans and mentors who have shaped generations of air warriors and continue to inspire those who follow. From the first lesson to the final sortie in uniform, a legacy takes flight. #IndianAirForce #AirForceAcademy #legacy #passion #tribute @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD @HQ_IDS_India @adgpi @indiannavy @CareerinIAF @air_veterans

#WATCH | Dundigal, Telangana: Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh says, "It was really a dream come true. I started my journey with the same aircraft. I think I must be the only chief who's retiring while the basic aircraft he flew is still serving. So I think I'm very grateful. I'm very grateful to my instructor, VS Kochhar sir, who taught me flying in the beginning in this place itself. So I just wanted the circle to be complete. And I did my first sortie on 28th January, way back in 1984, in this very place with him, and today I did my last sortie in uniform with him in the same aircraft..."

I’ve been fascinated by the mass public affection for Air Chief Marshal AP Singh as he nears retirement. I keep asking myself why. We now fight beyond visual range. Increasingly, we live that way too. Yet Singh has crossed a distance that military leaders rarely do. People don’t merely admire him. They feel they know him. Fifth-generation fighters, drones and AI are only the military expression of a much larger transformation in society. Technology now totally mediates how we work and interact. And yet, Singh’s public appeal rests on something simply human. Traditionally, military leaders have been (perceived) as larger-than-life figures. Men to admire, look up to, even revere. Figures who inspire awe, but remain somewhat distant from the ordinary citizen. Singh seems to have turned that archetype on its head. His appeal is not that he towers above the people around him, but that he appears entirely comfortable sitting amongst them. Whether participating in public runs, joining for a few dance steps, interacting with schoolchildren, meeting next of kin or talking to airmen, he seems completely at ease with people. He understands their language, humour and cultural references. None of these encounters is particularly grand in itself. Yet, collectively, they have created an unusually personal connection. And from my own interactions with him, I think there is something even more fundamental. He speaks his mind, certainly, but never seems particularly interested in establishing that he is the cleverest person in the room. He listens with intent. And when he listens, you feel he is genuinely interested in what you have to say. This is not to suggest that other Chiefs have been any less warm, humane or eager to connect. Many may have been every bit as approachable in private. Singh’s distinction, I think, is how naturally he allows that side of himself to be seen in public. Even with cameras rolling, he seems completely comfortable being himself. It doesn’t feel staged or cultivated. That is a rather different form of military charisma. The conventional archetype inspires people to follow him. Singh makes people feel that he is one of them. And, in an increasingly impersonal world, that simple ability to connect has become more powerful than ever. You expect politicians to understand this instinctively. What is remarkable is seeing a military leader do it so naturally. Military sociologists will be studying this phenomenon for years.