Tearful farewell accorded to Namansh Syal with military honors
The last rites of Wing Commander Namansh Syal of the Indian Air Force, who was martyred in the Tejas aircraft crash in Dubai, were performed in his native village on Sunday. His mortal remains arrived on Sunday.
People had gathered since morning in his village, Patialkar, in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, to bid him farewell. Namansh Syal was cremated with military honors at the Mokshadham here.
Namansh Syal's wife, Wing Commander Afshan Syal, attended the funeral procession wearing an Air Force uniform. She paid her husband a final respects with military honors.
Before arriving at his native village, Wing Commander Namansh's mortal remains were brought to Sulur Air Base in Coimbatore.
Indian Air Force officers paid their last respects there. The mortal remains were then brought to Kangra Airport by a special Air Force aircraft at around 1 pm on Sunday afternoon.
Father said, "The country has lost a great pilot."
Jagan Nath Syal, father of late Wing Commander Namansh Syal, said, "The country has lost a great pilot, and I have lost a young son. There was never a boring moment in his life, and he won every competition he participated in. The Indian government is conducting its own investigation, while the Dubai government is conducting its own."
Rajiv Jamwal, a local resident, said, "He studied in my school, Sainik School Sujanpur Tira. I have come here for the funeral of my pilot Namansh. He joined the NDA after 12th."
"He was the best performer in the NDA, and in the Air Force, he was also one of the best pilots. We have come here to pay our respects."
Pankaj Chaddha, from his school, said, "We have lost a precious gem. He was the pride of the school. He always brought great fame to the school."
Sandeep Kumar, from Namansh Syal's village, said, "There is an atmosphere of mourning in our village... I feel very sad. I am at a loss for words... This should not have happened."
Prakash Kumar Pandey