The 26 year old Flight Lieutenant Advitiya Bal, who lost his life in the MIG-21 crash in Rajasthan's Barmer area late Thursday night, had a brief conversation with his mother back home in Jammu barely hours before he embarked on his last training sortie with Wing Commander M Rana from Himanchal Pradesh.
Both the pilots died in the crash. Meanwhile, loss of two precious lives has once again brought back the issue of decommissioning left over squadrons of the ageing fighter jets to the centre stage.
Raising the demand before the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bal's uncle Karan Jeet Friday said, "how long the government will keep sacrificing the lives of young pilots. Stop using these jets". "Ground them to ensure the safety of our pilots", Karan Jeet said while making a passionate appeal.
The young pilot from RS Pura area of Jammu belonged to the family of patriots. Apart from his father, Swarn Bal, an ex-serviceman, both his uncles had earned the distinction of serving the Indian armed forces. From his early childhood Advitiya was also chasing his dream of donning the uniform in the service of the Nation. He studied in the Sainik School, Nagrota and later joined the National Defence Academy in 2014. According to his uncle Karan Jeet, Bal got commissioned in the Indian Air Force in June 2018 and was serving his first posting in Uttarlai Air Force Station, Barmer. He was looking forward to a new posting soon.
In one of the recent conversations when he called to wish my son on his 11th birthday he told me, " Uncle I would be visiting home soon in the month of August. We will organise a family get together once I am home". I had promised him to cook his favorite dishes during the get-together. Large number of people from the nearby villages along with senior government/police officers were assembled there and paid condolences to the family.
Remembering his last call on Thursday afternoon, Karan Jeet told reporters at his Jinder Melu home in RS Pura, "The young pilot was very excited while chatting with his mother. He had gifted her a new phone and was speaking to her for the first time after she received the same".
The phone call, however, turned out to be their last conversation. My Bhabi repeatedly said 'Thank you' to Advitiya while urging him to take a power nap ahead of the sortie. On Friday when she came to know about his sudden death in the air crash she could not bear the loss of her son. "I don't want to live without my son," she said, weeping inconsolably. The news came as a big shock for the whole family. "We had celebrated his 26th birthday on July 16 and were looking forward to meeting him soon", a young cousin said remembering his elder brother.
Karan Jeet said, "my elder brother along with his younger son are currently visiting Jodhpur to complete the necessary formalities ahead of performing the last rites and shifting the mortal remains of Advitiya Bal.
Karan Jeet said, Flight Lieutenant Advitiya Bal was a very hardworking and religious minded youngster. He never shied away from taking up challenges. He always remained in the forefront and demonstrated leadership qualities.
He was courteous to the core and was feted by everyone in the village. He mingled with villagers and gave them respect. Many youngsters treated him as their role model and were following in his footsteps to join the Indian Armed Forces.