State funeral for Arjan Singh

A state funeral will be accorded to Air Force Marshal Arjan Singh on Monday. The last rites of Singh would be performed at Brar Square here at 10 am.

Singh (98), the hero of the 1965 India-Pakistan war and the only Air Force officer to be promoted to five-star rank, passed away at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital on Saturday.

The mortal remains will be conveyed to the funeral site from his 7A-Kautilya Marg residence here at 08:15 am in a gun carriage procession. Gun salute will be given and a fly past will be organised before the final rites.

“As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, a state funeral will be accorded and national flag will fly half-mast on the day of the funeral (September 18) in Delhi on all buildings where it is flown regularly,” a government statement said.

Condoling Singh’s death, President Ram Nath Kovind said he was a hero of World War II and won the nation’s gratitude for his military leadership in the war of 1965.

“For generations of our fellow citizens, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh has remained a living legend. His service to the nation continued even outside uniform, as Lt Governor of Delhi, Ambassador of India to Switzerland and the Vatican, High Commissioner to Kenya and Member of the National Commission for Minorities. For his services and achievements, he was honoured with numerous awards including the Padma Vibhushan,” Kovind said in his letter to the Marshal’s son Arvind Singh. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also remembered Singh for his “ famous” role in the 1965 India-Pakistan war. “An icon of the Indian military history, the then Chief of Air Staff Arjan Singh had led a young Air Force into the war in 1965 when he was hardly 44 years of age,” Naidu said.

Mourning his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday had described him as a “distinguished air warrior and a fine human being” whose “determined focus on capacity building in the IAF added great strength to our defence capabilities”.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharam said, “It is a great loss. He led an exemplary life. He fought many wars.”

Air Force Chief B S Dhanoa described Singh as a “legend, icon, philanthropist and flying chief who led from the front”.

“The IAF yesterday (Saturday) lost a legend and icon. When I was a young boy I was inspired by the then Chief of Air Force Arjan Singh,” he said.