Newborns named after Abhinandan in UP

Inspired by the bravery and courage of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the parents of at least three newborn male babies in Uttar Pradesh named them after the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot and also vowed to send them to the armed forces.

According to the reports, three babies, who were born in the state's Gonda, Hardoi and Ghazipur districts soon after the captured IAF pilot set foot on the Indian soil, were named after Abhinandan by their parents.

Neetu Mishra, who gave birth to a male baby at the district hospital in Gonda, said that she would send her son to the armed forces to serve the country.

''We have named him Abhinandan....for us he (IAF pilot) is the real hero,'' said Rajan Mishra, Neetu's husband, a resident of Porterganj locality in the district.

Similarly, Monika Awasthi, a resident of Hardoi district in the state, was blessed with a male baby almost immediately after Wing Commander Abhinandan crossed over to the Indian territory. Monika's husband, Deepu Awasthi, a resident of Shahabad locality in the district, was watching the TV, when he received the news of the birth of the child.

Deepu and Monika also named the newborn after Abhinandan.

The third 'Abhinandan' was born in Ghazipur district, about 350 kilometres from here, to the daughter-in-law of Prem Shankar Mishra, a resident of Sidhauna village.

All of them want the newborns to join the defence forces and serve the nation. The IAF pilot, whose return home was celebrated like a festival across the country, seems to have become a role model for many.