Hyderabad: As the nation awaits for the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Vathaman, taken prisoner of war in Pakistan after he shot down an intruding F-16 aircraft, a former IAF officer can understand exactly what it feels like.
In May 27, 1999, a young IAF pilot, Flt. Lt. K. Nachiketa, had to eject after his engine suffered a flame-out during the Kargil war. He had completed a bombing run and was going in for his second sortie.
He was taken into custody in Pakistan and was returned to India eight days later. He later retired as Group Captain and has joined a private airline.
When this newspaper asked him about Wg Cmdr Abhinandan, Gp Cpt Nachiketa (retired) said, “Abhinandhan is a brave and courageous pilot with a high professional ethos befitting an IAF air warrior and we all are proud of him. He should be back soon and will take to the skies again to defend his motherland whenever called for.” “After all,” he said, “the heart of a pilot is always in the cockpit.”
Speaking of the moment he heard of Wg Cmdr Abhinandan’s capture, he said: “It was indeed a disturbing news when he was captured but we all are trained and conditioned for this. I am sure he will be with us shortly and join back his unit soon.”
He said Wg Cmdr Abhinandan had been made a prisoner of war in a hostile situation in the line of duty. “As per the Geneva Convention, which is applicable to both India and Pakistan, there are standards that have been laid and one should follow it while treating a PoW. The country holding custody of the PoW must treat the solider appropriately and release him.”
