Former MP Tarun Vijay (R) presents coffee-table book to IAF chief ACM AP Singh (Photo: special arrangement)
New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who is about to demit office, received a coffee-table book on the Indian Air Force’s first ‘Vayu Veer Vijeta’ car rally from Tarun Vijay, a former Member of Parliament, at Air Headquarters in the national capital. Vijay’s proposal led to the 7,000 km rally from the Siachen Air Base at Thoise to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
Vijay, who mentored and planned the rally with the Uttarakhand War Memorial in Dehradun, said it was flagged off by the defence minister, Rajnath Singh, on October 1, 2024. That was the day Air Chief Marshal Singh took charge as the head of the IAF. Vijay chairs the Uttarakhand War Memorial.
The book brings together photographs and accounts written by participants over two years. Vijay presented it to the air chief as he leaves office.
17 cities, about 100,000 students
The rally stopped at 17 cities, universities and colleges on the way. According to the organizers, it reached about 100,000 young people from Generation Z, with the aim of encouraging them to join the forces.
The minister of state for road transport and highways, Harsh Malhotra, flagged off the rally at Thoise, along with the Outer Delhi MP, Kamaljeet Sehrawat.
At Leh, it was received by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brig BD Mishra (retd), and in Srinagar by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha.
The Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh (retd), received it in Dehradun. At Guwahati University, the vice-chancellor, Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta, flagged it off for the next legs. The Arunachal Pradesh chief minister, Pema Khandu, welcomed the rally in Tawang, where it was flagged down at Tawang Air Base.
ACM AP Singh drove one stretch
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh joined the rally for one segment and drove with the airmen for several hundred kilometres. The rally used Maruti Suzuki Jimny vehicles, which the company provided.
At the meeting, the Air Chief asked Vijay when the next rally would be held. “Whenever it happens, I will drive the full route this time,” he said.
He also asked Vijay to sign his copy of the book. Vijay wrote: “To my hero, Great Air Warrior Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, with regards.”
NHIDCL, Hindustan Petroleum, Saregama and Asianet News were partners of the rally, along with Maruti Suzuki. The IAF chief thanked Vijay and congratulated all participants, including the rally leader, Wing Commander VP Bhatt, the IAF Adventure Cell, the Uttarakhand War Memorial and the entire team.
