Group Caption Varun Singh inspired the whole country, the Prime Minister said

In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address, PM Modi on Sunday paid tribute to Group Captain Varun Singh who lost his life in a helicopter accident flying India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat and his wife along with 11 others.

Recalling that ‘touch the sky with pride’ is the motto of the Indian Air Force, he said, many lives engaged in the service of Maa Bharati soar over these heights of the sky with pride every day; they teach us a lot.

“Such was the life of Group Captain Varun Singh,” the PM added.

“Varun Singh also fought death bravely for many days, but then he also left us. When Varun was in the hospital, I saw something on social media that touched my heart. He was awarded with ‘Shaurya Chakra’ in August just this year,” he said.

“After this honor, he had written a letter to the principal of his school. After reading this letter, the first thought that came to my mind was that even after reaching the pinnacle of success, he did not forget to nurture his roots,” Modi recalled.

“Secondly, when he had time to celebrate, he showed concern for the generations to come," he said.

“In his letter, Varun Singh did not boast of his valour; instead he referred to his failures. He talked about how he converted his shortcomings into abilities,” PM Modi said.

“Friends, the mantra he has given to rise from average to extraordinary is equally important,” he said.

“Varun had written that if he could inspire even a single student, it would be a lot,” the PM said.

“But today I would like to say – he has inspired the whole country. Even though his letter talks only to the students, he has given a message to our entire society,” he added.