‘Abhinandan’ Abhinandan!

March 1: Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has returned home from Pakistan to a hero’s welcome, two days after his plane crashed on the other side of LoC while on a mission to chase back intruding planes. “Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians. Vande Mataram!” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Welcome back Wg Cdr V Abhinandan.
We are proud of you. Jai Hind!!!#WelcomeHomeAbhinandan pic.twitter.com/aZ4SHhfech

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 1, 2019

Soon after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the pilot’s release as a “peace gesture”, India had asked for permission to send a special IAF flight to bring back the captured IAF pilot from Islamabad, but Pakistan had rejected the request. The country communicated to India late on Thursday night that he would be handed over through the Wagah-Attari border.Initially the Indian authorities indicated that Wing Commander Varthaman would be handed over to India at around 4pm and later they suggested that he would be released at around 6:30pm.

The handover was delayed and took place after 9 as he was forced to record a statement on camera by Pakistani authorities before he was allowed to cross the border. Pakistan put out the video just before his release. Large crowds had waited for hours to welcome him at the Attari-Wagah crossing, holding flags and garlands and dancing and cheering. To restrict the crowds, an elaborate flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah crossing between Indian and Pakistani soldiers, which draws thousands of spectators on both sides, was cancelled.

“It is good to be back in my country,” was the first reaction of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as he set his foot back on Indian soil. This was stated by an official quoting Varthaman after he received the pilot at the Attari-Wagah border soon after his release by Pakistan.