Better late than never! Atleast 4 more MIGs had crashed since I wrote this. The good news is efforts of the kins of Late Flt Lt Anil Gadgil who had lost life in a MIG crash at the political helms seem to have bore fruit. 20 years and more than 155 MIGs later the government has awoken and okayed the purchase of 66 British Supersonic Hawk AJTs (Advanced Jet Trainers). An 8000 Cr expenditure well worth. Civilians and experts have been making this demand for ages now, they have been expressing concerns due to the lack of training the pilots, they have been training on indigenous subsonic aircrafts such as Kiran and then leaping on straight to a MIG supersonic. The AJT procurement was approved way-back in July 1993 by the La Fontaine committee but zeroing-in on the right aircraft took considerable time. And while the country was loosing millions of ruppes and human-lives on the crashing MIGs people in the ministerial corridors were dilly-dallying on the price factor, if only Tehelka hadn't exposed their true-faces.

It has been a good week for the Security forces as the Cabinet sanctioned 4500 cr. more for strengthening the forces (it's another thing that that includes purchase of six VIP jets and a new jet for the Prime Minister, who says Politicians are short-sighted.)