Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to Group Captain Varun Singh, the
IAF pilot who succumbed to his injuries a week after the chopper crash that killed
India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 12 others earlier
this month, saying he “inspired the whole country”.

Group
Captain Singh was the sole survivor of the crash on between Coimbatore and
Wellington in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district on December 8. He was initially taken
to the military hospital in Wellington before being shifted to the Command
Hospital in Bengaluru, where he died from his injuries on December 15.

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Following
his death, a letter he wrote to students of his school in September came into
the spotlight for the message it conveyed. “It’s ok to be mediocre,” he said in
the letter to the principal of the Army Public School in Chandimandir in
Haryana. He wrote the letter after being felicitated with the Shaurya Chakra in August for averting an accident after his Tejas light combat aircraft suffered a major technical glitch last year. 

PM Modi said the Group Captain “inspired the whole country” with his message. “When Varun was in the hospital, I saw something on social media that touched my heart. He was given Shaurya Chakra in August just this year. After this honor, he had written a letter to the principal of his school,” the Prime Minister said. 

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“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. Second – that when he had time to celebrate, he showed concern for the generations to come,” he added. 

PM Modi said that the Group Captain did not boast of valour in his letter and instead spoke about his failures, highlighting how he converted his shortcomings into abilities. 

“The mantra he has given to rise from average to extraordinary is equally important. Varun had written that if he could inspire a single student, it would be a lot. But today, I would like to say – he has inpired the whole country. Even though his letter talks only to students, he has given a message to the entire society.”