SCERT Maharashtra solutions for English Standard 10 Maharashtra State Board chapter II - Section 2: Textual Passages [Latest edition]

On August 1, 1964, in the rank of Air Marshal, the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh took over reins of IAF, at a time when it was still rebuilding itself and was gearing up to meet new challenges.

Singh was the first Air Chief to keep his flying currency till his CAS rank. Having flown over 60 different types of aircraft from pre-World War II era biplanes to the more contemporary Gnats and Vampires, he has also flown in transport aircraft like the Super Constellation.

In 1965, when Pakistan launched its Operation Grand Slam, with an armoured thrust targeted at the vital town of Akhnoor, Singh led IAF through the war with courage, determination and professional skill. He inspired IAF to victory, despite the constraints imposed on the full-scale use of Air Force combat power.

Singh was awarded Padma Vibhushan for his astute leadership of the Air Force during the war. Subsequently, in recognition of the Air Force’s contribution during the war, the rank of the CAS was upgraded and Arjan Singh became the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force.

He remained a flyer to the end of his tenure in IAF, visiting forward bases and units and flying with the squadrons. He retired in August 1969, there upon accepting Ambassadorship to Switzerland. He was Lieutenant Governor of Delhi from December 1989 to December 1990.

Dr. Kalam was a great scientist - this is indisputable. But he was also convinced that fact and faith can, together, create a better planet. He once told me, ‘Science and faith must coexist for the human good. Science provides focus - focus helps us solve questions, discover the truth and conceive inventions. Faith provides perspective - perspective helps us see how our creations and discoveries go on to impact a combination vital for the success of societies. Science accelerates progress and faith curbs it within reasonable limitations. If the two function true to their roles, they will work together for the betterment of humanity.’

Dr. Kalam’s own life was nourished by multiple faiths.

His father, a boatman, also served as an imam at their local mosque, and his two best friends were from two different religions - one was a Hindu and the other was a Christian. Pakshi Lakshmana Shastrigal was the head priest of the famous Rameswara temple and a Vedic scholar, and the Reverend Father Bodal had built the first church on Rameswara Island. Dr. Kalam recalled how ‘All three of them, in the unique attire of their religion, used to sit and discuss the community’s problems and find solutions. Throughout the nation and the world, the need to have a frank dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations is felt now more than ever.”

When asked where he got his humility from Dr. Kalam would always attribute it to his father. In him, he saw how simplicity and divinity could go together. Even though his father was a boatman and Dr. Kalam went on to become the President of India, they shared the same values in life. Both believed that if one leads a spiritual life then that spirituality can lift them out of any kind of confusion misery or failure.

For his role in successfully leading the squadron in combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944. On August 15, 1947, he achieved the unique honour of leading a fly-past of over a hundred IAF aircraft over the Red Fort in Delhi.

After his promotion to the rank of Wing Commander, he attended the Royal Staff College at the UK. Immediately after Indian independence, he commanded Ambala in the rank of Group Captain. In 1949, he was promoted to the rank of Air Commodore and took over as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of an operational command, which later came to be known as Western Air Command.

Singh had the distinction of having the longest tenure as AOC of an operational base, initially from 1949-1952 and then again from 1957-1961. After his promotion to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, he was appointed as the AOC-in-C of an operational command.

Towards the end of the 1962 war, he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and he became the Vice Chief of the Air Staff in 1963. He was the overall commander of the joint air training exercise “Shiksha” held between IAF, RAF (Royal Air Force) and RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force).

Dr. Kalam sat contemplating deeply. He recollected the tenet of goodness of action from Pramukh Swamiji. Then, perhaps swimming in silence to the shores of Mahapragyaji, he gathered the sands of conscience to be our guide, our best friend. Deeper down in the space-time of memory, he must have heard Professor Brahma Prakash’s words about the need of living a pure and ethical life, and Father Pereira’s and Dr. Sarabhai’s lesson of selflessness in service. Eventually his thoughts would have settled on Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, in whom he saw great tranquility, and finally they must have come full circle with the memory of the life of simplicity of his father, who always espoused the value of giving back.

At long last, he spoke. ‘It is the very spirit of What Can I Give.’ He elaborated, ‘Mahaswamiji lives with the beliefs and ethos of our mission. He gives and gives education to famished minds, food to famished bodies. In giving so much, he becomes strong. His munificence fuels his strength. That is what keeps him standing tall and active in life. The essence of a happy life and a peaceful society lies in one sentence - What can I give?’

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Young in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim’s gold watch that had been his father’s and his grandfather’s. The other was Della’s hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window someday to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty’s jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

So now Della’s beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.