A Major honor

Stating he was "proud to be a Zoroastrian,” Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major was presented a gold plated salver by Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Minoo Shroff on July 20, 2007 at the Walchand Hirachand Hall of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber building at Churchgate.

The occasion was to felicitate the 60-year-old Air Force chief who assumed his new office in end March this year.

"It’s a matter of great pride and honor to stand before you. (My wife) Zareen and I are grateful to the Bombay community for this honor.” Noting that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was the fourth largest air force in the world, Major observed, "Air power or aeroplane power, as we now call it, from being insular and inward looking is today viewing the extended neighborhood of the country. (It is our) responsibility to keep our skies safe.”

Pointing out that much of Asia’s and India’s oil supplies flow through the Straits of Malacca, Major said that "ensuring security is one of our primary concerns. The country needs a credible deterrent. We are saying (to the others) ‘Don’t stop us in our progress.’”

The IAF was "undergoing a transformation… we are in the process of upgrading and modernizing our weapons systems: aircraft, radar, missiles or whatever. In the next five years to a decade we will be a totally different air force with the objective of protecting our country like it has never been done before,” noted Major.

Clockwise from top: Major at the mike; receiving salver from Minoo Shroff; a section of the audience Photos: Sarosh Daruwalla, Mazda Audio Video Lab

Incidentally the IAF invited global tenders for new 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft this August totaling Rs 42,000 crores. This reportedly is the largest single order placed for fighter aircraft in the world.

In his welcome address Shroff observed that the community had produced two chiefs of the Air Force, the first being Aspi Engineer who went on to become India’s ambassador to Iran. Engineer’s brother Minoo rose to the rank of air vice marshal, the second highest rank in those days. His widow Gul was present at the function.

"The Zoroastrian community is proud of you,” said Shroff referring to Major’s "exemplary” achievement of being selected Air Chief Marshal by the government of India. Shroff noted that Major had joined the IAF in 1967 and flown over 7,000 hours. The pilot had headed a squadron which operated at the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield, 18,000 to 21,000 feet above sea level. Deployment in the Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, rescuing passengers from a stranded cable car in Himachal Pradesh and commanding the air base in Ladakh, were some of the other responsibilities Major shouldered, Shroff stated.

BPP public relations officer Godrej Dotivala remarked that Major was "literally and metaphorically in the cockpit of the defence establishment.”

BPP trustee Dadi Engineer proposed a vote of thanks. Diplomats from the Iranian consulate were also present. Several Zoroastrian associations presented shawls, mementos and garlands to Major and his wife.