WION exclusive: Rafale journey star's father was hero of 1962 Sino-India war
Kashmiri man who played key role in Rafale's India journey
The family of Hilal Ahmad Rather, a Kashmiri man who has played a key role in India's Rafale journey, is delighted after his pictures on a fighter aircraft beamed television screens.
Speaking to WION, his brother-in-law, Dr Mohammad Ayoub Mattoo, said that it was his father's dream to see him fly one day. Hilal's family says his mother had a dream night before he was born. "She saw Eid crescent in her dream and after he was born, his father named him Hilal which translates to crescent," Ayoub says.
Ayoub says that he informed Hilal about the news and his images goingg viral.
"He said he was happy and loves what he does," he added.
Father of Hilal, Mohammad Abdullah Rather, was an army man in Jammu and Kashmir light infantry regiment of the Indian Army who fought 1962 Sino-India war in Ladakh. Interestingly, Ayoub says a picket that Hilal's father took over during the war is named after their caste and is called 'Rather picket'.
"His father was energetic like Hilal, he wanted him to join the Indian Airforce. If he was alive today, he would've been happy to see his success," he says.
Air Commodore Hilal is the youngest among five siblings who initially studied from Montessori school and Hanfia Institute in Anantnag district of south Kashmir before moving to Sanik School Nagrota and later to qualifying for National Defence Academy, Pune.
"He ranked top and was awardedSword of Honour by then President of India. I was there to witness that event and he never looked back ever since," he says adding that Hilal is a religious man who prays five times a day and is honest to his service.
Hilal is currently India's Air Attache to France. He was commissioned in the airforce in 1988 and rose from being a flight lieutenant to now an Air Commodore. With more than 3000 hours of accident-free flying on MiG 21s, Mirage-2000, and Kiran aircraft, according to records accessible online. He has also received Vayu Sena Medal, which is given for devotion to duty as a Wing Commander in 2010 and Vishisht Seva Medal when he was a group captain in 2016.