Life of Subroto Mukherjee as the Chief Air Staff

Subroto Mukherjee was a man of values, and his life was defined by his true leadership qualities, dedication, and devotion to the country. He was the first Indian who commanded a flight and a squadron in the IAF. Later he got promoted to the Chief of the air staff of sovereign and independent India’s air force. He was one of the cadets selected for the training at RAF Cranwell. In 1928, the British Government of India permitted Indians to enter Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. He set for the entrance and cleared it. After completing his training at Cranwell, he was placed as a pilot in the first Indian Air Force squadron, formed on  01 April 1933. In July 1938, he was placed in No.1 ranking as a flying officer in the Indian Air Force squadron in-flight ‘B’. During the action against the tribal population of North-West Frontier Province, the squadron was led by Subroto Mukherjee. 

The early life of Subroto Mukherjee

Kolkata is the birthplace of Subroto Mukherjee; he was born on 5th March 1911. He was the youngest of four children in his family. He belonged to a well-educated family. His paternal grandfather Nibaran Chandra Mukherjee worked in social and educational reforms in the country as he was a member of the Brahmo Samaj and was inspired by its principles. His father, Satish Chandra Mukherjee, had served in Indian ICS. His mother, Charulata Mukherjee, was taken to England by her parents. His maternal grandfather, Dr PK Roy of the Indian Education Service, was appointed as the first Indian Principal of the Presidency College, Calcutta, and his maternal Grandmother was Sarala Roy. The latter was the founder of the Gokhale Memorial School. His sister Renuka Ray was also a well-regarded politician and took part in India’s freedom struggle, and his other siblings also had promising careers in their fields. Subroto was inclined and had a strong desire to pursue a career in the military and is considered to have taken inspiration from his uncle Indra Lal Roy who joined the Royal Flying Corps in the first world war and was also praised and awarded the distinguished flying cross as the only Indian flying ace.

Personal life

Subroto Mukherjee was married to Sharda Pandit in 1939, who was also from a wealthy and prominent family in Maharashtra. She was well educated and was also active in social work and active in public affairs. She was also elected to Lok Sabha twice and governor of two states, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. They had one son.

Career 

During World war -ll, the Order of the British Empire (OBE) was given to Subroto Mukherjee in June 1945. He was the first Indian who commanded an airbase, RAF station  Kohat. When the war started in the east, he was a wing commander. By the time of independence, IAF was no longer under the control of Britishers. He decided to place serving British officers as commanders.

Subroto Mukherjee was placed as Air Vice Marshal as he played a crucial role in the Indo-Pakistani war in 1947 in framing the war and defence policy of the Indian Air Force. When war broke out, the Indian Royal Air force (RIAF) took action immediately, considering the most challenging situation for the country just after its Independence in 1947. The airlift of Troops to Srinagar was involved in some offensive operations against the hordes of tribal incursion on the state. Strategic policy formulation quickly at a time of immense pressure was needed, and the Indian Air Force tackled it quite well. He took over on the on15th March 1948 as the Officiating Chief of The Air Staff and Air Marshal Commanding RIAF.

Flights from New Delhi, India, to Tokyo, Japan, were first offered by Air India in November 1960. To Mukerjee, the flight carried Indian Airlines Corporation General Manager Air Commodore (later ACM) Pratap Chandra Lal. On November 8, 1960, Mukerjee and an Indian Navy officer companion dined at a restaurant in Tokyo after their arrival. He choked because a piece of food got stuck in his windpipe. Mukerjee had died before a doctor could be summoned and arrive on the scene. His corpse was transferred to New Delhi’s Palam Airport the following day.

The funeral of Mukerjee was held in accordance with military rites. A hearse took him to Air House from Palam Airport. Numerous people came to pay their respects on November 11th. A 15-gun salute was fired one minute apart as his body left Air House. His remains were taken to the Nigambodh Ghat atop a gun carriage, lined with troops the whole way. A flypast of 49 aircraft, one for each of his 49 years of service, served as a fitting send-off. The loss stunned both the country and the Indian Air Force. Ambassadors and military attachés from throughout the globe sent their condolences to the Indian government in New Delhi.

Conclusion

From the starting of their career, Subroto Mukherjee earned his name in the aviation field and was awarded for his work by the British government of India and post-independence from the government of India. Subroto Mukherjee was a milestone of Indian aviation who did an admirable job in dealing with non-violence led defence policy post-independence in his three-decade-long career. He played a vital role during the independence of India during the Indo-Pak war. The story of the pioneer of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, is inspiring, motivational and thrilling at the same time. He was a man who was respected by millions for his moral strength and humanity. He laid the foundation of the Indian Air Force, which exists and is continuously being nurtured by the country. He will always be remembered as the inspiring figure and ‘Father of Indian Air Force’ in the history of India.