Weeks after Coast Guard chopper crash kills 3, top official pitches for re-evaluation of ALH design
Mumbai (PTI): A senior Indian Coast Guard official has called for design re-evaluations of the Advanced Light Helicopter after one of the military choppers of the maritime security agency crashed in Gujarat earlier this month, killing three.
ICG Inspector General and Regional Commander (West) Bhisham Sharma said on Thursday that ALH has been in the service for the past 20 years and the Coast Guard has the Mark III version of the indigenous helicopters called Dhruv.
“We have undertaken extensive flying operations. I have myself taken a ferry (helicopter ride) from Agatti to Minicoy and from Minicoy to Kavaratti (in Lakshadweep) again. It is a wonderful machine but few incidents certainly call for some design re-evaluations," he told reporters in Mumbai.
He said Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the ALH manufacturer, is working on it.
Two pilots and an aircrew diver of an ALH of the Coast Guard were killed when the chopper crashed and caught fire at Gujarat's Porbandar airport on January 5. Following the accident, the armed forces grounded the entire fleet of the twin-engine helicopters.
The indigenously designed and developed ALH was not part of the Republic Day flypast this year as the entire fleet of the military choppers has been grounded following the fatal crash.
The Army, the Indian Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard operate around 330 ALHs.
Sharma said the Coast Guard has procured some drones to augment its surveillance efforts around ships. These unmanned aerial vehicles are being utilised by frontline ships of the maritime security agency.
“We have plans to induct some more (drones) in the near future depending on the efficacy,” the senior official added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
