So many pilots want to leave the IAF, but are not being allowed to.
**Pilot unrest in India’s air force **
The Indian Air Force is facing a crisis after at least 200 pilots indicated they wanted to leave the service, a BBC investigation has discovered. The pilots say poor working and living conditions, and the difficulty of living apart from their families, have prompted their decisions. But they say the IAF is not allowing them to quit their jobs. One pilot attempted suicide after being refused. The IAF said premature retirement cases were decided only after proper scrutiny. Having given the prime years of my youth to the country, what have I asked for? Just to be allowed to live with my family Air force pilot Many serving pilots spoken to by the BBC in different parts of India say they are no longer motivated to carry on in service while being separated from their families. They say deteriorating service conditions and a culture of “sycophancy being promoted by senior officers” is making it difficult for them to work. They say the situation is aggravated by the authorities’ refusal to allow them to quit.
‘Victimised’
Figures obtained by the BBC show that between 2002 and 2004, 263 pilots were allowed by the IAF authorities to seek premature retirement. However, in 2005 only eight pilots were allowed to leave. The BBC has seen classified documents that show that one of those given premature retirement managed to do so only after he obtained a letter from a member of parliament. The IAF says it spends millions of rupees on each pilot’s training One of the pilots, with more than a decade of service with the IAF, said he was dismayed at not having been given permission to leave the force, and felt victimised. “Having given the prime years of my youth to the country, what have I asked for? Just to be allowed to live with my family. Even that is being denied,” he told the BBC. “I have been told by the authorities to shut up, otherwise I would be transferred to a place from where I would be able to do nothing,” he said. Air force response Another pilot who was denied permission to leave attempted to commit suicide. He is currently undergoing psychiatric help in an army hospital. In a written response to the BBC, the IAF said: “When any officer of the IAF asks for premature retirement on compassionate grounds, these cases are investigated and, when found genuine, the officer is allowed to proceed on premature retirement.” The IAF also said it was investigating the suicide attempt. We have to ensure that cockpit vacancies are kept filled at all times, as failure to do so would jeopardise national security