Sanjha Morcha

Reactivated DBO airstrip sans nod: Ex-Vice Air Chief

Reactivated DBO airstrip sans nod:  Ex-Vice Air Chief

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 7

PK Barbora, former Vice Chief of Air Staff, who supervised the reactivation of the highest (16,000 ft) airstrip Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2008 after 43 years, has revealed that then Defence Minister AK Antony was kept in the dark about the operation. In fact, there was only verbal permission from then Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major.

 

AK Antony, Former Defence Minister

I am a former Defence Minister. I have some responsibility. I will not comment.

“The government reacted by asking why did you do it? I answered it was my responsibility as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, to ensure logistics to the Army and paramilitary in all areas of north, including Ladakh, as there were no roads and only air route was viable for supplies,” said Air Marshal Barbora (retd), who is based in Gurugram now. Currently, Indian and Chinese forces are in a standoff in Ladakh, including area closer to the DBO.

“Antony was to go to China with earthquake relief material a few days after the landing at the DBO. The Chinese didn’t question him about it. You have got to be right firstly and if you are right, no one says you are wrong. It was within our country. Why should Chinese question it?” he asked.

When contacted, Antony said, “I am a former Defence Minister. I have some responsibility. I will not comment.”

Before conceiving the project, Barbora went through five files regarding earlier attempts to operationalise the DBO, which all said no.