THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The extraordinary story of MiG-21 pilot M P Anil Kumar, who became an inspirational figure for hundreds after a motorcycle accident left him crippled and tied to a wheelchair for life, is now being told in a book.
Written by long-time friend and National Defence Academy (NDA) batchmate Air Commodore Nitin Sathe, ‘Born to Fly’ is expected to hit the stands shortly. “I think of it as a tribute to a friend and coursemate. People should know what a great guy he was; what an inspiration he was to people,” Sathe said of the book. “We trained together. He became a fighter pilot, and I became a helicopter pilot. We were commissioned in December 1984,” Sathe, who is now posted in Dehradun, recalled.
Anil Kumar hails from Chirayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram district. He died two years ago aged 50, after an eventful 26 years at the military’s paraplegic rehabilitation centre at Khadki, where he lived after the mishap on June 28, 1988, left him stricken neck-down.
Anil first grabbed headlines with a newspaper article he wrote - ‘From Airborne to Chairborne’, in which he narrated the accident and its aftermath where he tried to pick up the threads of his devastated life and career. Since he could not use either of his hands, he wrote clutching the pen in his mouth! Many states, including Kerala, have added this poignant piece in school textbooks. As a motivational speaker and social commentator, Anil Kumar made friends from all around the globe. “But he was very touchy about anyone writing about him!” says Sathe, who obtained permission from Anil’s family before attempting his book.
‘Born to Fly’ traces Anil’s life as a youngster in Chirayinkeezhu, as a cadet at Sainik School, Kazhakootam, his NDA and Air Force days and his life at Khadki. As a writer, Anil was prolific, and excerpts have been included in the book along with an ample sprinkling of anecdotes. Sathe is planning to have the main launch of the book in New Delhi, two in Pune and one in Thiruvananthapuram. ‘Born to Fly’ is Sathe’s second book. The first, a book on the 2004 tsunami, ‘A Few Good Men and the Angry Sea,’ was released by Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on 10th anniversary of tsunami in 2014.