A letter from Group Captain Varun Singh, who was injured in Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor and is currently fighting for his life, is currently going viral. "It's ok to be mediocre," this is what Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the IAF chopper crash, had conveyed to the students of his school in a letter to its principal in September.
Varun Singh has been honored with many gallantry awards. He was conferred with the Shaurya Chakra in August for averting a possible mid-air accident after his Tejas light combat aircraft suffered a major technical glitch last year. According to the Defense Minister in the Lok Sabha, Varun Singh is currently in a hospital in Bangalore on a life support system.
"It is ok to be mediocre. Not everyone will excel at school and not everyone will be able to score in the 90s. If you do, it's an amazing achievement and must be applauded," Group Captain Singh wrote in the letter to the principal of the Army Public School in Chandimandir in Haryana. "if that doesn’t happen do not think that you are meant to be mediocre".
“You may be mediocre in school but it is by no means a measure of things to come in life. Find your calling, it could be art, music, graphic design, literature etc. Whatever you work towards, be dedicated, do your best. Never go to bed thinking I could have put in more effort,” Group Captain Varun Singh wrote.
“After commissioning as a young Flight Lieutenant in a Fighter Squadron, I realised that I could do well if I put my mind and heart to it. I started working to be that best I could be, as opposed to only making sure I achieve the 'pass' standard,” Group Captain Varun Singh wrote. “It is when I reached AFA that I started to realise that my passion for aviation gave me an edge over my peers. Still, even then I lacked confidence in my true capabilities,” he said in the letter.
In the letter, Group Captain Varun Singh expressed pride after getting the Shaurya Chakra award. The officer said he credits this prestigious award to all those was associated with over the years in school, NDA and thereafter the Air Force.
“Never lose hope, never think that you cannot be good at what you want to be. It will not come easy. it will take effort, it will require sacrifice of time and comfort. I was mediocre, and today I have reached difficult milestones in my career. Do not think that 12th board marks decide what you are capable of achieving in life. Believe in yourself, work towards it," Group Captain Varun Singh wrote in the letter. “If I am able to inspire even one child to believe him/her in himself/herself, I would have achieved my objective of writing to you,” he wrote.