THIS MAN CHOSE INDIA OVER PAK AND LATER BECAME THE IAF CHIEF!

Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif

Yesterday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) observed the second death anniversary of Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Idris Hassan Latif, the man who chose India over Pakistan and went on to become the 10th chief of the IAF. A highly-respected officer in the military circles, Latif was the pilot who led India’s first fly-past over New Delhi after India turned republic on 26 January 1950. A World War II veteran, he also went on to become the governor of a state and a diplomat after retirement. He even played a key role in the procurement of the Jaguar strike aircraft, still in use with the IAF, and the fleet of the now retired MiG-23 and MiG-25.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Latif was born in 1923 in Hyderabad city, in what was then the princely state of Hyderabad into an educated and affluent Sulaymani Bohra Muslim family. His father, Hasan Latif, was chief engineer of Hyderabad State. His mother, Leila Hydari was the niece and adoptive daughter of Akbar Hydari, former Prime Minister of Hyderabad.

He attended the St. George's Grammar School and the Madrasa-i-Aliya. Later, he was educated at Nizam College. His ambition was to join the Hyderabad Forest Service; however, after seeing World War II recruitment posters, he decided to join the Air Force. This celebrated IAF Chief is also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the National Defence College, New Delhi. While the former is one of the oldest military schools in India, the latter is the highest seat of strategic learning for Indian Defence and Civil Services Officers of certain ranks.

EARLY CAREER

Latif joined the Royal Indian Air Force in 1941 at the age of 18 and was commissioned in 1942. During 1943-44, the officer was one of the few Indian pilots to be seconded to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom where he underwent training with modern aircraft like the Hurricane and Spitfire.

Representative image of Spitfire aircraft.

On his return to India in 1944, the young officer took part in the Burma campaign, flying the Hawker Hurricane for Number 3 Squadron. Though later posted to Madras, Latif joined the Number 9 Squadron in Burma, again flying the Hawker Hurricane. He was good friends with his Commanding Officer Squadron Leader Asghar Khan and another flamboyant pilot, Flight Lieutenant Noor Khan. Both the Khans later went on to become chiefs of the Pakistan Air Force.

HE CHOSE INDIA

“When Partition bought with it the division of the armed forces, Latif as a Muslim officer was faced with the choice of joining both India or Pakistan, but there was no making up of minds for him,” the IAF wrote in his official profile.

The Indo-Pak partition displaced millions.
( Representative image only)

“He was very clear that his future lay with India. Even though both Asghar as well as Noor Khan called him up to persuade Latif to join them in the fledgling Pakistan Air Force, Latif made it clear that for him, religion and country were not interlinked. It was no surprise that Latif made his way to become the first Muslim chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force,” it added.

CAREER AND AWARDS

In 1961, Latif was sent as the Air Attache to the United States and he returned in 1965 just before the India-Pakistan war broke out. Latif eventually moved to the Air headquarters as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans), a newly created post, in the rank of Air Vice Marshal in-charge of modernization plans.

He was awarded with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) in 1971 for his work as the ACAS (Plans). During the 1971 war, Latif was still the ACAS (Plans) and was involved with the monitoring of the air assets and their best utilization. He later became the vice chief of Air Staff, a post he held until 1978, when he took over as chief of Air Staff on 1 September. “As the first Muslim chief of Air Staff of the IAF, Latif was involved fully in the re-equipment and modernization plans of the air force. He convinced the government to approve the procurement of the Jaguar strike aircraft, a proposal which was lying dormant for over 8 years,” according to Latif’s official profile.

As the IAF chief, he also held negotiations with the Russians, and inducted MiG-23 and later, the MiG-25 aircraft into the IAF. After his retirement in 1981, Latif held posts of the governor of Maharashtra and Indian ambassador to France.

The MiG-25 aircraft

LATER CAREER

After retirement from active military service, Air Chief Marshal IH Latif was appointed as Governor of the Indian State of Maharashtra, on 6 March 1982, completing his tenure on 16 April 1985. Following this, he was appointed as the ambassador of India to France, a post he held until 1988. Following his later government service he resided in Hyderabad.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The legendary Idris Hasan Latif is remembered by all as a great strategic genius, a planning maverick and an IAF hero. He was a hard-core patriot core who believed that "Nation is above everything".

JAI HIND!