Dubai: Blindfolded, bruised, all he wanted was a glass of water. After Indian Airforce pilot Varthaman Abhinandan was captured by Pakistan during the cross-border attacks on Wednesday, videos of him went viral on Twitter. Calm and composed, one of the videos showed him identifying himself: “My name is wing commander Abhinandan. My service number is 27981. I am a flying pilot and my religion is Hindu... that’s all I am supposed to tell you.” He then went on to inquire, to confirm if he was in Pakistan.
Indians took to social media channels hailing him as a hero. While most could not believe how calm the officer sounded, others requested the Indian government to take quick action to bring him back. Hashtags #Bringhimhome, #27981, and #IamAbhinandan started to trend.
Activist @mehartweets tweeted: “My salute, thoughts and prayers to Wing Commander Abhinandan. The nation is with you — proud and thankful. Stay strong! #BringHimHome. ‘War is young men dying and old men talking’ - Franklin D. Roosevelt.”
By Thursday, #Bringhimhome was a top Twitter trend not just in India, but, also in the UAE, home to over 2 million Indian expatriates.
Tweep @JasswantGKhera prayed for the pilot’s safety: “My Hero! Salute to Indian Air Force pilot wing commander Abhinandan Varthmaan. You have made us proud and won the nation’s heart. We all pray that you stay strong and return safely soon.”
Another viral video released later on Wednesday showed Abhinandan without blindfold, sipping tea, and assuring people in a video message that he was fine and being taken care of, in Pakistan.
Twitter user @saugat_28 wrote: “Our Air Wing Commander #Abhinandan has been treated well there. This video can put millions Indian hearts, which are restless, on relax. I would request @narendramodi and goverment officials to bring him back as soon as possible.”
India-Pakistan crisis - How did things get escalated?
Requesting urgent action, @girishvvarma had a message for the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and his party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): “Do something to bring our braveheart #Abhinandan back safely instead of addressing BJP karyakartas (party workers) Mr. Prime Minister! #AbhinandanMyHero”
And @luqmaan02627 added: “I seeing two Indias today. One is standing with Abhinandan and the second thinking about next elections. Shame on BJP #bringbackabhinandan. India stands with abhinandan.”
Journalist @insenroy said bringing Abhinandan back should be India’s top and only priority at the moment: “Now that we have confirmation that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been injured and captured, stop everything and get him hope. #BringHimHome - the only priority.”
Pakistanis also requested their government to treat Abhinandan with respect and help the pilot quickly return to India.
@ImtiazAlamSAFMA tweeted: “On behalf of SAFMA (Secretary General South Asian Free Media Association) I endorse PM Imran Khan’s pleas against escalation of conflict with India and his offer to investigate Pulwama tragedy and for resumption of dialogue, including terrorism.I appeal to PM Kan to release Indian pilot. Hopefully, PM Modi would positively respond.”
Indian tweep @vinodkapri replied: “This tweet from Pakistan journalist is heart-warming. He is requesting @ImranKhanPTI to release #Abhinandan. Not only Imtiaz, I have observed most of the Pakistani tweeple are requesting their PM to release our pilot. Thanks guys for supporting our Hero.”
Meanwhile, many others like @iZubairrrr continued to highlight the plight of soldiers and their families, should the situation escalate and lead to war between the two countries. He posted: “I can’t even look at these two pictures (of two mothers of soldiers from India and Pakistan). Don’t know how many pictures we will see if there is war. #Abhinandan #SayNoToWar”
