City Pulse

Suranjan Das road is very well known for its everlasting widening process. Last year, around 150 trees were felled for road widening. Though this road is embroiled in controversies, the name Suranjan Das still shines. This road was named after Group Captain Suranjan Das one of the greatest test pilot, who made the country proud with his bravery and achievements.

Suranjan Das was born on February 22^nd 1920 in Calcutta. As he grew, he recognized his passion for flying and aeromodelling. But his parents disapproved of his dream. They sent him to engineering college.

During his time there, the World War II broke out. He volunteered and was recruited as a trainee pilot for the Royal Indian Air Force. His parents continued to disapprove of his dream, but yet he grew into flying and went on to take his place firmly in the history of flight testing and development of new aircraft types.

The year 1949 was a watershed for the aviation industry in India. In that year Dr VM Ghatage started design work in Hindustan Aircraft Limited (HAL) on the Hindustan Trainer-2 (HT-2). At the same time, IAF felt the need of test pilots and sent two brilliant pilots to Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) in the UK. The two recruits were Lieutenants Roshan Lal Suri and Suranjan Das. On August 5, 1952, Mr. Jamshed K Munshi, HAL's Chief Test Pilot (CTP), while taxying the HT-2, got airborne in it and flew it for about 45 minutes. After he landed, he pronounced the aircraft fit for the IAF. Dr Ghatage asked him if he had spun the aircraft. Captain Munshi confirmed that the aircraft had given him no trouble in the spin. Suranjan Das left HAL soon afterwards.

At Kanpur, Das hit a blue-bull on the runway during a take-off, killing it on the Toofani. The Toofani also suffered considerable damage but was repaired for flying. Fortunately, Das was not injured.

On January 10, 1970, the brilliant career of Group Captain Suranjan Das came to an untimely and tragic end in the fatal crash of the HF-24 Mk 1R prototype. On take-off, the canopy opened and probably the right engine lost power. Unfortunately, he could not have ejected out of the aircraft unless the canopy flew off, which it didn't. At that time his father, the ex-Chief Justice of India, was the Vice Chancellor of Vishwa Bharati at Shantiniketan. He was naturally very sad at the irreparable loss and yet very proud of his son. Das's death killed the 1R project.

References

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Legends/314-Suranjan-Das.html

Know your City is conducted in collaboration with the students of Sri Kumaran Children's Home. The main aim of the project is to create an awareness among Bengalureans about the history of city's roads and streets. 

Picture Courtesy: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com