Why Do Some Indians Hurt Their Own Tejas Fighter Jet?

Why Do Some Indians Hurt Their Own Tejas Fighter Jet? 

On 21 November 2025, the nation lost a brave pilot, Wing Commander Namnash Syal, during a display at the Dubai Airshow. The Tejas fighter jet he was flying crashed, and India felt a deep shock.

A young, proud soldier who went to show the world what India can do… never came back.

It should have been a moment of silence, respect, and unity.

But within a few hours, something painful happened.

Instead of standing together, many people on social media started shouting that Tejas is “junk”, “third-class”, “unsafe”, and “a waste of money”.

Many of these loud voices came from political groups and users who always attack anything connected to “Make in India”.

This is not the first time. When Tejas crashed in Rajasthan in March 2024 (fortunately no one died), the same people said the same harsh words.

It feels almost as if some Indians are waiting for something to go wrong… just to say, “See? Indian things are always bad.”

But here is the truth in simple, honest, human words.

What Tejas Really Is – A Dream Come True

Tejas is not just a machine.

It is the result of 40 years of hard work, thousands of engineers, lakhs of test hours, and the dreams of generations who wanted to see India fly its own fighter jet.

It can:

fly faster than sound,

carry powerful weapons,

and fight both in the sky and on the ground.

Our own Indian Air Force pilots say it is smooth, stable, light, and excellent in close combat. Over 40 Tejas jets fly every day without serious issues. Two crashes in 24 years is actually a good record for a new fighter jet.

But what matters most is this: Tejas shows that India can stand on its own feet.

We are no longer the country that must beg for spare parts from foreign nations.

The World Is Applauding, Even If Some Indians Are Not.

Countries like Argentina, Egypt, Philippines, Nigeria, Botswana and others are showing real interest.

Foreign pilots take selfies with Tejas at airshows.

Foreign generals praise India for achieving what many countries never could.

Imagine this irony:

The world is saying “Great job, India!”

And some of our own people are saying “It’s rubbish.”

Why Do Some Indians Behave Like This?

1. Because politics has become louder than patriotism.

Some people attack anything connected to the current government.

They forget that Tejas began in the 1980s under Congress, continued under every government, and belongs to the nation — not any party.

2. Because our minds were trained to think foreign  superior.

For decades, we used only foreign jets — MiG, Mirage, Jaguar.

Some Indians still believe “Indian things can never be world-class.”

This thinking has become a habit.

3. Because social media rewards negativity

A respectful post saying “Let’s wait for investigation” gets ignored.

A dramatic post saying “Tejas is a flying coffin” goes viral.

People do not realise how much harm such irresponsible words can do.

4. Because people forget the human story

When they call the jet “trash”, they forget the brave pilot who gave his life trying to show the world what India has achieved.

It is not just an aircraft that fell — it is a soldier’s sacrifice.

What We Lose 

When We Shame Our Own Achievement

Every time Indians call Tejas “useless”, foreign buyers see it.

They think twice.

A country like Argentina already faces political pressure; if they also hear Indians themselves doubting Tejas, they may choose a Korean or Chinese jet instead.

And then what happens?

Indian factories lose orders.

Indian engineers lose jobs.

India loses respect.

Our dream of becoming self-reliant becomes weaker.

We call ourselves a proud nation. But are we behaving like one?

What We Should Do Instead

Mourn the pilot with dignity.

Support his family.

Let the official inquiry tell us what went wrong.

Accept that every great fighter jet — from F-16 to Rafale — had crashes.

Stand behind our scientists, engineers, and air warriors.

Be proud that India is building something that many nations admire.

Tejas is not perfect. No first-generation fighter ever is. But it is ours.

Created by our people.

Flown by our pilots.

Respected by foreign nations.

The only people calling it a complete failure are some of our own, who allow their anger, politics, or old habits to blind them.

For decades, India dreamed of a fighter jet of its own.

Today, that dream stands on a runway, painted with the tricolour, ready to fly.

Let us not be the ones who bring it down with our own words.

Let us protect what our pilots lived — and sometimes died — to create.