Air crash victims' kin continue to suffer

It is exactly a year since the Mangaloreans woke up to one of the worst ever tragedies of the region, the air crash that claimed 158 lives, leaving behind the people in bewilderment.
 
The air crash memory might have been erased from the minds of few, but not so with the victims’ family members. The agony still continues to dominate the family members of the air crash victims who have failed to overcome the shock and pain the air crash brought with it.

The suffering was visible among the family members who had assembled to take part in the air crash condolence meeting convened by the Mangalore Air Crash Victims Families Association at Sahodaya Hall on Saturday. If some of the family members broke down in pain, few of them vented their anger against the Air India Authority for their apathy.

Plight continues

The death of his father and siblings in the air crash has made Mohammad Nooh, a four-year-old child from Bhatkal, to keep on enquiring his grand parents about their whereabouts. The child which had lost its mother in a road mishap months before the air tragedy took place, the family is now limited to its grandparents.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Nooh’s grandfather said the child keeps on asking about its mother and father. “What reply can we give but the parents will come soon? The incident has left the child orphan. I don’t know who will look after this child after us,” he lamented.

Abbonu, one of the relatives of Hasanabba from Maddadka (Belthangady taluk) who lost his wife and three children in the crash, the entire process followed by the advocates of M/s Mulla & Mulla was nothing but trash.

“Who is Nanvathi to bargain with the victims’ family members? When we have lost lives of our close ones and are trying to overcome the pain, these advocates are acting indifferently. We don’t need Rs 15 or Rs 20 lakhs which they are offering us, we need the money which we rightfully deserve,” he said.

According to one of the victim’s family member Habib Rahaman Ullal, the reason behind the family members approaching Swedish lawyers was not for the sake of money, but to fight for their rights.

Among the family members of the victims who were residing in Dubai earlier, many of them have fled back to India and have now settled here. Unable to bear the pain and the shock of the loss of the family members, they are reluctant to return back to Dubai.
Mohammad Ziad, who lost his mother and close relatives in the tragedy is now living in India and is pursuing higher education.

“I was working in a firm in Dubai from past six years. But after the death of my family members I am hesitant to stay there as the bad memory kills me. To forget the pain, I have joined IIPM, Bangalore and pursuing MBA,” he said.

Six of the eight survivors namely Puttur Ismail Abdulla, Krishnan Koolikunnu, Pradeep G K, Joel Pratap D’Souza, Mayankutty and Ummer Farooq Mohammed were present.

Earlier, presiding over the formal function, MAHE former vice chancellor Dr B M Hegde asked the victims’ families to unite together and seek compensation.