The forum was that of District Administration to offer condolnences for the departed souls of May 22 aircrash victims and people irrespective of caste, creed, religion and age gathered with a heavy heart to mourn the death of air crash victims.

Hundreds gathered at the programme stood united when priests of Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jain and Sikh faiths offered prayers for the victims. “No death for soul in Sanathana faith,” Moodbidri Jain Matt Seer Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji said while praying for 158 ill-fated passengers of Air India Express. Swamiji said that the souls of those died in the mishap will live eternally.

The meet literally turned into a platform of communal harmony that people from various religions offered silent prayers, participated in the prayers offered by various religious leaders and also offered floral tributes to the victims.

Meanwhile, police battalion offered an official guard of honour to pay homage to the departed souls. In addition to religious leaders, people’s representatives, politicians, officials and others too expressed their solidarity by participating in prayers.

District-in-Charge Minister J Krishna Palemar inaugurated the programme by offering floral tributes to the departed souls. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Coastal Karnataka Development Authority Chairman B Nagaraj Shetty, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, MLA Abhaychandra Jain, Additional Deputy Commissioner Prabhakar Sharma, Assistant Commissioner Prabhulinga Kavalikatti, Zilla Panchayat President Santhosh Kumar Bhandary, Mangalore City Corporation Mayor Rajani Dugganna, Fr Muller Medical College Administrator Fr Denis D’Sa, Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Gopal B Hosur, Mangalore City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, MCC Commissioner Dr K N Vijayaprakash and other dignitaries were present at the meet.