Recent crash of Air India Boeing 747 Jetliner is one of the worst air disasters in the history of commercial aviation. 329 innocent passengers which included children and women lost their precious lives within a matter of seconds. This tragic news has left the entire world shaken. Questions are being raised today whether air travel is safe or not. Grief stricken families, who have lost their kin in this crash, are mourning and world is sharing their grief.
Every responsible person needs to think and devise plans to avoid future tragedies rather than blaming somebody else for this catastrophe, one should seriously think about why it happened? But to our sorrow, Indian politicians are again croaking their habitual note of blaming Sikhs for this worst disaster. The tragic moment is again being used to win political support. Surprising to everyone Mr. Ashok Gehlot, Indian Civil Aviation Minister took this tragic moment as a Golden opportunity to prove Sikhs as terrorists within minutes of air crash, sitting thousands of miles away from the site of accident, he blamed Sikhs for sabatoge: Nobody yet had any idea about the cause of this crash but the Indian officials straightaway proceeded to make use of this tragic moment to prove Sikhs as terrorists before the world. In a frantic effort to provide cover for the merciless killing of Sikhs, they are trying to prove their own innocence. Nobody in actuality appears to be seriously thinking about these innocent lives lost in that crash.
Air India has a long history of crashes since the time of its inception. Most prominent among the air disasters associated with Air India, was one in Jan. 1978, when 213 innocent passengers were killed only a few miles away from Indian coast. Frequent air crashes associated with Air India appears to be the result of poor maintenance and poor operation of these sophisticated planes.
Standards of training of Air Indian pilots and other crew members associated with its operation should be monitored strictly. Changes should be made, if needed, to meet international standards for their training.
Pilots and other crew members crucial for Operating Air India planes should be selected solely on the basis of their merit. Pressures and recommendations from scheming politicians for such crucial recruitments should be ignored courageously. The standards of maintenance of Air India planes should be at par with International standards. Irresponsible or Sarkari official (cousins and nephews of Delhi politicians) be screened out as quickly as possible in order to safeguard the precious lives of innocent people traveling by Air India.
If Air India does not take immediate step, designed for improvement in its operation, it cannot assure the general public of their safety while traveling through its planes. Everybody is shaken and discontented and Air India should take immediate steps to improve its image.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 5, 1985
