Clinging to memories & awaiting closure, 2 families wait for bodies of loved ones lost in Air India crash

The Print

8 hours ago

Though the process of identifying and handing out bodies is on, the wait is becoming tougher for Rafiq and Salma Memon. Same is the case with Ashvin Dhiru and Lalita Cana.
The relatives of British nationals Syed Javed Ali, his wife Mariyam and their children and Portuguese citizens Devji Lacmane and Vanita Cana are now among those waiting to claim the bodies of their loved ones.
Ahmedabad: One couple and their two children had arrived in India to celebrate Eid, the other to attend the Kumbh Mela. They had no inkling that this would be their last trip—the two families were among the passengers of the ill-fated Air India flight AI171.
'Today is our third day at the hospital waiting for the bodies (of Syed Javed Ali and his family), but there is no information from the administration,' said Rafiq Memon, with a tear in his eyes.
Ali's elder brother Syed Imtiaj Ali drove a car to Ahmedabad from Mumbai to give the DNA sample that very day. The rest of the family members came by a train the next day.
Rafiq conceded that he had no issue with waiting. 'But we need the right dead bodies as most of them are beyond recognition. Time lagega, hum wait karne ko tayyar hai (It will take time, we are ready to wait),' he told ThePrint
Ali had gone to London to pursue a hotel management course a decade ago. At his work place, he met Mariyam and later got married. Subsequently, he had taken British citizenship. The couple had two children, Zayn and Amani.
Rafiq said his maternal nephew had arrived 6 June to meet his mother Farida Bano, who has been ill for the past few months. 'He came for only six days, her mother was very happy to see him. She loved her very much,' he said, adding that Ali used to transfer money for medical treatment.
'For the first time, the entire family had come to India. We never imagined this would happen.' said Memon, adding that Ali had lost his father several years ago. 'From that time, they all were brought up at my home in Goregaon.'
The family, he said, hasn't informed the mother about the tragedy. 'We decided to inform her once we get his body. Jo jaane vale thae vo chale gaye, jo zinda hai unko ab dekhna hai (Those who were to depart are gone, we have to take care of those remaining behind),' he said.
The Memon family is staying at a guest house in Ahmedabad. ThePrint had reported earlier that the Gujarat government has arranged stay for the affected families.
'Hum apne gam mein hi itne pareshan thae ki khud se hi sara arrange kia, sarkari vyasvastha ka pata hi nahi chala (We were lost in our grief, we didn't know about the government arrangement,' Rafiq said.
Also Read: Grief transcends barriers as Hindu, Muslim civil groups work 24/7 to serve Air India crash victims' kin
Phone calls & endless wait
At the Kasauti Bhavan of B.J.Medical College, London-based Ashvin Dhiru and Lalita Cana are anxious as it is Day 3 since the plane crash. Every time the phone rings, they eagerly pick up the call thinking it is from the administration only to be disappointed.
'Phone ka wait kar rahe hain. Hume pata chala hai ki kuch bodies identify hui hain (We are waiting for the call. Heard that some bodies have been identified),' said Ashvin, the son-in-law of Devji Lacmane and Vanita Cana.
The middle-aged couple was from Diu but later took up Portuguese citizenship. Their children—three sons and one daughter—are all based in the UK, Ashvin said.
Devji and his wife had come during the Kumbh Mela, he told ThePrint. 'They wanted to attend the mela and also came for medical treatment. For the last six months, they were in India.'
Ashvin along with 15 other family members are staying at a hotel arranged by the Diu government for the affected families.
Vanita Cana's sister Lalita Cana was yet to come to terms with the loss. 'I have lost my younger sister. She lived happily in the UK,' a teary Lalita said.
When the family got news of the crash, they took a flight to India. 'On the 13th (June), the DNA sample was collected and we were told to wait for the next 72 hours,' Ashvin said.
On Thursday afternoon, the London-bound Air India plane crashed near the Ahmedabad airport soon after take-off. Of the 242 people, including crew members, on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, only one survived the crash. There were 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national among the Air India passengers. The lone survivor is a British national of Indian origin.
DNA tests are on to identify the bodies, most of which are charred beyond recognition. The Gujarat government has formed 230 teams to establish contact with the families of the victims of the plane crash.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: This Air India crash eyewitness cheated death by a whisker—'a blast, then a fireball, just 200 m away'