Gave her life to Air India: Mother of Saineeta, first crew member laid to rest after Ahmedabad crash
The last rites and funeral of flight attendant Saineeta Chakravarti, 35, one of the victims of the fateful June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, took place at her home in Santacruz on Monday, after her DNA sample matched with that of her family.
Chakravarti's remains were the first from the 12-member crew, most of whom were from Mumbai, to be brought to the city.
Over 100 people gathered at her modest home at Juhu Koliwada and later at her funeral at the Santacruz Hindu Crematorium, amid heavy rain. Among her family members, distant relatives, and neighbours were her fellow Air India crew members and former colleagues from her previous stint at GoAir.
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While some colleagues had taken a day off from work, others had flown down to Mumbai and rushed to the funeral directly from the airport to pay their respects. They all spoke fondly of Chakravarti. 'She was always courteous and had a smile on her face. She was very communicative and understanding,' said her Air India colleague and friend of eight years, who did not want to be named.
'She was fierce and passionate about her job. She loved her independence, took care of her family dearly and had great dreams,' said her grandmother, Anjali Chakaravarti, as she swiped through Saineeta's photos from her many trips. Anjali stopped at a photo taken in Bangkok, which happened to be her last trip. 'She brought gifts for everyone from her trips. Last time, she had brought some perfumes on Eid,' said Anjali, teary-eyed.
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Always fond of airplanes since childhood, Saineeta looked up to her aunt, who was also a flight attendant. 'She took inspiration from me and passed it along to her nieces, and made me quite proud,' said her aunt, who did not wish to be named.
Saineeta was the sole breadwinner in her immediate family of three. Her father, Abin Chakravarti, who was sleep-deprived after going to Ahmedabad to identify his daughter's remains and the tedious paperwork that followed, said, 'We were not in a state to travel, so we sent two of her cousins for the DNA sampling. But a lot of documentation work had to be done, so I had to go. Air India gave us two more tickets for me and one aide, and we flew down the day before yesterday. We got a glimpse of the crash site. I can't get the visuals out of my head. I haven't had time to process the loss.'
As Saineeta's pyre burned, her distraught mother bid adieu with the salutation of 'Jai Hind', which echoed the prayer room. 'My daughter gave her life for Air India,' she said.
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