Beyond the horrific scenes of dense smoke, twisted smoldering metal of the plane and charred bodies, for Gujarat’s NRI belt, dreams also went down with the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that burst into flames on Thursday.
In Kasumbad village of Borsad taluka in Gujarat’s Anand district, residents and close friends are clutching onto the memories of those who “made it” to London and were an “inspiration” for the youth chasing dreams of settling abroad. One of the three persons from the village to ever make it abroad was on flight AI-171 that crashed within moments of being airborne. Of all the 242 on board, only one survived.
One of the three persons from the village to ever make it abroad was 25-year-old Ranveersinh Chauhan, whom the youth remember as a “role model”. After studying digital marketing, Chauhan had settled in Croydon, a town in South London, for two and a half years. He had come to India on April 15, his first visit back home since moving to the UK, where he had recently secured a post-study visa and was looking at a bright life ahead.
Chauhan, after spending nearly a month at home, was supposed to depart on May 22, said his close friend and flatmate in Croydon, Kamlesh Chauhan. But his mother insisted that Ranveersinh should stay back to “fix a prospective match for him”, which didn’t materialise and he decided to fly back on June 5.
But destiny had other plans. Ranveersinh missed his flight on June 5 delayed by traffic jams on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway due to an accident. When he reached, the boarding gates at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport had closed.
“He rescheduled his tickets for June 12. This time, he didn’t want to take any chances and left on June 11 night after bidding goodbye to his parents and stayed at a relatives’ house in Ahmedabad… Who knew life would take such an ugly turn… ” says Kamlesh, who arrived on May 30 and is scheduled to depart in July.
The crash has also momentarily shaken the dreams of many youngsters from the region of Charotar — known as the NRI belt of Gujarat, comprising villages from Anand and Kheda districts.
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“Whenever we hear of someone travelling abroad, we imagine soaring into the skies in a huge plane…” said Prakash, a Kasumbad resident. “We did not imagine a plane dropping like a dead bird. The images have left most of us scarred and we will take some time to overcome the anxiety, especially since one of the first three NRIs from our village is not with us anymore…”
About 46 km in Tarapur, the death of 22-year-old Parth Sharma has left the neighbourhood heartbroken. Only a day ago, they had bid the youngster an affectionate farewell. After the crash, Parth’s parents went to Ahmedabad and are yet to return.
Neighbours said that Parth’s father, Kamlesh Sharma, had recently sold his farm to fund his son’s education in London. “Parth had recently received his student visa for London and his family and friends were overjoyed… It is always a matter of pride for our village when someone goes abroad. His friends and family had dropped him off at the airport and had only reached half-way when the news of the crash came. We all are numb…” a neighbour said.
In Khambhat town’s Chowk Motapado, residents are mourning the death of a temple pujari Hemant Pandya and his wife Neha, who were heading to London for the first time to meet their children. A neighbour, Sanjay, said, “… No one imagined that the excitement to travel abroad would turn into this. One does not expect this kind of end to a happy journey that didn’t even begin… The couple were very friendly and humble. Their children had been settled in the UK for a while.”
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In Nadiad town in Kheda district, the family of Mahadev Pawar, a former textile mill worker, and Asha Pawar has been inconsolable. The elderly couple had recently secured a UK visa and were also going to meet their son. Though the family was from Solapur in Maharashtra, they lived with one of their sons, Ramesh, in Nadiad.
Mahesh Pawar, Mahadev’s nephew, said, “We dropped them off at the airport around 10-10.15 am. They called and said they had cleared the security check so we could leave… We reached home around 12.30 pm and then the news of the crash came in…”
Among the victims, 50 were from Anand (33) and Kheda (17).
Parth Sharma had recently received his student visa
Change of plans for a ‘surprise’
In Anand district’s Vasad, three members of a family — Rajni Patel, his wife Divya and his sister-in-law Hemangi Patel — were among the victims. Rajni’s older brother, Arun, died about a year ago from a heart attack.
Hemangi and Arun’s son Parth Patel and his wife and child now are the only surviving members of the family, apart from Rajni and Divya Patel’s adopted daughter Dhwani in London.
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As a shattered Parth Patel requested privacy, Rajni Patel’s close friend and neighbour, BJP’s Anand Lok Sabha MP Mitesh Patel told The Indian Express: “It is a personal loss for me… He was not only a childhood friend with whom I had played cricket, but throughout my political career, including my Lok Sabha terms, he has been my biggest strength. He was my confidant and think tank. It will be my responsibility to see that Parth and Dhwani are able to cope with this loss.” According to Mitesh Patel, the three members of the family had originally booked tickets for June 16 to attend Dhwani’s convocation in London but decided to reschedule it to surprise her.
“Parth had opposed the idea but as fate would have it… Dhwani was not even aware that her parents and aunt were on the flight…” Patel said.
