NEW DELHI: As the electioneering heats up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, a haunting incident from historical past casts a stark reminder of Pakistan’s audacious act in the course of the 1965 India-Pakistan battle. The chilling account revolves across the cruel downing of a civilian plane carrying Balwant Rai Mehta, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, allegedly for breaching Pakistan’s airspace.
The Ill-Fated Journey
On September 19, 1965, amid the extraordinary battle between India and Pakistan, Balwant Rai Mehta, a outstanding Congress chief, launched into a journey aboard a Beechcraft Model 18 plane. Accompanied by his spouse, Saroj, a journalist, and three aides, Mehta set out for Mithapur, close to the Indo-Pak border within the Rann of Kutch.
A Deadly Encounter
As the flight progressed, tragedy struck. Flight Lt A I Bukhari and Flying Official Qais Hussain, tasked with investigating a ‘suspicious’ radar contact, intercepted the plane close to Bhuj in Gujarat. Ignoring alerts indicating its civilian nature, Hussain unleashed a deadly barrage, sending the airplane spiralling down in flames.
A Heartbreaking Fallout
The aftermath was devastating. Forty-six years later, the pilot accountable, haunted by the burden of his actions, reached out to the daughter of the plane’s chief pilot Jahangir Engineer – one of many celebrated pilots of the Indian Air Force, expressing regret for the irreparable loss. Yet, no formal apology ever emerged from Pakistan, leaving wounds unhealed and justice unrealized.
Despite the passage of time, essential questions linger. Why did the Pakistani army, in its pursuit of glory, goal a civilian plane? Why did apologies elude the victims’ households for many years? The incident serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by harmless lives amid the tumult of battle. Balwant Rai Mehta and his companions weren’t mere casualties; they had been symbols of a nation’s aspirations and goals, tragically extinguished within the flames of battle.
Seeking Closure
As the nation grapples with the reminiscences of the previous, there stays a craving for closure -for acknowledgement, for accountability, and the popularity of the lives misplaced to the brutality of battle. Only then can true therapeutic start, and the echoes of historical past discover solace in embracing justice.
