The evening sunlight on Sunday afternoon was broadcast to a small square behind the Indian High Commission, a group of 200 people gathered for a vigil, one of several people held in the UK this weekend to remember those who died in the Indian aviation disaster.
The candle was placed under the bust of Jawaharlal Nehru, and participants listened to the interfaith leaders and members of the Gujarat community, who reflected on the shocking loss of a week.
Ridhi Sarmah-Kapoor and Olivia Gearson, the father of two students, recently traveled to London from Gujarat to lay flowers outside an Indian house in Holborn.
“My father came to India a lot and he used Air India.” “It makes it personal connection – like these people are my family.”
“It takes honor. It’s really hard to get a hit with parents coming back for their kids’ graduation,” Gearson added.
Gujarat communities in the capital and other cities have been gathering since the crash to mark the more than 270 people who died in one of the worst air accidents in Indian history.
With great stories like the Bristol student, she missed the flight because she was caught in traffic and the miracle story of the only survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. But the details of life were lost – ambition and hope disappeared immediately – both added to the shock of the British Indians.
“We need to mourn somewhere,” said Mayur Shikotra, who organized the vigil with Pranav Bhanot.
“We’re just a small community, and many people are only one or two degrees away from the tragedy. There are not many flights directly from Gujarat, so it can really be anyone. That makes it hit the home.”
The fact that the close connections of the Gujarat community in the UK have become very large has made many trauma to many.
Narendra Thakerar is one of a group of old-school friends from Gujarati backgrounds who decided to come to honor those who lost their lives.
“I have flown three times in the last six months with Air India,” he said. “It’s a tragedy and no one is ready, it’s humble and just a reminder of how vulnerable we are.”
“We have to find out what happened, the bodies we need to repatriate and hope to compensate our loved ones, which is very important – this will never bring anyone back, but it will recognize what happened and lose lives,” Bhanot said.
In addition to grief, I hope Boeing (the manufacturer of the aircraft) is at fault.
“My first thought was a Boeing 787,” Thakerar said.
“The problem is when you deal with old aircraft that have been sold, resold, used and used,” said Mahesh Patel, another member of the group.
The service has over 1,100 787, which are used by most major international airlines, and their services have good safety records.
Tata Group purchased Air India from the Indian government in 2022 and announced plans to revamp and upgrade its fleet last year.
“No one of us wants this to happen again, so a thorough investigation is needed,” Tucker said.
