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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a...

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a flying experience of 15,000 hours, co-pilot Capt. Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of flying, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali. The government released a statement detailing the sequence of events that led to the crash and Pawar's death. The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance it did not give any read-back' to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway. In aviation parlance, a go-around is a standard procedure where a pilot discontinues a landing attempt and initiates a climb to fly another approach. It is used when a landing cannot be completed safely due to factors like poor weather, an unstable approach, or traffic on the runway. It is a proactive safety measure rather than an emergency. In aviation, a readback is a crucial safety procedure where a pilot repeats back the essential parts of a message or instruction received from Air Traffic Control (ATC). It acts as a "closed-loop" communication system, ensuring that the controller's instructions were heard and understood correctly by the flight crew. The aircraft was trying to land amid poor visibility, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told reporters in Pune. The statement by his ministry recounted the final minutes of the ill-fated Learjet 45 belonging to VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd that crashed, leading to the death of all five persons on board, including Pawar. Fatal Flight The ill-fated aircraft was a Bombardier Learjet 45, a twin-engine business jet commonly used for corporate and charter travel. Designed to carry between six and nine passengers, the Learjet 45 has a range of approximately 2,000 nautical miles and is powered by twin turbofan engines. The aircraft involved in the crash belonged to a charter operator and was being used for a non-scheduled private flight.According to preliminary information from aviation authorities and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources, the aircraft encountered severe weather conditions while approaching Baramati. Dense fog enveloped the Pune–Baramati region at the time, drastically reducing visibility and complicating the landing procedure. Probe Begins A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has reached the Baramati crash site to launch a forensic probe into the VSR Venture's Learjet 45 aircraft accident. "The investigation team has reached the (crash) site. They are on the work," the AAIB official told PTI. The official, however, declined to share further details. Earlier in the day, AAIB, which has the mandate to investigate all accidents and serious incidents/incidents involving aircraft with a gross weight of 2,250 kg or turbojet aircraft, was handed the probe into the crash. The aircraft, bearing registration VT-SSK, was being operated by the Delhi-based non-scheduled operator VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. The crew was advised to descend in visual meteorological conditions at the pilot's discretion, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in its statement. At that time, the winds were calm, and visibility was around 3,000 metres, it said. Baramati airfield does not have an instrumental landing system - a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to an aircraft, allowing it to approach a runway at night, during bad weather and poor visibility. Ajit Pawar's last rites will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the funeral, which will be held at Vidya Pratishthan ground at 11 am. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday declared three days of state mourning across state till January 30 as a mark of respect to Ajit Pawar. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is flown regularly. There will be no official entertainment during the mourning period. “Ajit's death was a big shock for Maharashtra, which has lost a hardworking and efficient leader. This loss is irreparable. Not all things are in our hands. A stand was floated from Kolkata that there is some politics involved in this incident. But there is nothing like this. There is no politics in it. It was an accident. I request not to bring politics into it.” Sharad Pawar, President, NCP (SP)

‘Attack can’t happen without local support’

Mumbai: The dastardly attack that left 28 tourists dead because they were Hindu, at Baisaran Valley, barely 5 kilometres from Pahalgam in Kashmir’s Anantnag district could not have been possible without the help of the locals said a volunteer who has closely worked at grassroot level for the upliftment of the local residents of Kashmir. Upon request of anonymity due to safety concerns, the source said, “Reaching the Baisaran valley, and going table to table, ensuring the religion of every tourist and then killing them from point blank range- All this cannot happen without the local residents’ support. Locals can include both infiltrators and residents. They may have supported them willingly or unwillingly. The staff at the eatery, the pony masters and the local guides are all suspects.”


The source added, “I am not saying all of them have aided the terrorists. However, its hard to believe that none of them helped the terrorists. It’s shocking that none of them have identified any terrorist. The attack has not happened without the help of the locals for sure. Nothing will change, unless the locals speak up and stop supporting these malicious intentions of the Pak sponsored intruders.”


Baisaran valley shut for tourism

A tour manager who is currently in Kashmir on a tour with 20 travellers in his group spoke to The Perfect Voice. Requesting anonymity, he said, “We were at Pahalgam on Tuesday. However, since Baisaran is never a part of our itinerary, we were luckily safe. All the guests have been safely shifted to Srinagar. The guests have decided to go ahead with the tour as per schedule.”


He added, “No tour operators in India have Baisaran as a part of their itinerary due to safety concerns. Baisaran valley is 5-7 km away from Pahalgam. Usually, people trek to reach the spot or take horse rides. It’s close to dense forests. It is very risky. However, certain travelers get their tours customized where they prepare their own itinerary. My research says that the tourists who were targeted were not a part of a stereotypical conducted tour because we strictly avoid risky places.”


Most travel Companies guest operators said that so far, no requests of cancellations or rescheduling have been received and that apart from Baisaran which has been completely shut and cordoned off, all their tours- ongoing and planned in future will continue. Tour companies say that till the government sends a written notification directing the tourism to be completely shut in the valley, next one-month bookings will work as per schedule. A source from a Mumbai based popular tour operating company said that they have 100-150 guests who travel through them to Kashmir per day during April and May. The attack happened during a time which is considered to be the most favourable for the tourism sector in Kashmir.


Will the tourism sector be hit?

Having said that, sources also said that the mindset of the locals has gradually changed for the better. Till date, no Kashmiri local condemned any such attack. Killing of one or two persons in Kashmir is a frequent happening. However, such a big attack and tourists being targeted is something that’s not a norm. Sources point out that the local residents have started realizing that such attacks are a direct threat to their source of income. Every local wants development and a better lifestyle. Such attacks are only pushing them away from education, opportunities and a peaceful life.


Experts point out that the most popular destinations in Kashmir do not actually contribute to the income of the locals.


Hrishikesh Yadav, a volunteer who has worked in Kashmir for the locals with guidance of the Indian Army for over 20 years and has also been actively guiding tourists to get homestays at remote and unpopular yet beautiful destinations in Kashmir spoke to The Perfect Voice. He said, “Kashmir is not all about Pahalgam. It’s much vaster than that. Entire Kashmir needs tourists. Tour companies have set destinations and only few locals benefit from tourist influx there. Rest of Kashmir is devoid of opportunities. Yadav said, “With proper security and guidance, I have been guiding groups of tourists to experience home stays at remote and scenic locations across Kashmir. These homestays are actually contributing to the income of the locals. The other stereotypical tourist destinations are making a difference to the locals. These locals surprisingly have a very positive attitude towards India.”


A positive change

Over decades, experts point out that the attitude of the locals towards the Indian army, and India as a country has changed for the better, especially since the abrogation of article 370. Yadav says credit goes to the Indian Army that has left no stone unturned in ensuring the grievances of the locals, especially women are addressed at all levels. Yadav said, “I can make a stark difference. In 1982, when I had been to Kashmir, the local guides would refuse to show us the Shankaracharya temple. This has changed. Besides, when I had worked closely with the CRPF Jawan, he had said that in his initial days, locals would spit on the faces of the Army jawans. Today children salute and say “Jai Hind”. It’s unthinkable for a Tiranga to sustain at a place like Bukka road which was the beginning of something which we could never dream of 20 years ago.”

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