An Unfinished Journey – CharkhiDadri, Haryana

All journeys start but not all reach destinations; some remain unfinished due to some stroke of destiny. On 12th November 1996, one such journey was cut short when two planes crashed in Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana. One of the planes was a cargo plane of Kazakhstan Airlines headed to Delhi and the other one was a passenger plane headed towards Saudi Arabia. Crash produced a booming sound with a blinding light. The intensity of crash was mind boggling and burning parts of planes started falling which seemed like a meteorite shower. One of the parts of plane with a sharp edge went 16 feet under the ground. 312 people from passenger plane and 37 people from Cargo plane died instantly in this crash. Ground and farmland of three villages – Dhani Fougat, Khedi Sonwal and Maliya Vas were strewn with dead bodies. On this dark evening the first ones to reach the crash site were R.S.S. swayamsewaks.

Charkhi Dadri witnessed a terrible event and swayamsewaks too were aghast at the way the fields were full of blood and body parts but this did not deter them and they immediately sought to work under the then Sanghchalak Shri Jeetramji. Within an hour, Petromax lights, generators and water was arranged. It was dark already when swayamsewaks started to search for survivors with the help of Petromax lights. Only two survivors were found by the attending team of Hedgewar hospital, and even those could not be saved due to gravity of injuries.

 Shri Jeeteamji still becomes emotional remembering that crash which happened 23 years ago, and tells how the charred bodies were picked up. Dead bodies were transported with the help of tractors. Dead were to be properly cremated as per the tradition and the staggering number demanded time. Factories were opened in the middle of night to procure Ice and save bodies from rotting. Ice slabs were also transported from Bhiwani, Jhajjar and Rewari. Most of the passengers were Muslims or Christians and were given last rites accordingly. Superintendent of Police present at the site was Muslim and he helped in listing out the things required for Muslim passengers. With the help of villagers, shrouds and other things were arranged overnight. For Christian passengers, coffins were made in the log factory of Shri Santramji. 

159 dead bodies were transported to Bhiwani hospital till 5 in the morning. Meanwhile, Jeetramji had formed a ‘Plane crash victim help committee’. This committee which consisted of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Arya Samaj, Vidyarthi Parishad and Gurudwara Samiti, started working at war footing.

Morning brought various people from media, police and administration as the news caught on like a forest fire. Arrangement for their food and water was again done by committee. Those passengers whose relatives could not reach were buried by swayamsewaks with the help of local clerics and Islamia representative group of Delhi.

Committee members worked round the clock for next three days which compelled the local Muslim clerics to recognize it. According to the then Kshetriya Pracharak , Shri Prem Goyal, Sangh was honored by Muslim society for this work. Maulvi Mohammad Hamid said,”Swayamsewaks of Sangh work only for humanity.” Moreover, Aviation minister of that time C.M. Ibrahim who had reached Charkhi Dadri crash site applauded Swayamsewaks for working above caste and religion.

This journey was incomplete due to destiny but humanity did not lose its path.