GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Civil Aviation
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 659
ANSWERED ON JULY 15, 2014
QUESTION
Recognising Brave Hearts by Air India
659. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state;
(a) whether Government is aware that Air India (AI) had refused to announce on its flight that martyr Major Mukund Varadarajan's remains were onboard, quoting ‘aviation rules'; and
(b) if so, the details of the rules that prohibit the National flag carrier, funded by taxpayers, from recognising our brave hearts?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
(SHRI G. M. SIDDESHWARA)
(a): No, Sir.
(b): The Captain and the co-pilot of Air India, who were flying the aircraft, were not aware of the presence of the remains of martyr Major Mukund Vardarajan being carried on the flight. However, when Captain N. Srinivasan, who flew the aircraft from New Delhi to Chennai, came to know about this, he wrote a personal letter to the parents of Major Vardarajan conveying his sincerest condolences.
Air India deeply regrets not being able to announce the presence of the remains of the brave-heart martyr Major Mukund Vardarajan and salutes the martyr.