As the late afternoon sun streamed into a small square behind the Indian High Commission on Sunday, a crowd of 200 people gathered for a vigil – one of several held around the UK this weekend to remember those who died in the Air India disaster.
Candles were placed beneath a bust of Jawaharlal Nehru and attenders listened to inter-faith leaders and members from the Gujarati community who had come to reflect on a shocking week of loss.
Ridhi Sarmah-Kapoor and Olivia Gearson, two students whose fathers had travelled from Gujarat to London recently, laid flowers outside India House in Holborn.
“My dad frequently goes back and forth to India and he uses Air India,” said Sarmah-Kapoor. “It gives it a personal connection – it’s like these people are my family.”
Gearson added: “It needs to be honoured. There were parents coming back for their children’s graduation – we’re both students, it really hit hard.”
Gujarati communities in the capital and other cities including Leicester have been gathering since the crash to commemorate the more than 270 people who died in one of the worst air accidents in Indian history.
There have been remarkable stories, such as the Bristol student who missed the flight because she was held up in traffic and the miraculous tale of the sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. But the details of the lives lost – ambitions and hopes extinguished in an instant – all add to the sense of shock among British-Indians.
“We needed somewhere to mourn,” says Mayur Shikotra, who organised the vigil alongside Pranav Bhanot.
Bhanot said: “We’re only a small community, many people are only one or two degrees away from the tragedy,. There aren’t that many flights that come out of Gujarat directly, so it really could have been anyone. That makes it hit home.”
Much has been made of the close-knit nature of the Gujarati community in the UK, a fact that has made the trauma personal for many.
Narendra Thakerar was among a group of old school friends with Gujarati backgrounds who decided to come and remember those who lost their lives.
“I’ve flown three times in the last six months with Air India,” he said. “It’s a tragedy that no one prepares for, it’s humbling and just a reminder about how fragile we are.”
Bhanot said: “It’s really important that we find out what happened, we need the bodies repatriated and hopefully some compensation for loved ones – it’s never going to bring anyone back but it’d be a recognition of what happened and the loss of life.”
As well as grief, there was a desire for Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, to be held accountable if it was at fault.
“My first thought is the Boeing 787,” says Thakerar, who is glad the fleet is being inspected by the Indian government after the disaster.
Another member of the group, Mahesh Patel, said: “The problem is when you’re dealing with old planes that have been sold and resold and used and used.”
There are more than 1,100 787s in service, with most major international airlines using them and its safety record in service has been good.
Tata Group bought Air India from the Indian government in 2022 and announced plans last year to revamp and upgrade its fleet.
“None of us want this to happen again so there needs to be a thorough investigation,” Thakerar said.
