My father lost his life during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, at the hands of a belligerent Pakistan Air Force fighter plane. Today, his memorial is a broken slab of stone, lying in a state of neglect and desolation. 

I was just 10 months old…. 

My father, Aviation Radio Officer AM D’Costa, was on the ill-fated Beech 18 civilian aircraft flying in the remote Bhuj region of Gujarat, carrying the then Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Balwant Rai Mehta and his wife Saroj Ben on 19th September 1965. I’d like to stress on the fact that this was a civilian aircraft. 

It was intercepted by the American-made F-86 Sabre jet belonging to the Pakistan Army and shot down. None of the passengers survived. Also lost in the incident were the crew, Captain Jehangir Merwan Engineer, Pilot, Mr. A M D'Costa, Radio Engineer, Mr. V B Thorat, Aircraft Mechanic, Mr. Francis Xavier Periera, PA to the CM and Mr. K P Shah, Journalist from the newspaper Gujarat Samachar.

My father was just 28 years old when he lost his life on the front line. 

Growing up, I struggled to find closure to my father’s demise. I even contacted a person based in Pakistan, presumably the Pakistan Air Force pilot who had shot down the Indian aircraft in which my father was a passenger. He said that he was obeying his seniors’ command and acting in the line of duty while offering his condolences for my loss; but, his platitudes didn’t provide me the closure I was hoping for.

A few years ago, I learnt that there was a memorial in Suthari, a village in the Kutch district of Gujarat, for the victims of the 1965 Beechcraft incident. I started planning to visit the memorial and the IAF helped me in my journey from Mumbai. 

I teared up as I climbed the stairs to the modest memorial and placed wreaths on the granite stone slabs meant as plaques for all the passengers aboard the Beech 18 aircraft, including my father. 

But I couldn’t help but notice that so many of these stone slabs were broken. The memorial is located in a remote village and doesn’t see many visitors. I was heartbroken seeing my father’s memorial lying in a state of neglect. It’s a sore wound for those of us who lost our family members in their service to the country, and were raised by single parents. I can’t bring myself to visit my father’s memorial again. I don’t know how I will react if I find out that the memorial’s condition has worsened. I haven’t been able to shut out the picture of that broken stone slab, which will remain the memorial of my father for eternity. I request the authorities to ensure that we respect the memory of the former Gujarat Chief Minister Balwantrai Mehta and his co-passengers, including my father AM D’Costa, who were killed in their line of duty on 19th September 1965. 

Sign this petition addressed to Pradhyumansinh Mahipatsinh Jadeja, the MLA from Abdasa assembly constituency in the Kutch district of Gujarat. They should use their MLA funds for the monument’s renovation and upkeep. Every year, the residents of Suthari conduct a ceremony on 19th September at this memorial to honour the fallen heroes. They've also made several requests for the memorial's upkeep but to no avail.