Common funeral held for the twelve unidentified victims of Air crash including Ignatius D’Souza
Report and Pictures by Eugene D’Souza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network
Mangalore, 02 June 2010: The curtain has finally come down on the tragedy of Air India Express Dubai-Mangalore IX-812 flight that crashed at the Bajpe airport on 22nd May 2010 that had resulted in the death of 158 of 166 on board, when the bodies of the last twelve victims of the disaster including that of Ignatius D’Souza of Manibettu, Moodubelle were accorded a common funeral on Wednesday, 2nd June 2010 at 4.30 pm on the bank of the Kulur River on the Panamboor side.
Ignatius D’Souza
The site was prepared in advance with 12 graves dug in three lines having four graves each. Family members and relatives of the unidentified victims had started gathering in the make shift shamianas from 2 pm. The police and Municipal authorities had made thorough arrangements for the common funeral. The police force was present in large number under the direction of the Commissioner of Police of Mangalore, S. Kumar Singh.
The bodies were brought to the make shift burial ground from the mortuary in three ambulances at around 3.30pm. By that time a large number of people had already gathered along with a number of media persons to cover the event. The Central government was represented by K.H. Muniappa, the State Minister for the Railways, the Karnataka State Government was represented by J. Krishna Palemar, Minister of Ecology, Environment and Inland Water Transport and also the Guardian Minister of Dakshina Kannada District. Besides these two ministers, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, Mayor of Mangalore, representatives of Air India and other government departments were also present.
With the arrival of the unidentified bodies to the burial ground they were laid by the side of the allotted graves by volunteers. Thereafter priests representing three religions, Islam, Roman Catholicism and Hindu recited their respective prayers for the eternal rest of the souls of the deceased. The Christian prayer was recited by Rev. Fr. Denis Prabhu Moras, the Vicar General of Mangalore Diocese. Two other priests, Fr. William Menezes and Fr. Valerian Pinto were also present for the common funeral.
Soon after the recitation of prayers, the family members of each of the twelve unidentified bodies paid their homage to their departed members by offering flowers at the common table. Thereafter, K.H. Muniappa, J.Krishna Palemar, Navin Kumar Kateel and other political leaders as well as departmental representatives including the Police, Home Guards, Hospital heads and even Air India representatives paid their last tribute to the victims of the grim tragedy by offering garlands.
Soon after the ritual of the paying tribute was over, everyone stood in silent prayer for two minutes and thereafter the mortal remains were lowered in the graves one by one and were laid to eternal rest and the graves were filled with sand and mud. The entire procedure of the common funeral was over by 4.30 pm and the ministers and officials made their way out consoling the family members of the victims. K.H. Muniappa had few words of consolation to the widow of Ignatius D’Souza, Patricia and two children, Precita and Chris Garry.
The unidentified mortal remains that were finally laid to rest by the side of the Kulur River on the side of Panamboor were those of : Ignatius D’Souza of Shaktinagar, Mohammed Ismail Hassan of Jeppu, K K Shetty of Kodialbail, Vaman Prabhu of Ashoknagar, all hailing from Mangalore; Aboobakker Siddiq, Abdul Aziz, brothers from Uppala; Abdul Basheer from Bekal, Sukumar from Mailatti, Sujatha Survase-Air India crew member, Naveed Ibrahim, Malpe, Zainab Mohammed Ziyad and Mohammed Zubair from Udupi,both children.
Besides, the widow of Ignatius-Patricia and children-Precita and Chris Garry and their neighbours from Shaktinagar, Mangalore, seventeen persons from Moodubelle attended the common funeral including Mrs. Florine D’Souza, mother of late Ignatius, Benedict D’Souza, eldest brother of Ignatius who had come from Dombivli, Mumbai, Victor D’Souza, another brother staying at Manibettu, Moodubelle along with his wife Stella, and children Shiny, Sandeep and Vinita, Rosita-wife of Edward, the younger brother of Ignatius, Juliana Rita Monis, sister of Ignatius, Cyril D’Souza, Gurkar of St. Paul I ward to which the family of Ignatius belong.
Ignatius was born on 6th February 1961 as the third child among 6 children of late Joseph and Florine D’Souza of Manibettu in Moodubelle. His siblings are: Benedict (Dombivli), Victor (Manibettu), Juliana Rita Monis, Sr. Ilene (Germany) and Edward (Dubai). Ignatius studied up to 10th standard in Moodubelle and did his PUC studies in St. Mary’s PU College, Shirva. After his studies, Ignatius went to Mumbai where he worked for some time staying at St. Lawrence Club, Clare Road Byculla, before proceeding to Dubai for better future where he worked for nearly 25 years.
Ignatius married Patricia from Shaktinagar and they have two children-Precita (17) and Chris Garry (12). Precita just passed PUC examination and has taken admission in St. Joseph’s Engineering College, Mangalore for Information technology course. Chris Garry is in 7th standard. The air tragedy snatched away Ignatius from his family when they required him the most.
Bellevision shares the grief and sorrow of the family of late Ignatius D’Souza and extends heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family.