Sleep well little one ! Sleep in the comfort that you did not have to experience more callousness in this world. We don't know each other, yet when you died this morning, all of us on the flight were grieving. A lady sitting behind my seat was sobbing through the flight after the captain announced that you have passed away. We are all strangers and yet so connected and so impacted by your death.
Friends, this morning, I boarded a Kingfisher Red flight from Mumbai to Bangalore. The flight was ready for take off and we had taxied to the runway, when the captain announced a medical emergency and returned to the parking bay. When I first heard that announcement, I thought it was some elderly person who was unwell. Besides, I fully expected our flight to pull into the nearest parking bay and ambulances to come rushing. But nothing of that sort happened, the flight took almost 15 mins to return to the bay and thereafter another 5 mins for a Doctor to come on board. I could sense a lot of activity going on in the rear of the aircraft but after a tense 10 mins, I saw a young couple with a small infant in their arms leaving the aircraft. Indescribable grief was writ large on their faces. And it was at this time that the captain announced that a small infant had died.
Suddenly, the entire aircraft was plunged into somber mood. A lady sitting behind my seat started sobbing. Many people who were cursing the delay stopped and were openly emotional. Perhaps if medical help had reached you earlier, you might have been still been saved. Sleep on little one and take thy rest, in the Lord's arms forever blest.
Posted in humanity.
By Srikant Sreenivasan
– April 21, 2009
Yes, sad indeed. But looking at the positive side, that infant died on an aeroplane and had many people grieving for it. There are millions of nameless infants dying on our streets and we would never know about them…