Air India Crash: 7 Heartbreaking Losses Reveal Diu’s Powerful Transatlantic Ties

The tragic crash of Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London on June 12th claimed lives from across the globe. Among the victims, a poignant thread emerged, binding seven Portuguese nationals – all sharing deep roots in the tranquil Indian island territory of Diu. This connection illuminates a unique historical legacy and the enduring, often painful, bonds of a dispersed community.

A Shared Heritage, A Shared Loss:

The seven Portuguese citizens – Chandu Baguane, Santubhai Bica, Hemaxi Shantilal, Vanita Kanha, Devji Lachmane, Girish Lalji, and R Vassaramo Premgi – weren’t just fellow passengers; they were products of Diu’s complex colonial past. As a former Portuguese enclave until 1961, Diu retains a special link to Portugal. Post-liberation, Portugal offered citizenship rights to those born in its former “Estado da India” and their descendants for two generations.

This policy created a citizenship bridge. Today, officials estimate over half of Diu’s 50,000+ households have at least one member who is either a Portuguese citizen or a British national. Many, like those on the flight, leveraged Portuguese citizenship to live and work in the UK during its EU membership, some eventually obtaining dual British citizenship.

More Than Passports: The Enduring Bonds of Home:

These citizenships weren’t just about opportunities abroad; they represented a dual identity. “They remain connected to their roots,” explains Dinesh Bhanubhai, a panchayat member from Bucharwada village, which alone mourned nine victims with Diu links. “Regular visits home are essential – for family, festivals, weddings, and often, to manage local livelihoods.”

Diu’s economy leans heavily on fishing and tourism. Families frequently operate transatlantic businesses, with members abroad supporting and managing ventures like fishing fleets run by relatives back home. The sole survivor of the crash, Viswashkumar Ramesh (a British national), and his brother Ajay (who perished), exemplify this. They were returning to Diu specifically to help manage their family’s fishing operations.

A Community in Mourning:

The crash didn’t just strike individuals; it pierced the heart of Diu. Fourteen victims had direct links to the island, including the seven Portuguese nationals. The grief resonates through villages where foreign passports are common, but local ties are sacred. Families have travelled to Ahmedabad, undertaking the harrowing task of identifying loved ones, with the first bodies already returned to Diu for final rites.

The Insight: A Legacy Written in Loss

This tragedy underscores how historical policies centuries old continue to shape lives and communities today. Diu’s story is one of layered identity:

• Citizenship as Heritage: Portuguese nationality isn’t just administrative; it’s an inherited right stemming from a specific colonial history.

• Global Yet Local: Families span continents, building lives abroad while maintaining active, vital roles in their hometown economy and culture. Their travel isn’t tourism; it’s familial and economic duty.

• Aspiration and Connection: Even as younger generations aspire to Portuguese citizenship for broader horizons, the pull of Diu remains strong. The island isn’t just a birthplace; it’s an active part of their present lives.

• Shared Grief, Shared Roots: The crash revealed an invisible network, binding victims through shared ancestry and a small island’s unique place in history. Their loss is felt not just in Portugal or the UK, but profoundly in the villages of Diu they called home.

The Air India crash is a devastating human tragedy. Within it, the story of Diu’s seven sons and daughters reminds us that identity, community, and the paths we travel are often woven from threads of history that stretch across oceans and generations. Their final journey home highlights the enduring, unbreakable connection between a people and their roots, even from thousands of miles away.