Refusal by the authorities here to part with vital information is par for the course. Hiding facts comes naturally to them, for no reason whatsoever. So too with the Dreamliner air crash in Ahmedabad a week ago. Also with the information relating to Operation Sindoor undertaken by the military over a month ago. So too with all matters of the governments at the Centre and in the states. If Right to Information Act came into being in 2015, the scenario of stonewalling vital information under one guise or the other continues without any let-up.Take for instance the reports about the installation of a new engine to the ill-fated Dreamliner aircraft. No authority has confirmed nor denied this. Even the Air India management, run by the highly reputed professional business group – the Tatas, would not speak up – let alone the run-of-the mill, unprofessional politicians running the affairs of the nation. The lives of over 270 were lost, including those of over 60 foreigners. Yet, the secrecy that surrounds the fallen aircraft would be maintained with all zealousness. The same zealousness might, perhaps, not be evident in the investigations. The investigations, as is their wont here, can go and on for a couple of years or more. Or, insurance firms might exert pressure and expedite it – which is unlikely as they need to pay the compensations only after the investigation report is submitted and approved.
Curiously, initial reports had said the plane ran the whole length of the runway before take-off. This was unusual for an aircraft, as it would lift off midway through the ground run. If correct, this meant the plane had technical snags, despite which it took off only to crash less than two kilometres away. Another report hinted that the hydraulic system failed, which could be why it could not ascend in a normal manner. Every plane has two engines. If one fails, the other would automatically engage. This is the principal trust that gives confidence to air passengers. This has not happened in the case of the crashed Dreamliner. Facts must be stated, irrespective of whether or not it would lead to questions about insurance claims. If the plane was not in proper condition, the flight should have been cancelled. Now, the Director General of Civil Aviation has ordered eight steps of checks before a flight takes off. Question is, why only now. Standard operation procedures should have been in place in the past, present and future too. Passenger safety is important. The Tatas, who pioneered the aviation push in India, know as much.
The same scenario exists even a month after Operation Sindoor. The chief of defence staff flies to Singapore to make one statement and weeks later he flies to Pune to make another and to Visakhapatnam to make a third now. He would not address the nation directly or through the media. Nor would Prime Minister Modi. The angle of foul play, sabotage, must indeed be investigated, but the need for high secrecy is uncalled for and unwarranted.
