Deepshikha Maan, Jadetimes Staff
D. Maan is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia
Phone Call Brings Closure to Family After 56 Year Wait
It was a phone call that brought an end to a 56 year long wait for Thomas Thomas and his family. The call, from a police station in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, delivered unexpected news the body of his elder brother, Thomas Cherian, had finally been recovered. Cherian, an army craftsman, was one of 102 passengers aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) AN 12 aircraft that crashed in the Himalayas in 1968 after encountering severe weather. The plane vanished while flying over the Rohtang Pass, connecting Himachal Pradesh and Indian-administered Kashmir.
For decades, the fate of the aircraft remained a mystery, with the flight listed as missing. Then, in 2003, a team of mountaineers found the body of one of the passengers, leading to the recovery of eight more bodies and the discovery of the plane’s wreckage in 2019.
Recently, the crash made headlines again when the army recovered four more bodies, including that of Cherian. When Thomas received the news, he felt the weight of 56 years lift from his shoulders. "It was like I could finally breathe again," he said.
A Family's Long Wait Ends
Cherian, the second of five children, was just 22 when he went missing. He was en route to his first field posting in Leh when the tragedy occurred. For years, his family held out hope, even after the first body was found in 2003, prompting authorities to officially change his status from missing to dead. Our parents died waiting for news of their son," Thomas shared, recalling how their father passed away in 1990, followed by their mother in 1998. To date, only 13 bodies have been recovered from the crash site.
The search has been hindered by the harsh weather and treacherous terrain of the Himalayan region. Cherian’s body, along with three others, was discovered 16,000 feet above sea level near the Dhaka glacier.
Advanced Technology Aids Recovery
The recent operation to recover the bodies was led by the Dogra Scouts, a unit of the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Tiranga Mountain Rescue team. Using satellite imagery, Recco radar, and drones, the team located the bodies buried in the ice. The Recco radar, capable of detecting metallic objects buried up to 20 meters in snow, identified parts of the aircraft, leading to the discovery of one body. Three more bodies were retrieved from deep within the glacier's crevasses.
Cherian was identified by his uniform’s nametag, which read "Thomas C", and a document found in his pocket. While the family’s grief over his loss remains, they expressed relief at finally having closure.
A Final Farewell
On 3 October, Cherian’s coffin, draped in the Indian flag, was handed over to his family, and a funeral service was held the next day in their hometown of Elanthoor. Thomas expressed his gratitude to the army officials for keeping the family informed over the years, saying, "They never gave up on the search, and we appreciate that."
Despite Cherian's tragic disappearance, many other members of the extended family have since joined the armed forces, continuing a proud tradition of service.
Other Families Find Peace Amid Grief
The recovery of the bodies has also brought closure to the families of the other soldiers. In Uttarakhand, Jaiveer Singh is still coming to terms with receiving the body of his uncle, Narayan Singh. His family had long given up hope, and with their consent, Narayan Singh’s wife, Basanti Devi, remarried and had children with one of his cousins. Jaiveer, one of those children, says his mother held onto the hope of Narayan Singh’s return until she passed away in 2011.
Although he never met his uncle and has no photographs to remember him by, Jaiveer and other families of the victims now find a bittersweet sense of closure after years of uncertainty.
