Numb numbers in Goa tragedy: 12 widows, 9 under 30, 1 pregnant

‘‘I never thought Rajesh would die like this,’’ says the broken mother. ‘‘I had spoken to him at 7 a.m. yesterday. The early morning phone call was a daily routine with us for years.’’

G S Saini, 64 and his 62-year-old wife says it was Rajesh who helped them cope with the loss of their younger son. Flt Lt Ajay Saini died on January 4, 2000.

‘‘They were gradually coming to terms with the death of the younger son, now it is difficult to say how they will take it,’’ said a relative.

The 37-year-old’s wife, Promila, is among 12 service widows at the INS Hansa naval base at Goa. All 12 stories are equally heart-rending. Nine of them are below 30; one of them—Supriya, the wife of lieutenant commander S K Dutta is in her fourth month of her pregnancy, with their first child.

Sangeeta, the wife of Lt Cdr Jaideep Dutta, aircraft observer (navigator cum anti-submarine warfare weapon expert), lost one of her relatives in an air force crash when she was just 20. ‘‘Yet she didn’t hesitate in marrying a naval aviator. She is actually the pillar of the INS Hansa family,’’ said Sunita, a relative.

‘‘We had lost another pilot some time ago and it was Sangeeta who comforted his widow and family. Even today, though she has lost her husband, she has been comforting the young widows of the squadron.’’

Asha Karadi, wife of Lt Cdr A C Karadi, the senior observer of the lead aircraft (IN 304) has also been trying to console the widow of co-pilot K S Rathore. ‘‘The loss of expensive aircraft can be recovered but the loss of 12 air crew in the prime of their lives with solid flying experience behind them may never be overcome,’’ remarked Commander Rahul Gupta, naval spokesman.