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The recent discovery of additional bodies from the wreckage of a military aircraft that crashed near Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh in 1968 has brought renewed hope to the families of two passengers who also perished in the disaster. This renewed hope stems from the possibility that the remains of their loved ones may also be found, allowing them to conduct a proper funeral, a long-awaited closure for their grief. The article focuses on the stories of two families who have been waiting for decades to find the remains of their deceased loved ones, Maniyappan, who is searching for his brother KK Rajappan, and the family of EM Thomas.
Maniyappan, now 74 years old and residing in Ithithanam, Kottayam, vividly remembers his brother Rajappan who was just 25 when he died in the crash. Maniyappan was in Class X at the time and shares that their family was deeply affected by the loss of Rajappan, especially since his eldest brother, Narayanan, had passed away a year earlier due to jaundice. Rajappan had been on a two-month leave from Ambala but was recalled to duty after only one month, tragically ending his life in the crash. The recovery of bodies after all these years has brought a glimmer of hope to Maniyappan, a chance to finally lay his brother to rest.
The family of EM Thomas, originally from Vayalathala near Ranni in Pathanamthitta, also shares in this renewed hope. Thomas, who was 21 at the time of the crash, had returned home after completing a year of training and was en route to his new posting when the tragedy struck. His nephew Vipin recalls that the Army informed the family over a decade ago that the search for bodies was ongoing. The entire Eettinilkunna Kalayil family, including Thomas's only surviving sibling, Molly Varghese who resides in the US, has clung to this hope, especially as Thomas's parents, ET Mathew and Saramma Mathew, had passed away in 2002 and 2011 respectively, longing to see their son's remains. The recent recovery of bodies has rekindled their desire for closure and a proper funeral for their son.
Source: Rohtang Plane Crash: Hope Reawakens as More Bodies Recovered from Rohtang Plane Crash