Barely four months after the ill-fated Malaysian airliner MH370 suddenly disappeared over the Indian Ocean on March 8 last with 239 passengers on board including five Indians, another Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 with 295 persons onboard, including the crew members, was shot down probably by ground to air missile forty miles from Russian border inside Eastern Ukraine. The Malaysian airliner was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur but when it was passing over Eastern Ukraine barely forty miles from the Russian border, it met with the tragedy. The news of tragic air crash was twittered by concerned authorities in Ukraine and in Kuala Lumpur. This is a very sad occasion for Malaysia and one cannot but sympathies with the families of the people who perished so suddenly. We convey our deep felt sorrow on the loss of human lives and pray for peace to the soul of the departed persons. Entire Malaysia is drowned in deep sorrow and whatever quantum of sympathy is extended is too little to bring comfort to the disturbed minds of the next of kin of deceased persons.
Ukrainian authorities suspect it an act of terrorism. A day earlier, one of its air force planes was hit by a missile. Ukraine is in a State of turmoil for more than a year. Pro-Russian separatists have launched massive attacks on Ukrainian nationalist forces. A Ukrainian spokesperson said that in recent past the Russian Government has clandestinely passed on war weapons to Ukrainian rebels who are fighting a war against Ukraine’s army and civilians. It will be remembered that Moscow managed to grab Crimea on the plea that people there opted for Russia.
Whosoever has fired a missile on the airliner has committed the grave crime of genocide. It is true that there is not any ban imposed on overland flights in Ukraine and other world flights have been flying through this route. How come the attackers could not make a distinction between a passenger airliner and a war airplane? When they were so accurate in targeting the plane by a missile, they should have known that it was a normal passenger aircraft and did not deserve to be targeted. It is a very grave violation of human rights and will be punished by no less a grave punishment. One fails to understand how come the attackers violated international air traffic rules according which the Malaysian airliner was precisely on the scheduled route and did not make any violation. Entire humanity is shocked on this tragic happening and it has wrecked the conscience of world community. Scared by a situation of insecurity in flying over the scheduled air route over eastern Ukraine, Air India and Jet Air, two international airlines of India have decided to avoid the corridor while travelling to Europe or the US. International community should take serious note of this incident and bring home to all that such irresponsible acts will cause serious disruption in global air system
After visiting the site of accident where relief teams are trying to douse the flames and remove dead bodies, reports have come in that Ukrainian authorities are convinced that the missile was fired from ground and by none other than the pro-Russian separatists. If this story is to be believed, then it is a sad state of affairs that Moscow has allowed such lethal weapons as ground to air missiles and tanks to be given in the hands of the insurgents. We do not buy this story as long as definite proof is not produced. But we are certainly disappointed on the fact that it has become awfully dangerous to fly over the war torn zone in Ukraine. This is a dastardly act of cowardice and no words will be strong enough to condemn it. We convey condolence to the Malaysian Government and to the bereaved families.
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