Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, July 24: As the search for the missing IAF AN-32 aircraft entered the third day today, the residents of a village situated along the Indo-Pak International Border in Kathua district are glued to their television sets and praying for the safe return of local boy Airman Gurdayal Choudhary who was onboard the plane.
The residents of Banyari village in the Hiranagar sector of the district have been thronging the house of Choudhary who is one of the crew member of the plane that went missing.
The family members of Choudhary are hopeful that their son would return safe and sound.
“We are hopeful that our son is safe and sound and he will be located soon and will return”, they said.
“Not only our family members but the entire village is praying for his safe return”, Churra Ram father of the Airman said as relatives and villagers throng his house to show their solidarity with the family.
The villagers said that they have been glued to their television sets to get the news about the missing plane.
“The news that the plane went missing was shocking and more shocking was the fact that Gurdayal was one of the crew members in the plane.
“Ever since the news came, the entire village has been praying for his safe return and watching news to know about the missing plane,” Rakesh Choudhary one of the cousins of the missing airman said.
The missing airman, who was living in Chennai with his newlywed wife, was on official duty on the AN 32 that went missing during its flight from Chennai to Port Blair.
The Choudhary family is hopeful that the Government of India will leave no stone unturned to locate the missing plane and its crew members.
“His wife who stayed with him has been crying all the time, so I sent my younger son to take care of his sister-in law during these testing times,” the father said.
He said that soon after passing his secondary school examination, in 2007 his son joined the IAF as an Airman.
Choudhary was married eight months back and is the eldest son of the family. The Air Force team visited his house yesterday and informed them that Choudhary is among one of the crew members of the plane that went missing. They informed them that Government is trying its level best to locate the plane.
However, no one from police and civil administration visited the village to show solidarity with the family which is anxious to know about the welfare of their son.
Even no political leader or local Legislator visited the family since receiving the message that Choudhary was one of the members of the crew of the plane which went missing three days back.
Hoping against the hope, the family members, relatives and friends of Choudhary as well as villagers are praying almighty continuously since yesterday for safe return of crew members.
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