Mangalore: Air Crash - Muslim Youth League Protests Alleging Discrimination in Compensation

Pics: Savitha B R
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)

Mangalore, Dec 28: After staging a dharna in front of Air India Office here on Tuesday December 28, the office-bearers and members of Kerala State Muslim Youth League Kasargod district unit, submitted a memorandum to Mangalore station manager of Air India, Chellam Prasad.

The memorandum, which lists various demands on behalf the of victims of the air crash in Mangalore on May 22 this year, is addressed to the minister for civil aviation. One of the demands is for payment of  US$ 1,60,000 uniformly to the families of all the victims of the tragedy. They do not want any discrimination to be made in calculating compensation payable  in respect of the victims of the crash on the basis of age, income or such other criteria.

The unit has asked the civil aviation  minister to file necessary claims with the appropriate authority to ensure that the families get compensations as per internationally recognized norms. Another demand of the protestors is to initiate necessary measures for the rehabilitation of the families of the victims.

The protestors have demanded for urgent steps to be taken to provide jobs in Air India to dependent members of the affected families. They also want payment of necessary compensation, and in addition, taking up steps to get adequate compensation for the loss of baggage and other valuables, in addition to extension of assistance to these families to get back the assets that have been left behind by the victims in foreign destinations. 

They also want liberalization of all legal formalities in filing and disbursal of compensation, to issue an order, extending exemptions relating to the cumbersome attestation process of documents relating to the claims, which are at present, strict and tedious. They have also demanded for arranging for the sitting of the insurers at Kasargod for facilitating victims hailing from Kasargod and nearby areas to get their claims settled, and also for taking necessary steps to redress the grievances of the families of the victims.

K Abdulla Kunhi Cherkala, president, Muslim Youth League, district committee Kasargod, Moideen Kollampady, general secretary, Muslim Youth League Committee, Kasargod and treasurer, Rasheed Haji among others, were present.