- 2 days ago
This episode of Five Live, presented by newsreader Sonali Mehrotra Kapur, covers major national and international developments.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Sonal Mayrothra Kapoor, this is 5 Live.
00:03On the program today, three important stories that we've got our eyes on.
00:07Number one is FCRA.
00:09There has been so much of back and forth on this bill.
00:12It gets introduced and taken back, comes back with some additions and, you know, some omissions as well.
00:18But what exactly has ignited a debate, not just in India and the political circles,
00:24but internationally as well over this bill, is what we will debate.
00:27And we'll break down for you what exactly is it that the bill does in the present form.
00:32That's story number one.
00:33Story number two, we continue to keep our focus on the E20, the ethanol crisis in the country.
00:39And today we have another angle for you.
00:42The Agricultural Paradox Treaty.
00:45E20 has so far been sold or propagated by the government at least,
00:49by saying that this is going to be great for the farmers.
00:52But is that really what we are seeing on the ground?
00:56We get you the agri perspective on E20.
01:00In story number three, we've got the Air India, you know, turbulence story.
01:05Now, yesterday we told you how bad the turbulence was,
01:08but now testimonies are emerging from passengers about what they feel really happened.
01:14About small kids, two years, three years old, who jumped up three rows,
01:19because that's how bad it was.
01:21Several of them continue to be in the hospital, seriously injured as well.
01:28Several of them, not just the ones you see on your screen,
01:31have plasters on and others requiring stitches as well.
01:35So what exactly happened?
01:36We'll be speaking to the passengers on the program.
01:40But first up, as always, let me take you through the top headlines on Top of Five.
01:45Jharkhand Public Service Commission paper leak protest has taken a fresh turn.
01:49Students' leader now, Devendra Nath, has ended his water fast for now,
01:54after activist Sonam Bangchuk assured him of a visit to the protest site.
01:58However, Mahanto says that his indefinite hunger strike will continue until the students' demand are met.
02:04The agitation has also turned political, with CJP now extending support to the protesters,
02:10while the Shiv Sena has targeted Rahul Gandhi,
02:12accusing the Congress of selective outrage over student movements.
02:19The Jharkhand government has initiated talks with the students protesting over the JPSC paper leak in Rachi.
02:27Senior officials, including the STO and the ADM Law & Order,
02:31reached out to the protest site with the government's proposal for the agitating students.
02:37The development comes hours after Chief Minister Heman Surin assured that a concrete solution would be worked out,
02:43raising hopes of a possible breakthrough in the standoff.
02:48Even before the proposed FCRA amendment bill is tabled in Parliament,
02:53it has triggered an international controversy now.
02:56U.S. Republican Congress Riley Moore has criticised the proposed changes in the bill,
03:02alleging they could impact Christian institutions,
03:05raising concerns over religious freedom in India.
03:08Murray also warned that the bill could become a point of concern in the U.S.-India ties.
03:14The remarks have added the diplomatic dimension to an already heated political debate here in India.
03:21A major development in Centre's scrutiny of Meta.
03:24The Maithi says that Meta Chief Mark Zuckerberg has conveyed an apology
03:30over the circulation of the child sexual abuse material,
03:33defect content and lapses in the platform operation.
03:37Sources say that the government made it clear that platforms exercising editorial control
03:42cannot automatically claim safe harbour protection under the IT Act.
03:46Meta also is learned to have acknowledged that paid promotion
03:51has amplified certain content and expressed regret over the laps.
03:56The Bombay High Court has granted interim relief to Union Minister Nitin Ghatkari
04:01in his defamation case over alleged AI-generated deepfake videos
04:06and abusive social media posts linking him to the Centre's E20 ethanol policy,
04:11calling the content absolutely vile.
04:14The court directed platforms including Meta and Google to remove the posts identified by Ghatkari.
04:19Both companies agreed to comply and the matter will now be heard again after four weeks.
04:26Judicial Commission has submitted a report on 2024 Sambhal violence.
04:31The report concluded that the clashes on 24th November were pre-planned conspiracy,
04:37alleging attempts to mobilise crowds, inflate tensions over the Jama Masjid survey
04:43and disrupt the survey proceedings.
04:45It also raises questions over the role of SPMP, Zayur Rehman Bak and MLA there,
04:52Soheil Iqbal.
04:53The Commission says that the mob arrived armed with stones and weapons,
04:56targeted by the police and administration and has recommended strict action against those responsible.
05:04Bhagwanthwan government in Punjab is now facing protests on multiple fronts,
05:08from allegations of exam fraud and pharmacy recruitment irregularities
05:14to government employee demanding pending dearness allowance.
05:17Discontent is now growing in the state.
05:19The BJP and Congress have both stepped up their attack,
05:23even as employees' unions continue their agitation,
05:26filing fresh political pressure on the Ahmadi Party government.
05:32The political confrontation between Chief Minister Vijay and Leader of Opposition Uddinadi Stalin
05:37has intensified a day after being granted bail in the Trisha Remarks case.
05:42Uddinadi defended his controversial comments and launched a fresh attack on Vijay.
05:48The DMK staged protest across the state over his arrest,
05:51while the TVK backed the police action, saying the law has taken its course.
05:58Kerala High Court has now constituted a special investigation team
06:02to probe alleged irregularities in the procurement of Milma Ghee for Sabrimala.
06:08The court approved the state government's proposed team,
06:11headed by SP M.J. Sojan and also the Vigilance Deputy SP Daed as the investigating officer.
06:19The High Court questioned how nearly 1.65 lakh litres of ghee were procured without quality inspection,
06:26despite objections from the commissioner,
06:30and has now directed an SIT, a special investigation team, to look into the matter.
06:37Seven years after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A,
06:41Jabu and Kashmir is once again witnessing a political showdown.
06:45Prime Minister Modi hailed the move as a turning point for the region,
06:48while the opposition marked the day with protests.
06:51A fresh controversy has also erupted after the BJP accused the BDB chief,
06:55Maibuba Mufti, of insulting the tricolour,
06:58an allegation defended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as well.
07:03Now amid the political face-off, security has been tightened across the Union Territory,
07:07with protests and Tiranga rallies held at multiple locations.
07:19All right, cutting across to some news, just breaking at this hour,
07:24Mark Zuckerberg has now sent his apologies for the SM content,
07:30the fake content and errors in the operating of the platform.
07:35Now remember, this is something that the government had asked for very clearly.
07:39Government had made it very clear to Meta that they are not covered under interpretive definition.
07:47They select who receives the content safe harbour under the IT Act, not applicable.
07:53And they admitted that a lot of money was paid for boosting certain type of content as well.
07:59They have now apologised and regretted the mistake.
08:02What exactly happened over there?
08:05Let me cut across to my colleague Piyush Mishra joining us for the very latest.
08:10Piyush, the government had made it stand very clear.
08:12They were standing very firm on the fact that there must be an apology issued by Mark Zuckerberg.
08:17And what we see now is just moments after that meeting concluded, you have an apology.
08:25Well, absolutely, Sonal. We need to understand how it all started.
08:29You would remember that a committee meeting, a parliamentary committee meeting had happened
08:33under the leadership of Nishika and Dubri.
08:36In that meeting, the members had recommended that Mark Zuckerberg will have to apologise
08:40for the removal of the Prime Minister's video.
08:44You would remember that when Prime Minister's studio was removed at the time,
08:47Meta had apologised and they had said that it happened because of technical glitch.
08:52But the committee wanted that to be in return.
08:54Today, what happened earlier in the day, a letter was issued from the Lok Sabha Secretary
08:59and that letter was given to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
09:06In that letter, it was mentioned about what has transpired in committee meeting
09:10and it was mentioned that we need a written apology from Mark Zuckerberg.
09:15Now, what we are given to understand is that Mark Zuckerberg has officially apologised.
09:20He has personally apologised for the technical glitch.
09:23He is also saying that, in fact, he has admitted that a lot of money was paid for boosting
09:29certain type of content and while apologising, he has also regretted the mistake which happened earlier.
09:36You would remember that there was a lot of hue and cry after Prime Minister's video was removed
09:40and the Indian government had raised with Meta.
09:43At the time, Meta had a claim that it happened because of a technical glitch and they apologised.
09:48And now, Mark Zuckerberg has personally apologised for this entire mistake.
09:54You would also, it is also important to understand that the government had made it very, very clear
10:00to Meta that they are not covered under intermediate definition.
10:04They select who receives the content and say, however, under IT Act was not applicable.
10:10The committee, which is of IT and the IT committee, Parliamentary Committee or so on,
10:18had also made it very clear that if they do not apologise, then their special protection must be withdrawn.
10:24Now, Meta has apologised. Mark Zuckerberg himself has apologised.
10:28All right, Piyush, thanks so much for joining us for the very latest on that.
10:32Meta, quick to apologise, looks like something that they've been working on for a while
10:35and trying to, you know, hold that negotiation with the government.
10:39Let's move on from that story and take you to the other big story that we are tracking.
10:43FCRA, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill, was introduced in Parliament back in March, remember,
10:49but it was held back amid protests.
10:51Now, in the monsoon session, it is back on the list,
10:53with sources saying that the government may table the bill this week
10:57and that has also triggered a full-blown political storm all over again.
11:02So, what exactly is this bill that keeps it, you know, coming back and forth from Parliament?
11:08What exactly is really changing with this bill that has landed the government
11:14not just in domestic politics controversy, but international as well?
11:18Let's understand that.
11:19Now, the bill seeks to significantly tighten the government's oversight of organisations
11:24that receive foreign funds.
11:26The first major proposal in the creation of the new designed, you know, authority
11:31to oversee the assets and affairs of organisations that lose their FCRA registration.
11:38What is the second change?
11:39The second change is that the bill places stricter conditions on how and when
11:44foreign contributions can be used, cutting into operational flexibility as well.
11:51And then there is number three, organisation whose registration is suspended
11:55will not be allowed to sell or transfer their assets until proceedings are complete.
12:02There is also number four, the bill tightens registration and the renewal norms,
12:07making compliance far more stringent.
12:11And finally, it proposes greater personal liability for the people running these organisations,
12:17making management directly accountable for violations.
12:22Now, one of the biggest changes is the renewal process.
12:27Under the current system, even the organisations with minimal activity could continue to retain
12:32their FCRA registration.
12:34The proposed amendment now changes that completely.
12:38Only active organisations will be eligible for renewal.
12:43NGOs will also have to show a minimum utilisation of 10 lakh rupees in foreign contributions
12:49over the previous two financial years.
13:04So, to quickly recap the entire story for you, five changes that matter the most.
13:09The government can now take charge of the NGO assets once the registration is cancelled.
13:15Foreign funds will need prior approval tied to specific projects.
13:20Suspended organisations cannot dispose of assets during investigations and those in charge face
13:27greater personal accountability.
13:30And interestingly, even as regulatory powers grow stronger, the bill cuts the maximum jail term
13:38from five years to just one, shifting the weight from criminal punishment to basically tightening
13:45regulatory control.
13:48Having understood that, it's important for you to know that the changes have far-reaching implications.
13:56What are the kind of organisations that fall under it?
13:58Religious institutions may face tighter oversight over their operations.
14:03Christian churches and charities fear they could lose control over their properties if registration is cancelled.
14:09And for organisations, NGOs both large and small say that the new rules could create uncertainty around foreign funding.
14:16And for organisations working across multiple states, the compliance regulations could significantly add to their operational load.
14:27And the bill, for a matter of fact, has triggered an intense political and even legal debate.
14:33The critics argue it gives the government excessive control over NGO assets, allows intervention even before court orders and leans
14:42on broadly worded provisions such as public interest.
14:45They also warn that the amendments could hurt genuine NGOs, disproportionately impact minority institutions and draw parallels with the enemy
14:55property act.
14:56The government, on the other hand, has rejected those allegations.
15:00What are they saying?
15:01They are saying that the bill plugs in the legal loopholes.
15:05It improves transparency, prevents misuse of foreign contributions, safeguards national security and makes clear that if any organisation's FCRA registration
15:15is restored, its assets will be returned too.
15:19And that really has become the core of the debate that is now headed to parliament.
15:24But before that, even a US senator in, you know, talking about the bill has questioned it.
15:30But more of that in just a moment. Let's cut across to Rahul Gandhi who is speaking.
15:35Let's cut across to Rahul Gandhi's
16:02All of you, I am very proud of every single young person who has done this. You have done nothing
16:08wrong. And the question of accepting your apology does not arise. You do not have to apologize to anybody. You
16:18have not done anything wrong.
16:19I would like to say two words in English. We had a freewheeling conversation with some of the young protestors.
16:29They mentioned to me how they were assaulted, beaten, threatened. I am very proud of them. I am very proud
16:36of what they have done, what thousands of young Indians like them have done. They have defended the constitution. They
16:43have protected the idea of India. They have protected India's future.
16:47Complaining about the education system, which is a flawed system, a collapsing system, a useless system, is not a crime.
16:56If anything, the system needs to be changed. It needs to be corrected. And that is all they were asking
17:01for. They were not doing violence. They were not being aggressive. They were not being nasty. They were beaten. They
17:07were assaulted. They are threatened.
17:10They were forced about the illness. They were killed. They were kicked. They were killed. It was a terrible force,
17:10and that was a horrible force.
17:10But that they were being struck by the young people who have tried to support their families at home. And
17:10after forcing their apology, sending gundas to their house.
17:16After forcing their apology, forcibly, forcibly, forcibly, 10-15 years to give them apology, 19-4 years to accept that
17:25apology, accepting that apology is complete nonsense.
17:28We do not accept it. We want an education system that works. We want exam leaks to stop. And we
17:37want the future of this country, who is them, to be respected and protected. So, would you like to say
17:43a word? Stop.
17:46Hello everyone. My name is Rhea Ahir. I am the girl who was in Mumbai Police. You guys say that
17:55this girl is the one who has stopped. But I would like to say this to the media that I
18:01am the girl who was unlawfully detained.
18:06Please change your narrative, change your perspective.
18:08But whatever I have done, I am harassing myself. I will not say trolling because it is not trolling, it
18:16is a crime.
18:17And I don't know, I don't know, but party workers are also putting me on Facebook and saying that I
18:25am doing what I am doing in 140 rupees.
18:27But I am doing my own body. I am doing my own way. I am doing my own way. I
18:43am doing my own way.
18:49as a citizen, as a citizen, our responsibility is that we are standing for my children.
18:55As a citizen, our responsibility is that we are standing for one another. Thank you.
19:01One second, one second.
19:03I want to say that they had a pellet gun injury.
19:09Tell us a little bit.
19:10Where is the pellet gun used?
19:13Tell us a little bit.
19:13How do you know what is the pellet gun?
19:15My name is Newton Toppo.
19:17I make the pellet gun.
19:22I saw a plate gun.
19:26My side was a gun point.
19:31If I was killed, the gun was fired.
19:35I know that the gun was fired.
19:40I was fired.
19:40I was fired.
19:41I had a gun.
19:47I have to know.
19:48How do you know what the matter.
19:50I don't know where the gun was fired.
19:51If we are fired, we will be fired.
19:57I am from Uttar Pradesh, I am a graduate student, but when we were talking about 20 years, we were
20:05talking about peace and protest.
20:07We were talking about the police, so we were talking about the police.
20:11We were talking about the people who said that if we were talking about it, we were talking about the
20:17police.
20:17After that, when it became one of their names, it was the police.
20:22The police called that, because it was a Muslim, it was a judge to make that I was a judge.
20:26And they had to put on my number 3 in the next half.
20:31They told him that I am not gonna make it, and then none of them will be out.
20:36This is the police.
20:38If we were talking about the clone, we were talking about the local Guarantean government.
20:46So this is what we call our social media.
20:52We call our social media.
20:54So if you do this, we don't do this.
20:59We will always stand for our country.
21:14foreign
21:18foreign
21:20foreign
21:21foreign
21:39foreign
21:51I have seen the truth in my life, and I have never seen this day in my life.
21:57This is my life.
22:00I should not come to anyone in my life.
22:03So, everyone is standing together.
22:07Like I was killed, people came to see me.
22:11But now, if we don't want to stop,
22:15this is the last day of the people.
22:16This is the last day of the people.
22:18This is what I want to say.
22:24Hi, everyone.
22:25My name is Mustan.
22:27I will not say anything much.
22:29I will just tell you that I was one of the peaceful protesters at Delhi Chantar Mantar.
22:34My question is that,
22:36when I was standing in peace,
22:39why did the police kill me?
22:40Why did the RAF officers kill me?
22:43Why did the RAF officers kill me?
22:51Why did the RAF officers kill me?
22:54Why did he try to kill me?
23:10Why did the RAF officers kill me?
23:18And that does not tell anything about me.
23:21But that tells a lot about the narrative,
23:23which is set in this country.
23:24That if he said to the government,
23:27that he is Muslim.
23:28And if you become a Muslim,
23:30then somehow,
23:31how does it become anti-national?
23:33So, we are following this narrative.
23:35We are following this narrative.
23:37And as far as the trolling,
23:38we face the harassment,
23:41this narrative is very clear.
23:48So, what makes you standing here?
23:53What makes you standing here?
23:55No, but I want to say something else.
23:57Which is even more powerful.
24:00That there are young people who are standing here in front of India's press.
24:04But Amit Shah and the Prime Minister
24:06don't have the courage to stand here.
24:09If we go outside,
24:11then we are going to do more things.
24:13That's why I am asking.
24:14What makes you standing here?
24:15They are Indian.
24:16If you are sitting here,
24:17you will be wrong with me.
24:18I will stand here.
24:19If I am standing here,
24:19I will not be able to raise others.
24:21This is a country,
24:22and to be very honest,
24:23who should be protecting me,
24:24I am getting hurt.
24:26So, as a woman of this country,
24:28please tell me where am I supposed to go to
24:30for my protection?
24:31Just tell me that.
24:34One second.
24:38There is only one question,
24:39who is watching her.
24:41Is the justice you can get from
24:43when you are a constitutional worker,
24:51So, no, last thing, last thing I want to say, one second, we're not taking any more questions.
24:58Last thing I want to say is that for them to come here, it is an act of courage.
25:07It is not easy for them to come here.
25:11They are facing harassment.
25:13They are facing violence.
25:16They are facing torture.
25:18And I'm very proud that they have the courage to speak so eloquently, so beautifully about what they're feeling.
25:24And these are exactly the type of youngsters that this country needs.
25:31There's thousands and thousands of them.
25:33And I'm extremely proud of what they have done.
25:36Final thing, the person who is responsible for this violence,
25:41the person who has had the pellet gun fire into this young lady,
25:47the person who's had the pellet gun fire into that young man I brought here,
25:51the person who has turned the police force against this young lady who's asking for their protection,
25:57is Mr. Amit Shah, his home minister of India.
25:59He does not have the decency to come to parliament.
26:04He does not have the decency or the courage to comment on what has happened.
26:09And there's only two possibilities.
26:12One, he did not know that this violence was being carried out on the children,
26:17in which case he's incompetent.
26:20And two, that he ordered the shooting of the pellet gun,
26:24he ordered the violence on these children, on these youngsters,
26:29which means he's culpable.
26:31Either way, he is responsible.
26:33Thank you very much.
26:35And thank you very much for coming.
26:36All the best. Thank you.
26:51All right. Rahul Gandhi there with the protesters there claiming that the excessive use of force did happen.
27:00And Rahul Gandhi there again raising the issue that the home minister must come out and make a statement,
27:08or at least give out an apology on behalf of the forces who actually were there on the ground.
27:17So that's a story we continue to track.
27:19It's clearly not dying.
27:20Parliament session continues to be in turmoil because of that as well.
27:24But let's move on to the other story that has captured the imagination of people in the country.
27:30The government has called its ethanol blending program a win for both India's energy security and its farmers.
27:39But ask a maize farmer what that policy actually meant for his pocket this season,
27:45and the answer tells a very different story.
27:48In November alone, farmers selling below MSP lost close to 800 rupees on every quintal.
27:57Is that what a farmer's first policy is supposed to really look like is the question they are now asking.
28:04Now, we sat down with these farmer unions, spoke at length to them and also culled out the fresh data
28:12from the agricultural ministry itself,
28:15which tells you a more nuanced story.
28:18One where policy gains, but what farmers actually take home doesn't actually match up to that.
28:25So what's happening?
28:25Now, the biggest contradiction emerges in cases of maize.
28:30Even as ethanol production expanded rapidly, maize farmers struggled to benefit.
28:36Agricultural ministry data shows that maize traded below the minimum support price for nearly 18 months.
28:43During the same period, cheaper rice supplied by the Food Corporation of India became the preferred feedstock for distilleries, reducing
28:51demand for maize.
28:54Relaxed import norms as well further increased the supply, keeping Monday prices under pressure.
29:00The result? A booming ethanol industry, but little relief, it seems like, for many maize growers.
29:09Well, let's look at the numbers story now to understand this in totality.
29:14The numbers tell the story between August of 2025 and August of 2026.
29:19Let's look at those numbers.
29:20The MSP for maize increased by 175 per quintal.
29:27Seems like a good story.
29:29But Monday prices moved in the opposite direction, falling sharply before recovering only partially.
29:38And even today, market price remains below MSP, raising fresh questions over whether higher procurement price alone is actually enough
29:48when market demand remains weak.
29:52Now, the debate doesn't end there.
29:55And it doesn't really end with maize because sugar mills are earning from ethanol production.
30:00But sugarcane farmers say they don't share any of those gains.
30:07Their payment continues to be linked only to the cane they supplied in to the sugar recovery, not to the
30:14profits generated from ethanol.
30:18Farmer groups are now demanding a revenue-sharing model, arguing that those producing the raw material deserve a share in
30:25the value addition as well.
30:26Right?
30:27Which brings us to the larger debate when it comes to ethanol.
30:32Has ethanol push really benefit industry more than the farmers?
30:38That's the big question.
30:40Also, the other question we're asking, who's capturing the biggest share of the value chain?
30:47And if ethanol is being projected as a farmer-friendly policy, should farmers who produce the raw material also receive
30:56a share of their profits?
31:00Those are the questions that the latest government data has brought back into focus.
31:06That's what the farmers on the ground are really asking the government.
31:19In fact, right on that story, we are now getting news that Unit Minister Nikim Gatkari has clarified in Rajasabha
31:26on the E20 compatibility issue.
31:29Remember, that's a separate matter when it comes to E20 altogether.
31:33There have been lots of complaints.
31:34Yesterday, Arvind Keshival marched up to the doorstep of the Prime Minister as well,
31:38saying that people are seeing an impact on their vehicle mileage and other parts as well because of using E20
31:47fuel.
31:47Something that the government has negated so far.
31:49So what exactly is the press statement saying?
31:51The government says that E20 fuel is safe for vehicles.
31:54No widespread complaints of engine or any performance issues also have been seen.
31:59Specifically, Nitin Gatkari says government has not received any widespread or substantiated complaints from vehicle manufacturers.
32:09He also went on to say that extensive laboratory studies and field trials show that E20 is safe for use
32:15under prescribed standards.
32:16It has also indicated a drop of 2 to 6% in fuel efficiency.
32:21These studies also established that legacy vehicles do not exhibit any variation in performance or abnormal wear and tear due
32:29to E20.
32:30E20 fuel provides better acceleration, improves the quality and approximately 30% lower carbon emissions as well compared to E10
32:40fuel.
32:44So that's the story coming in from the government and a clarification there coming in by Nitin Gatkari himself.
32:53Alright, it's time for us to move on to the other big focus we have on the program today.
32:58This is on the Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi.
33:01Now the routine journey turned into moments of sheer panic on board the Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi.
33:11After the aircraft suffered a sudden mid-air altitude drop.
33:16Now the flight carrying 137 passengers and 8 crew members plunged nearly 300 feet in one drop, leaving 17 passengers
33:27and crew injured.
33:29Visuals from inside the cabin show cracked interior panels, the impact of the violence, turbulence.
33:35And now the DGCA has ordered a detailed safety investigation after these videos came out.
33:42Now with the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder secure to determine whether the technical glitch triggered the
33:51incident.
33:52Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has also been briefed and he met with the injured passengers as well,
33:59assuring them of all necessary assistance and a comprehensive probe in the matter.
34:05But what exactly happened?
34:07What was the plight of those who were actually on board that aircraft?
34:12First hear them, then we'll talk to some of them.
34:17First hear them forms 1.
34:21First hear them laugh.
34:22First hear them from the熱다 and the ministers are faced with the irritative
34:43Very, very bad. One other guy was all blood in their face, so it was horrible, I thought, to die,
34:51actually.
34:54Alright, so you heard that international passenger over there saying that when she looked at some of the passengers after
35:02the turbulence had settled, it looked as if they were dead.
35:06And then you see images like these. People had gone up and hit the roof of the aircraft so badly
35:13that even that had cracked.
35:15So let's cut across now to one of the passengers who was actually on board.
35:19He was also admitted to the hospital. His brother is seriously injured.
35:23So let me try and understand from him what exactly happened.
35:26He's requested us not to reveal his name, so I'm just going to address you, sir, as an Air India
35:33passenger over there.
35:34Help me understand, just minute by minute, into what started generally, you know, when turbulence is about to hit, you
35:45have a warning, safety signs, etc. are pushed in, you get an announcement from the cockpit as well.
35:51Did none of that really happen in this case?
35:55We were all sleeping, like me and my brother, we were traveling together, so we were both sleeping.
36:02And there was a very rash voice, like a plane is crossing through our eyes or something like that.
36:11And after that, it all started, all I could see was passengers falling down from their chairs, passengers hitting up
36:20the roof.
36:22Everything was flying inside the plane. Luggages were dropping on people's head.
36:27Everyone was getting hurt. I could see blood on my back seat.
36:31It was a very bad situation.
36:34We are, till now, really, really concussion, so we can't think straight.
36:39It was that bad for us.
36:43All right. It sounds like the worst hour of your life.
36:51It was the worst hour of my life. We all thought we were going to die.
36:56We, if anyone could say what are the last few minutes or last few seconds of the life, I actually
37:01felt that.
37:04All right. But like I said, sir, that, you know, generally when turbulence hits, there are warning signs.
37:10The, you know, cabin crew makes an announcement that seatbelts are on, no food will be served, all its are
37:15out of bounds.
37:16Did none of that happen?
37:19Food was served a while back, so I don't think, everyone was sleeping.
37:23It was early morning flight.
37:24So food was already served before and they have all done all the clearance and everything.
37:30I will honestly say that all the cabin crew and the staff, they were injured, but they were really, really
37:37helpful.
37:38About the captains, they were very messy.
37:41They were just trying to save themselves.
37:43We accept that there was a mistake and they handled the situation.
37:47That is fine.
37:47But what they did after that was not acceptable.
37:51Not acceptable?
37:52What did they do?
37:56After that, as per the SOP, and even if anyone uses their common sense, if such situation happens, if you
38:04can see a person with a busted head, they are bleeding everywhere, some people have fractures on their arm.
38:11There were 15 to 16 passengers which were brutally injured, like brutally injured.
38:15They can't even move.
38:17The first thing anyone should have done was land immediately at the nearest airport, get them to healthcare services and
38:24then fly off again or see whatever the problem is.
38:27They were just trying to save themselves.
38:29The first thing that they did after the turbulence, they made a public announcement.
38:33They said, please, please, please, we are coming out.
38:36Do not record us.
38:37Please do not record us.
38:38Do not record anything.
38:42I'll tell you in Hindi what the exact work thing was.
38:46I have a video as well, which you have all seen online, in which in the announcement they are saying,
38:51please, do not make any video, it will become a bad thing.
38:54In our time, all the things are moving very quickly.
39:01Apart from that, they were giving us false statements and false timings.
39:11Everything told to us was false.
39:13We are landing in 5 minutes, 10 minutes.
39:15We are landing in Lucknow.
39:17We are landing in Delhi.
39:18The real motive was to directly land in Delhi because they won't face any problem there.
39:23They could have said it was a minor turbulence like they said on TV.
39:27You can just ask someone to visit the hospital and see the people.
39:32There are few foreigners.
39:34They don't even have Wi-Fi in the hospital.
39:36I saw them 10 hours, 12 hours.
39:39No X-ray done.
39:39No CT scan done.
39:40Nothing was done.
39:43All right.
39:44Seems like a terrible, terrible time.
39:45Could you quickly tell me that, you know, you're saying the handling of the pilots is what has really got
39:52people angry, the situation aside.
39:55Are you telling me when you did land, there was no help that came your way?
40:01We accept that.
40:02See, it's a human calamity.
40:04Anything can happen.
40:06But what are the safety measures that they took?
40:08Did they stop at the nearest airport?
40:11No.
40:12They kept on dealing.
40:13They kept on flying for one and a half more hours.
40:15Everyone was scared.
40:16Who just want to sit in a plane for one hour after the turbulence?
40:19No one knows.
40:22They directly landed into Delhi because if they would have landed at some other airport, they would be, you know,
40:28they would have been questioned or something like that.
40:30Just to save all of that, they did that.
40:35All right.
40:36Sounds like a terrible time, sir.
40:37I hope you're doing better.
40:38I hope you recover soon.
40:40And we hope to get some answers from Air India on what exactly happened over there.
40:44But I'm joined by one more passenger.
40:45Let me try and understand their story as well.
40:48Well, just take me through from what I'm hearing, sir, from several other passengers who were on board that flight,
40:54is that it was a sudden.
40:57There was no prior warning.
40:59So a lot of people were left basically without a seat belt, which is what led to that massive thing.
41:04I'm hearing some horrid accounts of a two-year-old kid or a three-year-old kid who went flying
41:09like three rows at the back and is now injured seriously as well.
41:14I'm hearing of bleeding.
41:16I'm hearing of parts of the planes being stuck to their face.
41:19Just help me understand, A, what's your condition right now?
41:23And is that an exaggerated version or did that really happen?
41:28And are you saying the flight, even after that turbulence, continued to operate to its destination, did not land early?
41:37Absolutely.
41:38Absolutely.
41:38What you've mentioned is all correct.
41:40The flight, actually, the pilot did not give any prior warning to anyone.
41:46There was no seat belt sign on, although I was traveling with six people, so myself included.
41:52We were six family members.
41:54And one of them were not wearing the seat belt.
41:58The rest of us were wearing the seat belt.
42:01And two of them got injured.
42:03My mother-in-law got injured very badly.
42:05She has fractures on her ribs.
42:08And I was actually holding my son.
42:10He is just six-year-old.
42:11So we had just come back from the restroom.
42:14And then this happened.
42:16And as I mentioned to you, there was no prior warning.
42:19And this happened probably an overall 30-second time.
42:24So there was, like the last gentleman was saying, there was some disturbance for about 10, 12 seconds.
42:30And we were just looking at each other, what's happening, what's happening.
42:34And a sudden drop of what they're saying right now is 300 feet.
42:38It could be more.
42:38It could be less.
42:39But it was terrifying for everyone.
42:42My father-in-law, actually, he was one that was without the seat belt.
42:48He was sleeping.
42:48And then he went flying into the roof of the airline.
42:53And then he dropped.
42:55He got dropped in the floor.
42:57We thought he would have some broken bones and all.
43:00Luckily, he survived.
43:02He didn't have any broken fractures.
43:06He just had some bruises.
43:07But my mother-in-law, she had the seat belt on.
43:11But still, her ribs collided with the armrest.
43:17And then she had that fracture that she's still suffering with.
43:20Very quickly, sir.
43:21Can you make me understand?
43:23Has Air India reached out to you?
43:27Absolutely not afterwards.
43:29Afterwards, after we came back yesterday, we had to come to Jaipur.
43:34So we showed to the hospital.
43:36And after that, we came out.
43:38But after that, they haven't reached out.
43:40Yesterday, the most terrifying thing was, or the most horrible thing is, that after the turbulence happened and accidents can
43:48happen, that's why they are accidents.
43:50But the way the airlines and the airport authorities, they dealt with it after we landed was the most horrible
43:59thing.
44:00And I've traveled extensively over the last 20 years.
44:03Our family, we live in America.
44:05We don't live here.
44:06We are traveling for summer vacation.
44:09And I've never seen any authority like this deal with something.
44:14Even minor situations like this in a foreign country would be dealt in a different way.
44:19But the way it was dealt here, it's just shameful to see the way everything was dealt with.
44:25We had to beg.
44:26We had to scream.
44:27We had to shout for a bottle of water.
44:31We had someone taking my mother-in-law in the wheelchair.
44:35And then I asked where she was taking my mother-in-law.
44:38And she said she was taking her to immigration.
44:40I said, what after that?
44:41She said, I don't know what after that.
44:43So there was no medical attention.
44:45There was no prior attention given to this matter.
44:49It just felt everyone was clueless.
44:52Eventually, the head of the airport, Terminal 3, he came in and he helped us.
44:57And he took us out of the airport and his team and some more officials from Air India.
45:02That was after an hour and a half of landing.
45:05They gave us the ambulance and we eventually reached Fortis Hospital.
45:10But overall, the experience was horrifying.
45:13It was terrible.
45:14And the worst thing is the SOP that they should have for a disaster like this seemed completely missing.
45:24Completely missing.
45:25Shocking indeed the way you're describing it.
45:28Even with a seatbelt on, if somebody can get a rib fracture, that's a serious drop.
45:32And I'm dreading to think what happened to that little toddler as well.
45:36So, you know, kudos to you guys for having survived this and, you know, speaking about it.
45:42But you're right.
45:43There are some serious questions that have been asked both of the airline and also, you know,
45:48the crew on ground on how prepared they are to deal with a situation like this.
45:52We will be taking these questions now to those people as well.
45:57Thanks so much for joining us for the moment.
45:59Yeah, just one second.
46:00I just wanted to add one thing.
46:01I don't want to sound very negative about the airlines.
46:04I really want to commend the in-flight crew that was there, the air hostesses and the cabin crew, the
46:12male cabin crew that was there.
46:15They served us very well.
46:17Their service was amazing even before the accident happened.
46:20But what they did after the accident happened or the turbulence, that was completely heroic.
46:26They were crying.
46:27They were bleeding.
46:28They had fractured bones.
46:30But they still were doing all the things that we didn't even expect.
46:35They were helping us with finding our items that we had missed or lost during the turbulence or helping people
46:42with water and everything.
46:43So, Air India, flight crew members, especially the cabin crew members were absolutely amazing.
46:50So, I don't want to just…
46:52You're the second passenger who's saying this, that, you know, in flight, the crew members really helped.
46:57What happens with the pilots is a different story.
46:59How they responded to the turbulence in the accident is a separate story.
47:03And how you guys were received, how there was no prior communication that injured passengers are coming in and they
47:09should be straightaway taken to emergency.
47:11That remains to be under question and that's something that we will raise.
47:14Thanks so much, sir, for joining us and sharing your story.
47:20All right.
47:21Tough flight, that one.
47:23Think about it next time you take your seatbelt off if you are flying.
47:27On that note, that's all we can pack in today.
47:29Thanks so much for watching.
47:30We'll see you tomorrow.
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