A State Mourns Again: The Tragic Loss of Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Rekindles a Haunting Political Legacy
In a devastating reminder of history’s cruel ability to repeat itself, Gujarat plunged into collective grief on Thursday as news broke that Vijay Rupani — the state’s 16th Chief Minister and a stalwart of the Bharatiya Janata Party — was feared dead in the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171, barely minutes after it lifted off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Rupani, 68, was among the 242 souls aboard the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which met a horrific end as it plummeted into a crowded residential neighbourhood in Meghani Nagar, not far from the heart of Ahmedabad — the city that had once been his political fortress.
The aircraft, en route to London, barely had time to ascend before disaster struck. Eyewitnesses described a scene of pure chaos: a sudden, deafening boom, windows shattering, buildings trembling, and then — a wall of fire, leaping skyward as thick plumes of black smoke choked the city’s skyline.
Ambulances screamed through narrow streets, and firefighters fought valiantly to douse the flames and reach survivors. For many, it was too late.
Among the wreckage, as names trickled in from the flight manifest, came the confirmation that sent a wave of disbelief and sorrow across Gujarat — Vijay Rupani had been on that flight.
A Painful Echo from the Past
For Gujarat, the pain was not unfamiliar. The haunting parallel was immediate and piercing: nearly six decades earlier, another leader — Balwantrai Mehta, the state’s second Chief Minister — had also perished in an air disaster, under eerily different yet equally harrowing circumstances.
In September 1965, Mehta, a revered freedom fighter and follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, was flying in a small civilian Beechcraft from Ahmedabad to Mithapur. Mid-flight, as tensions simmered during the Indo-Pak war, the unarmed plane was mistaken for a hostile aircraft by two Pakistani F-86 Sabre jets.
The jets opened fire near the Rann of Kutch, mercilessly bringing down the plane. Mehta, his wife Sarojben, three aides, a journalist, and two crew members were all killed in the attack.
The Pakistani government later termed it a “wartime misjudgment.” But no apology ever came. Only decades later, in 2011, did a Pakistani fighter pilot — reportedly the one who pulled the trigger — write a heartfelt letter to the daughter of the Indian pilot who was killed in the same incident. In that letter, he expressed regret for the tragedy, acknowledging its deep emotional cost.
Even now, Mehta’s death is remembered not just as a political loss, but as a national wound — a moment where diplomacy and humanity failed in the skies.
And now, Gujarat finds itself mourning again — not just the loss of a man, but the cruel symmetry of fate.
A Leader Remembered
Vijay Rupani had served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021. Known for his soft-spoken demeanour and sharp administrative acumen, he held office during a time of significant transformation in the state. From overseeing infrastructure growth to navigating challenges like COVID-19, Rupani’s tenure was marked by a steady hand and a quiet sense of purpose.
He was more than a politician. To many in Gujarat, he was a trusted voice — a figure who often rose above partisan lines to serve the people. His tragic demise, especially in such horrifying circumstances, has left a gaping void in the state’s political and emotional fabric.
Tragedy in Indian Political Aviation
Sadly, India has a long, sorrowful history of losing leaders to the skies.
In 2009, Andhra Pradesh’s dynamic CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy — widely credited with revolutionary welfare schemes — died when his helicopter disappeared in the Nallamala forests.
Bad weather, mechanical issues, and pilot error sealed his fate. The wreckage was found a day later, his passing plunging the state into deep mourning.
In 2011, Arunachal Pradesh CM Dorjee Khandu met a similarly tragic end. His helicopter vanished into the Himalayas, only to be discovered days later, mangled and scorched, at an altitude of 13,700 feet. The elements had claimed yet another leader, leaving behind grief that stretched across the mountainous region.
And now, in 2025, another name is etched onto that solemn list — Vijay Rupani.
A State in Mourning, a Nation Reflecting
As Gujarat grapples with the enormity of the loss, images of candlelight vigils, silent prayers, and tearful gatherings flood social media and news channels.
Leaders across the political spectrum have expressed their shock and sorrow, remembering Rupani as a dedicated public servant and a dignified leader.
But beyond politics and public memory, this tragedy brings forth a deeper, more personal ache — that of unfinished conversations, of loved ones who waited at airport terminals for arrivals that never came, of families robbed in seconds of their futures.
The crash of AI-171 is no longer just an aviation disaster. It has become a moment of shared mourning — a symbol of how fragile life is, and how even the most towering of figures can be brought down in an instant by the unforgiving hand of fate.
For Gujarat, the “Meghani Nagar crash” will be remembered not only for its scale and sorrow but for the haunting reminder it brought — that history, no matter how painful, sometimes returns in shadows and smoke.
And so, as the flames die down and investigation teams pick through the wreckage, a state bows its head again — not just in grief, but in tribute to one of its own. The skies have taken yet another son of Gujarat. And the people, once again, are left to mourn.
