Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar over a video call on Friday , praising his courage, presence of mind and composure during the mid-air crisis.
Machchhar also shared that whenever he finds himself in difficulty, he recites the Hanuman Chalisa. “And I am just, in positivity, whenever I get a chance, I say only one thing, I say only Hanuman Chalisa. Even at that time, I used to say only Hanuman Chalisa.
Machchhar became emotional during the interaction and told Modi that it was a very special moment for him to speak with the Prime Minister. He said receiving the call had made him extremely proud and that he had never imagined he would get an opportunity to speak with him. He said he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the difficult moment as well. Now I know that he is not God, he is my saviour,” he said. PM Modi also spoke about Machchhar’s mother, Geeta Ben, and said she had raised him with the values and teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. During the interaction, Prime Minister Modi said the country could proudly say that Indians are not those who take lives, but those who are willing to risk their lives to save others. Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar is said to have managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the attacker. A plumber then allegedly took control of the aircraft as it was nose-diving, while other pilots on board subsequently diverted the flight to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview.
