Ahmedabad, Dec 25 (PTI) Gujarat witnessed a slew of tragedies during the year, which saw a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operated by Air India plunge to the ground and erupt into a massive fireball, claiming
260 lives, the Gambhira bridge collapse in Vadodara district and a deadly inferno at a firecracker godown in Banaskantha.
While the Bhupendra Patel-led government's decision to set up a panel to implement the Uniform Civil Code drew criticism
from the Opposition, Gujarat also had its moments of celebration with the state's selection as the host of the 2030
Commonwealth Games, and the encouraging number of Asiatic lions.
Nearly 40 seconds after Air India’s flight AI 171 to London
Gatwick took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International
Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, the Boeing plane crashed
into a medical hostel complex, in what was among the worst
aviation disasters in recent history.
The accident killed 241 persons, including former Gujarat
chief minister Vijay Rupani, on board the plane and 19 on the
ground and shattered countless dreams across the globe.
Equally startling were the videos showing a bloodied and
dazed man, an NRI from Diu settled in London, emerging
from the wreckage and uttering “Plane fatyo chhe (plane
exploded)”.
Vishwas Kumar, who was in seat 11A, told the media he had
no clue how he survived. “I thought I was dead. Later, I
realised I was alive and saw an opening in the fuselage,” he
said. He unbuckled himself, used his leg to push through that
opening, and crawled out.
The partial collapse of a bridge on river Mahisagar near
Gambhira village in Vadodara on June 0 shook the state.
Multiple vehicles using the four-decade-old overpass plunged
into the river, leaving 21 dead.
The government came under severe criticism from the public
over lapses in the inspection of the bridge, a key connector
between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region.
In more grim happenings, 18 persons lost their lives in April
after an explosion and blaze ripped through a structure
where firecrackers were allegedly stored and manufactured
illegally in Banaskantha district.
A Coast Guard helicopter crashed at an airport on the
outskirts of Porbandar city in January, leaving three dead. In
September, six persons were killed after the cable of a cargo
ropeway snapped on Pavagadh hill, known for the revered
Mahakalika temple, in Panchmahal district.
On the political front, the BJP-led Gujarat government
constituted a committee under retired Supreme Court Justice
Ranjana Desai to explore the implementation of the Uniform
Civil Code (UCC) in the state and prepare a draft bill for it.
The Opposition slammed the decision, accusing the ruling
party of attempting to deflect attention from core issues like
inflation and unemployment, and raising concerns about its
impact on minority and tribal communities.
The expansion of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s cabinet in
October brought in much drama, when 19 new ministers
were inducted, and 10 incumbents dropped.
A day before the move, the BJP took the resignation of all 16
ministers in Patel’s government. However, on the day of
swearing-in, the resignation of six ministers was not
accepted. The strength of the council of ministers, including
the CM, rose to 26 from 17 after the expansion.
Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi was elevated as
the deputy chief minister of Gujarat. The 40-year-old MLA
represents the Majura constituency of Surat.
In the bypolls in June, AAP’s former state president Gopal
Italia emerged victorious in the Visavadar seat in Junagadh
district, while the BJP won the Kadi constituency in Mehsana
district. The results also prompted Congress state chief
Shaktisinh Gohil to resign from his post.
The Gujarat police in November claimed to have busted a
suspected terror syndicate planning to kill people by
contaminating water sources across the country with ‘ricin’, a
potent poison.
Three persons, including a doctor who had studied in China,
were arrested. Police said the doctor and his handler were
associated with the banned terrorist organisation Islamic
State Khorasan Province.
In a major operation against illegal immigrants, the Gujarat
police caught over 1,000 Bangladeshi nationals, living without
valid papers, in Ahmedabad and Surat in April. The
undocumented immigrants were subsequently deported to
their native country.
The year also had its moments to cheer and roar, literally.
Gujarat bagged the rights to host the 2030 Commonwealth
Games. Commonwealth nations ratified this decision in
November.
A census conducted in May estimated that the population of
Asiatic lions in the state increased to 891 from 674 five years
ago.
Not only did the count rise by 217, but the big cats were also
found outside the Gir National Park, their traditional habitat,
and spread across 11 districts of Saurashtra, including non-
forested and coastal areas. PTI PD NR VT VT
