‘I feel stupid’, I told Grace, an hour after the briefing for families that I attended in Kuala Lumpur on 30th July. The briefing was on the Full Report by the Safety Investigation team inquiring into the disappearance of MH370. It wasn’t even comprehensive. Much of what was shared was already known. Travelling from Chennai…
On this day, last year, the print edition of my book Journeying Through a Void: Life After MH370 was released. The book was Kanishka Gupta’s idea. I admire his unflinching faith, persistence, and steady support during the entire process leading up to the book’s publication and promotion. Very many have read the book and have…
It is a crazy long story in four lines: 1. New government in Malaysia, signals a new dawn, a departure from earlier ways of untruths, fear and intimidation, and raises hopes of a new order. 2. New Transport Minister Loke, with little prompting, makes ‘solving’ MH370 a priority, warming the hearts of affected families, long…
The latest programming on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, “60 minutes: The Situation Room” that aired on Sunday, the 13th May 2018, is a sham and a shame. As far as I could tell, there was nothing in the 40-odd minutes that was new evidence, or fresh thinking, analysis or insight. Without exception, every single thread…
It is now four years since we saw or heard from MH370. Perhaps because there is a search underway in the southern Indian Ocean, thanks to a deal between the Government of Malaysia and the American company, Ocean Infinity (OI), there appears to be less cause for anger and frustration at this moment amongst the…
Dear friends, It is now close to four years since MH370 was last seen or heard from. March 8th 2014. It seems a long time ago and yet feels like just yesterday. So much has happened since. And yet, so little is known about its fate. So many of us have lost a part of…
The recent news about Ocean Infinity (OI)’s search ship, Seabed Constructor going ‘dark’ for three full days by turning off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) in the designated search area for MH370 has evoked responses ranging from surprise, concern, and a strained ‘business as usual’ on the one hand, and deep suspicion, wild speculation, and…
The Press reported last week that Elizabeth Quay in Perth, Western Australia has been chosen as the site for Australia’s memorial to the passengers on board MH370. I thought it was a fine gesture. But as with many things I buy into, inner dissonance crept in and I have felt increasingly ambivalent about it.
While Malaysia dithers or drives a hard bargain (we don’t know which), people are watching, the clock is ticking, and the desire for a resumed search becomes more frantic.
While Malaysia must be held to account for disengaging from the search and abdicating its responsibility, it is time for the families and concerned citizens to press on with alternative search options. It seems daunting, but inescapable.