The ill-fated family was returning to London, where Syed had studied hotel management and had been living for the past 11 years, when tragedy struck. They had travelled to Mumbai after Syed’s mother was diagnosed with six blockages in her heart
Javed Ali Syed and his wife, Mariam, with their children Zayn (in blue) and Amani back in United Kingdom
The relatives of NRI Javed Ali Syed, 37, who died in the Air India Flight 171 crash along with his wife Mariam, 35, and their two children, Zayn, 8, and Amani, 4, said the deceased, after settling in the United Kingdom, would help underprivileged children in Mumbai as well as support his sister and her family in the city.
The ill-fated family was returning to London, where Syed had studied hotel management and had been living for the past 11 years, when tragedy struck. They had travelled to Mumbai after Syed’s mother was diagnosed with six blockages in her heart. Speaking to mid-day, Syed’s uncle Rafiq Abul Memon, who resides in Goregaon, said, “Syed lost his father at a young age. His mother worked hard and sent him to London for higher studies.
Rafiq Abul Memon with his cousin Saood Memon (right)
"After completing his education, he settled there and began helping people and relatives back in Mumbai. He even took responsibility for the education of 10 underprivileged children here, funding it entirely on his own.”
"Syed was also supporting his sister and her family in Mumbai. After his mother was diagnosed with six heart blockages, he came to Mumbai with his wife and children. Her surgery was successfully performed on June 6, and they celebrated her birthday on June 10,” he added.
“On June 12, they were flying back to London. They had booked their flight from Ahmedabad because the tickets were cheaper from there. We learned about the plane crash through the news, and when we checked the passenger list, we found their names. We’ve lost an entire family — people who were the backbone of many others. The doctors told us that they didn't find the kids' remains. We are worried that the bodies will not be recovered for the final rites,” Memon said.
Unfulfilled promise
According to Syed’s cousin Saood Memon, who lives in Malad East, the 37-year-old had promised his ailing mother, as he hugged her goodbye, that he would accompany her to Mecca as she longed to visit the holy city. “She had smiled through her frailty, eyes glistening with emotion, as she blessed her son and his family,” Memon told mid-day.
Rafiq Abul Memon, Syed’s uncle, at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on June 13. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Now, that promise echoes painfully in the hearts of grieving relatives. “His mother, unaware of the tragedy, still waits, clinging to his words like a lifeline, not knowing that her son’s voice, once filled with devotion and hope, has been silenced forever,” said Memon.
Recalling how he came to learn about the tragedy, Memon said, “I was in college when people started to call me non-stop, but I could not immediately respond as class was in session. Immediately after lessons concluded, I called them back and learnt that the Air India flight that Bhai had boarded crashed soon after it took off. This shattered all of us.” “I immediately sent WhatsApp messages to him [Syed]. Though they were delivered, they weren’t read.
His phone was ringing, but no one responded,” he said. In a heart-wrenching decision, Ali’s ailing mother has not been informed of his passing, as relatives fear the devastating truth could endanger her already critical health. Syed’s elder brother, Imtiyaz, has rushed to Ahmedabad for DNA sampling, clinging to hope, even if faint, that this is all just a terrible mistake.
“Authorities have asked him [Imtiyaz] to wait for at least three days for the results, which will help identify the charred remains of the victims,” said Memon. For the family, every passing hour is agony, haunted by silence, prayers, and a truth too painful to bear.
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