‘Recited Hanuman Chalisa’: Indian pilot stabbed on flydubai flight tells PM Modi on video call | India News

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.The virtual interaction came two days after Smit was injured after being stabbed by his co-pilot during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. During the emotional conversation, Machchhar told Modi that he was his “biggest idol” and recalled how he recited the Hanuman Chalisa while facing the difficult situation aboard the flight. 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.Also Read | PM Modi speaks to Smit Machchhar, Indian pilot stabbed on flydubai plane‘Biggest idol’: Smit tells PM Modi about Hanuman ChalisaPM Modi told Machchhar that the entire country was praying for him and praised his bravery during the crisis.Machchhar also shared that whenever he finds himself in difficulty, he recites the Hanuman Chalisa. He said he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the difficult moment as well.“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. 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 conversation, Machchhar briefed Modi about the incident and what gave him the courage to respond despite the danger. The Prime Minister applauded the pilot's bravery and wished him a speedy recovery.Also Read | Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar now stable, ‘smiling and laughing’ in Abu Dhabi hospital: EnvoySmit Machchhar discusses cockpit attack with PM ModiDuring 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.Machchhar then recalled the moments after the cockpit attack and described how he fought to regain control of the situation despite being seriously injured."I was in that moment, sir, I was, I was fighting for my life. But one such moment was there when I realized that if I didn't do anything, because I had fallen down, I had so many injuries that I had fallen down below."I have been a captain for the last 11 years. And I get to know, even with my eyes closed, what is happening in the aircraft. When I had fallen down, then I, then I was feeling that the aircraft is going down."And I totally knew that this is the last few seconds of Smit. And even then, I was trying to crawl. I opened the door, and rest all came..."Just after that, people, Saudi and here, where they treated me, and I couldn't get better care and better medical attention than this," he told the PM.Recovery after co-pilot attackMachchhar, who was seriously wounded during the attack on Wednesday, has since been shifted from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates for further treatment.India's ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, visited him and his family at the hospital and said the pilot was “in good health and recovering well”.Machchhar was the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv. While the aircraft was flying over Saudi Arabia, his Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed him inside the cockpit.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.