Why Are People Celebrating Air India's Crash?
- Yastika Chouhan
- Jun 22
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 13
More Than a Mechanical Mishap
On June 12, Air India Flight 171—an 11-year-old Boeing 787 Dreamliner—crashed just 36 seconds after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Tragically, 241 people died onboard, plus 39+ on the ground, while only one passenger survived. Investigators are now probing possible engine thrust or flap failures.
Lives Lost, Lives Loved
The victims were a mix of 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian nationals. Among them was a baby who boarded after a rumored £1,000 bribe . This flight carried dreams... family visits, Eid celebrations, travel plans that were brutally cut short.
The Online Backlash: Hate in the Air
Instead of solidarity, some disturbed social media users responded with racist celebration. Comments like "at least it was the Indians" spread, gaining shocking traction and millions of likes - a twisted form of schadenfreude. These viewers sat scroll-deep, laughing at grief and reinforcing toxic narratives about “brown people.”
Reddit threads echo concern:
“It seems unusual… a massive bot farm… promoting Anti India hate.”
“Racism towards Indians has reached EXTREME LEVELS… women and children of Indian origin getting beaten is considered normal.”
These aren’t isolated flares—they’re part of a growing pattern of normalized racism across platforms .
Why This Stuff’s a Big Deal
Emotional damage: For survivors and families, online hate piles on real-world trauma.
Amplification culture: Likes, retweets, karma—it’s validation for hate, pushing it into the mainstream.
Teen reality check: This isn’t distant—whether you’re there, watch the news, or scroll your feeds, this is your online life.
How Gen Z Can Fight Back
Call it out: Comment, reverse the silence, and tag platforms when hate should be taken down.
Boost solidarity: Share survivor stories, donate to relief groups, and show compassion where it counts.
Push platform change: Demand stricter hate speech moderation, especially when tragedies hit minority communities.
Final Word
A plane crashed. Families ripped apart. And online trolls cheered. The moral clarity here is simple: grief isn’t a meme, and people deserve dignity—even, especially, when they’re from marginalized groups. If we let hate pass unchecked, we’re choosing the dark side.
Let’s be the generation that says no to bloodlust disguised as humor. Turn that “like” button into a vote for empathy.
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