Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India — Prime Minister's Office · PIB Delhi · Read the original release on pib.gov.in
Prime Minister - Hello Smit.
Captain Smit – Jai Hind Sir. Hello Sir.
Prime Minister - How are you now, how are you feeling?
Captain Smit – Sir, everything is fine sir, everything is fine.
Prime Minister - See, the whole country is praying for you, Mahamrityunjaya chanting is going on everywhere.
Captain Smit – Yes sir.
Prime Minister - Your courage, your patience and your wisdom meant that you took so many decisions in a fraction of a second…
Captain Smit – Yes sir.
Prime Minister - And saved the lives of so many people. And today the whole country can proudly say that we Indians are not people who take lives, we are people who save lives.
Captain Smit – Absolutely sir.
Prime Minister - And You got such a big wound on your body, you yourself were fighting for life and death, even at that time you did not care about your life, you cared about the lives of all the passengers and the most important thing is that you increased the honor of 140 crore countrymen.
Captain Smit – Thank You Sir.
Prime Minister - And so I feel proud from the bottom of my heart, from my heart.
Captain Smit – Sir I…sorry
Prime Minister -Yesterday I got a chance to talk to Bhupendra Bhai, talked to Geeta sister, talked to Sonal sister, but could not talk to Java and Bobby. But I told Geeta sister that your name is Geeta, but you have completely digested Krishna's Geeta. And you made Smit his life with the values of that actual Geeta.
Captain Smit – Absolutely sir.
Prime Minister - Smit, now I would like to hear from you.
Captain Smit – Sir, for me I was also saying to Sir, you are my biggest, biggest ideal sir. And you are encouraging me by calling me like this. I am feeling very, very proud. At that moment sir, I, yes I am mine, I was fighting for my life, but there was a moment when I realized that if I did not do anything, because I had fallen, I had got so many wounds that I was stuck below, and at that time I said, if I don't get up, sir, I have been flying in FZ for 17 years. I have been a captain for the last 11 years. And I realize, even with my eyes closed, what is happening on the ship. When I was falling down, I was realizing that the aircraft was going down. And I knew very well that if Smit gave this one last push, the door would be closed and even then I was still getting beaten. Just opened it sir. Everyone else came and everyone else also had an equal role in it. But I was telling Sir that I was doing it according to my life. But at the same time I also knew that I could not let them all die. Just after that, people told me that here, in Saudi too, I couldn't have got better care or better medical attention than this. And I sir, I am just into positivity, whenever I feel pain, I only think of one thing, I just say Hanuman Chalisa. Even at that time I was reciting only Hanuman Chalisa and I know that it was God who saved me. I just got a call from you and I feel very proud. Even now I am feeling proud of myself, I was not feeling proud till now. It's done now sir. Sorry I am crying in front of you sir.
Prime Minister - Smit, if you are not emotional in front of me, then where will you be?
Captain Smit – Sir I never thought that I would talk to you, never thought.
Prime Minister - Brother, you have done such a great job that today every countryman, even the people of the world are very eager to see you and talk to you. And what you have told about Hanuman Chalisa, for this I will salute Geeta sister for giving you such values, I will salute Bhupendra Bhai. And I, let me tell you Smit, yesterday when I talked to sister Sonal, I was surprised, she was talking so healthy.
Captain Smit – Yes sir.
Prime Minister - She was talking with so much courage. Really, I had not imagined that Sonal sister could talk so soberly in such a situation. So I think that you as a family, you have really made the entire country proud.
Captain Smit – Sir, every morning when I do puja. My two year old son sits on my lap and recites Hanuman Chalisa with me, I narrate to him what has been said to me, because today we are away from the country, but we should not be away from our culture.
Prime Minister - That's correct.
Captain Smit – And right now here it doesn't even feel like we are away from the country. These people here are taking care of us very, very lovingly and very carefully.
Prime Minister - You wouldn't know, people have created such an emotional atmosphere in Savarkundla and Wadhwan as well and it is the case all over India. Yesterday, puja-prayer-aarti was done in all the temples, aarti was done in all the pilgrimage areas and everyone is praying for your long life and good health. Therefore, you are going to get well soon. India is very eager to welcome you. Now whatever problem there is in the body, I can understand it. You are a brave man, so perhaps you have made it very easy for you to bear your wounds?
Captain Smit – No sir, I am not thinking of this wound as a wound, because it is even more difficult for me and my recovery will be that much more difficult. I am thinking of it as a journey, which is going to happen slowly and will take time, but I am very, very confident that this recovery will happen, and I will be completely healthy.
Prime Minister - I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Saudi government and also the UAE government for taking great care of you. I am grateful to him also. Smit, whenever you need me, I am a phone call away.
Captain Smit – Thank You Sir.
Prime Minister - But you, you really, otherwise yesterday I was seeing the feelings that people have expressed on social media and people said that if this had not happened, then I don't know what would have happened to India, what would have happened to all the pilots of India. How would all the pilots of India be viewed? You have saved them all. That means you have done a great job.
Captain Smit – Yes Sir.
Prime Minister - When I meet, I will listen to the inner things later, because I do not want to talk to you like this on mobile.
Captain Smit – Ok sir.
Prime Minister - And you also become completely healthy and now the entire country is with you.
Captain Smit – Thank You Sir.
Prime Minister - I don't want to bother you too much. Many best wishes from my side. Today is Gandhi Jayanti. You have shown by living what non-violence is.
Captain Smit – Thank You Sir.
Prime Minister - Come on, Jai Shri Krishna. Jai Shri Krishna son. Let's talk a little Gujarati also.
Captain Smit – Jai Shri Krishna Sir.
Prime Minister - Do Bobby and Jeeva speak Gujarati or not?
Captain Smit – Both speak sir, both speak.
Prime Minister - Speaks strong Gujarati…
Captain Smit – Both of them first learned Gujarati and then English.
Prime Minister - Okay, did you meet the kids? From the children? Did the doctor allow us to meet?
Captain Smit – My elder daughter had come to meet me, but she got scared after seeing all this.
Prime Minister - Okay… Okay…
Captain Smit – She was a little ill and is very close to me, and my younger son is two years old. She was not allowed.
Prime Minister - Just take care now. But Sonalbehan is very courageous.
Captain Smit – yes sir
Prime Minister - He spoke to me so wholesomely yesterday. Otherwise, I have experienced that in such a situation there is no point. No trace of complaint. Spoke with Bhupendrabhai and Geeta sister at Mumbai airport yesterday. Still there is no trace of complaint. Just talked to them like God will do good.
Captain Smit – yes sir
Prime Minister - Come on, Jai Shri Krishna. And get well soon and we will meet again.
Captain Smit – yes sir
Prime Minister - God bless you!
Captain Smit – Jai Hind.
Prime Minister - Jai Hind.
Disclaimer: Some part of the conversation with the Prime Minister is also in Gujarati language, which has been translated here.
This is an official press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), reproduced as issued.
