1932

 

 

This too was a trip that originated in Karachi and ended in Bombay; but how different it was. JRD Tata heralded the launch of civil aviation in India by flying from Karachi and landing on a grass strip in Juhu. That flight also represented the aspirations of an India willing to take on the world on its own terms. Even as the Congress intensified demands for independence, the seeds for partition of India were being sown with demands for separate electorates. But Bombay was too busy making money and attracting poets, musicians, actors and artistes who were swayed by Socialism. Ironic, that 10 terrorists sailed from Karachi and almost destroyed another proud Tata legacy-the Taj hotel.