When The Black Box Speaks Silence Screams Louder

The recent Air India crash has stirred the nation — but what the black box revealed is even more chilling: no thrust, no power. A plane with 300+ lives on board, gliding towards disaster while everyone assumed everything was fine.

Turns out, it wasn’t.

According to reports, a passenger deboarded the very flight after noticing something wasn't right — the AC wasn’t functioning properly, display panels were blank, and overall conditions didn’t feel safe. He trusted his instinct. Others didn’t. Most remained silent, choosing to believe that their concern wasn’t valid or that someone else would take charge.

And this is not an isolated case. An earlier DGCA inspection had already raised concerns about this aircraft — issues that were apparently brushed aside. One can only wonder what might’ve happened had more voices spoken up, had silence not been the default response.

Silence is not safety. Silence is complicity.

This pattern of staying quiet — despite obvious red flags — is not limited to airplanes or regulatory bodies. It exists everywhere. Even in the places we call home.

Take my own housing society, for instance. Financial decisions are taken behind closed doors. Expense reports and vendor quotes are conveniently hidden. Residents who question the process are painted as "troublemakers" or "negative influences." A few who dared to ask — were threatened with false legal cases.

The remaining residents? Most stayed quiet. Not because they agreed, but because they didn’t want to get “involved.”

Sound familiar?

We have normalized silence. We have romanticized it as being “peaceful” or “civil.” But the truth is, silence is often just fear in disguise — and fear is fertile ground for exploitation.

It's time we change the culture of quiet.

Whether it’s a national airline or a local apartment committee, silence has consequences. Ignoring red flags doesn’t make them disappear — it only ensures that when disaster strikes, no one will have the right to say, "We didn’t see it coming."

Let’s be the passenger who speaks up. Let’s not wait until the black box becomes our only voice.