Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday, 20 October praised Captain Smit Machchhar at the RSS's annual Vijayadashami event in Nagpur, saying the pilot's courage during an alleged in-flight stabbing attack was a natural expression of deeply ingrained Indian values — not the product of any formal training.

Machchhar had been flying a Boeing 737 aircraft from Dubai to Tel Aviv when, according to reports, his co-pilot stabbed him mid-flight. The incident caused a sudden descent of the aircraft, prompting passengers and crew members to intervene. The flight subsequently made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All 174 passengers on board were reported safe.

What Bhagwat Said

Addressing the Vijayadashami gathering, Bhagwat described Machchhar's response as emblematic of what he called the 'Hindu nature' — an ethos that, in his view, instinctively upholds dignity, security, and the protection of diversity.

'Driven by this very ethos, what Captain Smit Machchhar did recently was natural. There was no training on what to do in such a situation; his innate tradition and values simply surfaced during that moment of testing,' Bhagwat said.

He further elaborated: 'This is the Hindu nature. Consequently, it naturally nurtures and protects the dignity and security of all diversity. This work serves as a constructive force for national unity and global harmony.'

Bhagwat also emphasised that the RSS aims to transmit this ethos through lived practice, not rhetoric. 'People do not join the Sangh to listen to speeches; they come first and cultivate the practice of this ethos through their actions,' he said.

The In-Flight Incident

Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar reportedly managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and prevent a greater catastrophe. The swift collective response is credited with averting what could have been a mass-casualty aviation incident.

Machchhar is a veteran commercial pilot with over 13 years of aviation experience, having reportedly logged approximately 9,750 flying hours, primarily on Boeing 737 aircraft. Before joining flydubai, he served as a Line Training Captain at SpiceJet.

PM Modi's Tribute

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also praised Machchhar, calling him a 'hero' and commending his courage and determination. Modi said Machchhar's actions helped save lives and prevent a major tragedy.

Context and Significance

Bhagwat's remarks came during the RSS's most significant annual gathering, a platform traditionally used to articulate the organisation's ideological outlook for the year ahead. By invoking Machchhar's story, the RSS chief sought to ground its core civilisational arguments in a contemporary, real-world event. Notably, Prime Minister Modi's separate tribute to the pilot means the incident has now drawn public acknowledgement at the highest levels of both political and cultural leadership in India. Bhagwat's remarks are likely to generate broad public discussion, given the scale of the Vijayadashami audience and the resonance of the underlying aviation story.