Resolving the Hijack Crisis

Jay:


ON FACING REALITY

You say,``I make no apology for taking up disturbing topics. Take my recurring posts on score card from Kashmir. Has it ever occurred to you or for that matter to any pakistani, why is it important that deaths from kashmir should be on the main headlines in every pak new paper.``

----Has it ever occurred to you that if there is no loss of (human) life in Kashmir those papers would not display it? Has it occurred to you that by persistence, some of those papers have forced some other papers across the border and elsewhere not to ignore those killings?

Kashmir is a problem. Internal, local, or international depending on whose view point one subscribes. And this problem has to be solved. With full participation of the Kashmiris - Muslims, Pandits and Budhists in addition to the Govts. of India and Pakistan.

You say, ``Peace cannot be attained by ignoring the reality, wishing away the fountains of our inner motivations, putting on blinkers of pak.org.``

----Has it occurred to you that one can turn around and say the same thing about your myopic world view? (Changing Pak to India.org, ofcourse.)


You say, ``My posts are reflections of the pak and indian society, at times comparisons, mostly contrasts. They are provocative, unpleasent. Mutual understanding of each others situation does not come from exchanging pleasentries and references, they come through the inner minds in moments of emotional turmoil, despite the closed eyes and closed mind.``

-----Shows how little you know about people, motivation and behaviour. If `mutual understanding` is arrived this way then I am a believer in Santa Claus.

Understanding is achieved when fear is dissipated, not ignited. Understanding is achieved when common grounds are created and built upon. Understanding is achieved in the plains of friendship not the battlefields of antagonism.

Seasons greetings. And may the rooster swallow you!

temporal

RE: Reply # 30 & 31

I would like to pass these replies but couldn`t resist the sheer hypocrisy of Indians thus a reply is indeed, needed.

Don`t need to get hot headed. we all know what `civilised` Indian army is doing in Kashmir, Indian army hands are not clean either. It was this army who drag the poor Kashmiris to the polling station (forced voting), rape their women, beat them, torture them. If this not terrorism then what it is!

You never cease to beat up your chest up about your so called democracy and civilty. The world knows how much civilty & decency exist in OCCUPIED Jammu & Kashmir, million men troops are doing that job perfectly. Whatever you do is to the norm but if we did something then we`re the worst need to be banished from earth.

So, don`t come here preach us your impeccable tolerance and love for humanity, with your bigoted mindset, there will be no peace possible. We`re tired of ur preaching to us poor lost souls. Dont play victim card on us, the wounds of `71 are still fresh in our memories.

Sud AfSOsh!

Moez Momin

Re: temporal Reply #: 32

``If the political leadership in India mishandles a nuclear crisis like it apparently did this hijacking, then it is indeed a terrifying thought.``

Your concern is certainly admirable. But ``terrifying thought`` for whom ? India`s nuclear doctrine specifically states ``no first use``. Pakistan has no such silly notions.

I think in your posts you sometimes forget who you are - a pakistani. A person living under dictatorship and ruled by an adventurist army which actively supports terrorism. Please keep that in mind.

regards,

AN

I`m really sorry to bring in names here, but revisiting Reply #29:

The latest news report states that demand for $200 million ransom has been reversed. Does that mean that conclusions drawn in reply #29 (based on the ransom demands) would also be reversed ?

``Hijackers have dropped their demand for $200 million and the dead body of a militant because Taliban has convinced them that these are un-islamic demands`` See BBC/DAWN/etc...

Admitedly, I know little about Islam. But logical corollary to above is 1) Though Islam doesn`t allow cash ransom and exhuming a dead body, it does condone/allow/encourage taking innocent people as hostage, and 2) Taliban has power to convince the hijackers.

Can a mullah or moulvi on chowk, please shed light on what Islam and Quran has to say about hostage-taking. And, please don`t rationalize the act on the back of Kashmir. I just want to know where does Islam/Quran stand on such acts on ``absolute`` basis.

Also, I will be obliged if political masterminds like Ummair/Godot/Omar1974/etc may explain WHY these 2-bit-criminal terrorist, accused to be RAW agents by the great CE, act on Taliban`s advice.

Would like to share this column in today`s The News. If the political leadership in India mishandles a nuclear crisis like it apparently did this hijacking, then it is indeed a terrifying thought.




A terrifying thought

Brian Cloughley

Every country has plans to deal with disasters, be these natural or man-made One essential component of such plans is an effective system for communicating information and decisions, for no plan is going to work if politicians and officials are unaware of what is taking place or are unable to convey orders for resolution of a crisis. What is worrying about India`s planning is that in the first days of the recent hijacking there were neither good communications nor any coherent decision-making.

India`s draft nuclear doctrine states that weapons are to ``be tightly controlled and released for use at the highest political level`` and that ``An effective and survivable command and control system with requisite flexibility and responsiveness shall be in place,`` which is all good and well--but if India can`t respond efficiently to an aircraft hijacking, what on earth might happen in the event of a nuclear crisis?

The story of flight IC-814 is one of regrettable indecision on the part of India`s leaders, but, of equal importance, demonstrates that its communications systems are inadequate to cope with a matter of national importance. The entire effort of politicians and bureaucrats appeared to be aimed at blaming everyone else for what was an Indian responsibility. Some comments were bizarre--as were, it must be said, statements from some senior Pakistanis who should know better than to indulge in groundless rhetoric--and none was helpful in furthering understanding or resolution of the crisis. There is no kinder word for it: it was a shambles.

Indian authorities were notified of the hijack at 1655 hrs (Indian time) on December 24. Pakistan refused permission for the plane to land at Lahore, and it landed at Amritsar at 1905 hrs. So New Delhi had over two hours to consider what action should be taken if the aircraft landed at an Indian airport, or, indeed, what to do if the hijackers had taken any other action that might have been imaginable in the circumstances. There is a high-level Special Action Group for this purpose. No matter what oratorical tactics have been employed by Mr Jaswant Singh and the host of spokesmen who have commented on the matter, the fact is that the aircraft was on the ground in Indian territory for forty minutes and nothing whatever was done to intercede with the hijackers who, it was reported by the pilot (the only person who comes out well in the entire affair; a good and brave man), had started killing people. The unravelling began when the plane was allowed to leave Amritsar. It would have been a simple matter to stop the takeoff: there are any number of ways that this could have been done, and there can be no excuse on the part of the Indian government for failing in its duty to its citizens.

India then asked Pakistan to permit the plane to land at Lahore, which it did. Pakistan, knowing well that whatever course of action it took it would be blamed by India for the entire episode, wanted nothing more nor less than the plane to leave its territory as quickly as possible. The SSG`s counter-hijack teams are efficient, and the plane was isolated in a remote area of the airfield, so the stage could not have been better set for a classic bargaining-negotiating process, with the soldiers standing by, waiting their chance to strike. But the internal problems thus generated would have been enormous. The so-called `religious` parties would have roused the rabble for their own purposes, and the country would have been torn with dissent, violence and riot. The fact that the hijackers are murdering terrorists who do not deserve to be called Muslims would have been neither here nor there. So the plane was refuelled and allowed to leave. It was then that farce began to intrude on human drama.



There were statements in India from anyone and everyone who wanted to open his mouth. The prime minister informed the nation that the hostages were ``safe and sound`` which was a singularly fatuous phrase given the shrieking terror of their circumstances, and his security adviser Brajesh Misra said that India had asked Pakistan that the plane land at Lahore, which should have gone some way to defusing the countless conspiracy theories, but of course did not. These two figures should have been the only people to speak until an official spokesman was appointed. It is essential in a hijacking that there be only one voice heard, for conflicting statements can only produce confusion; and so they did.

A dozen voices pronounced and pontificated, and not the least of these was Jaswant Singh whose energy, if nothing else, was notable. He was everywhere, saying everything, and, not surprisingly, there were contradictions. His embrace of the Taliban on Monday was an interesting change to his former position, and Reuters reported that he gave a briefing that day to ``senior editors of domestic media organisations,`` after which one of them, the United News of India, promptly reported that ``highly placed government sources`` stated that ``the entire operation was fully facilitated by Pakistan.`` The man wasn`t even trying to disguise his tracks, and it was a self-demeaning attempt to deflect enormous criticism from the incompetent manner in which Mr Singh and the government were handling the whole affair.

Television cover around the world showed relatives of the hostages being menaced by lathi-carrying police outside Delhi airport at the same time as yet another spokesman was saying that ``we are sure that we will get [the hostages] back to the country`` and the Press Trust of India, quoting ``official sources`` following Mr Singh`s private briefing, regurgitated the handout line that India did ``not rule out the possibility that certain elements of Afghanistan, hand-in-glove with Pakistan`s ISI, were sympathetic to the hijackers.`` Anything for a cheap headline, apparently--especially if it might help disguise gross and embarrassing inefficiency.

This has been a terrible affair, and it has shown that the higher echelons of Indian government and officialdom are clumsy and incapable of crisis management. Nothing worked, everybody chattered, nobody took responsibility, there was no leadership at any level (except in the cockpit), the initiative was lost, and Mr Jaswant Singh sowed his venom in the hope he might appear squeaky-clean against the justifiable clamour of the victims` relatives. It was almost inevitable that the plane sent to Afghanistan broke down, and predictable that a back-up was not available. But the thing that should really worry everyone is that this is a country that says it is capable of commanding and controlling a diverse arsenal of nuclear weapons in a national emergency. If they can`t manage to take the initiative during a hijack, with over two hours` notice to act (and a further forty minutes while the plane was in Amritsar), what hope is there of balanced response should there be a nuclear crisis requiring instant decisions? This is a terrifying thought.

FACING REALITY

Moez,

As I can see on the chowk and the pak newspapers, most of the Pakistanis have no clue what so ever about a multi religeous, linguistic and ethnic society. One of the conditions in such a society is that you talk about things as they are. To give you an example, the dowry deaths, so many have died and continue to die, they are in every news papers, they are given prominance and at last in some states governments have decided to act. In the state of Kerala nearly a decade ago the goverment legislated that a if a women dies of `un natural ` causes with in seven years of marriage, it is mandatory that the husbands family be charged with complicity to murder and investigated. Dowry deaths have almost vanished in Kerala.



I make no apology for taking up disturbing topics. Take my recurring posts on score card from Kashmir. Has it ever occurred to you or for that matter to any pakistani, why is it important that deaths from kashmir should be on the main headlines in every pak new paper. It reminds me of the usual practice followed by `world vision` when a child is `adopted` by a sponsor. They send progress reports, photos of the child, mark crds from the school. Do you think that Dawn is doing a similar function for the pak diaspora.

Peace cannot be attained by ignoring the reality, wishing away the fountains of our inner motivations, putting on blinkers of pak.org. It needs an integrity rarely seen on the chowk, a self criticism rarely seen in the pak new papers.

My posts are reflections of the pak and indian society, at times comparisons, mostly contrasts. They are provocative, unpleasent. Mutual understanding of each others situation does not come from exchanging pleasentries and references, they come through the inner minds in moments of emotional turmoil, despite the closed eyes and closed mind. Just think of it in the new year.

Regards and best wishes

Jay

In response to soorya (Reply #: 31)

Dear soorya:

The issue of highjacking is sad and needs to be viewed as a violence against innocent human beings.

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

P.S. Please refrain from making a comparison of personalities (unless it is really necessary and relevant). I would not prefer my name to be dragged in a conflict that I don`t want to be a part of. This is just a friendly request.

We are all concerned about the turmoil being faced by the hijacked passengers and the crew memebers on the board. But behaviour of Indian Government is really pathetic. This whole Hijack Drama is a message for those who have any doubt what so ever about Indian Authoroties that they can ever think logically about the solution to the Kashmir problem. How can they think sincerely or at least reallistically about those whom they call rebels and terrorists, when they can`t do it about the innocent pessangers in the hijacked plane.

As far as this action of the Kashmiri Freedom Fighters is concerned, what options or alternatives do they have. There sisters and wives are disgraced in front of their own eyes. They loved ones are shooted in their own homes, sometimes they are on their honeymoon as well. And secondly, is their demand unjust? They are asking for a plebesite that once India agreed upon. They are asking for something that the people of East Pakistan asked in 1971, and they ultimately got it. And this movement of Kashmir is also going to end like this.

Hijacking is condemned but kashmiri militants cannot be blamed for this. Indian Government and its policies are instead responsible for all this.

``Separatists negotiating with Indian
officials over walkie-talkies stepped up their demands Tuesday,insisting on $200 million and the release of 35 Kashmiri militants to end the five-day hijacking of an Indian Airlines plan``

The above news should rule Pakistan out. These appear to be common criminals and nothing else.
They violate the sanctity of Ramadan with their
anti-human methods. What now separates them from
Indian security force actions in Kashmir?

Ras

Re: Reply #29

``...What now separates them from Indian security force actions in Kashmir?``

At least now I know what seperates you from bahmad and UR.

Your replies thru this hijacking has revealed your persona.

the last sentence of Ras Siddiqui`s comment is obscene -- obscene because it is a cheap attempt to make his note look as if it is a condemnation of the actions of terrorists when it is nothing more then a tired restatement of the pakistani (or should i say ``hypocristani?``) line on kashmir.

and like the leaders of the failing pakistan found in kargil this summer, your comparing of the hijackers to indian security forces fails to convince the world that pakistan has any sort of ``moral highground`` with regard to kashmir. the terrorists are animals who have no regard for human life and that`s really all that can be said.

I don`t understand why the Pakistanis are getting so excited about this whole hijacking thing. It is now between the horrid Indians, the incorrigible Taleban and the dastardly terrorists on board. Pakistan should condemn the hijacking, categorically state that they will not let Maulana Azhar or any of his brigands back into Pakistan if they are released, and wash its hands off the whole sordid affair. Pakistan can also use this incident to clamp down on the Maulana`s Harkat, Lashkar or whatever he calls it, by declaring it a terorist organization and shutting it down. It can probably curry some favor with the US by turning over a couple of the key players over to the FBI .... a simple case of kidnapping and murder can be constructed easily. The arms confiscated from this lashkar can then be given to some other militia operating in Kashmir. Everyone wins this way.

#: 25

ZZ

``varad, i have not understood how indian officials can be proactive on kathmandu airporrt in nepal.``

In the same way that Israel insures that none of it`s planes are hijacked in the last 20 years. For Christ`s sake, we were in a war just a couple of months ago and there have been veiled and not so veiled threats by extremists. Does it take a rocket scientist to imagine that a hijacking would be one likely threat in that situation? How can an agent ISSUE 5 BOARDING PASSES in one person`s name? I have seen the ``Chaltha Hai`` attitude around the counters of Indian Airlines which is typically what happens when there is zero accountability since it is a Government run airline.

``it does not make more sense than crying over split milk and streching one`s political preferences and hatred to ridiculous extent. we are in a country where two priministers have been killed by terrorists .....``

But our politicians have since surrounded themselves with black cats and brown dogs or whatever you call them for their own protection but the masses have to fend for themselves, is it?

MajesticKhans: Very nicely stated, although somewhat off the topic.

Re: Repl # 15

Do you have anything constructive to offer or just the usual blabbering. I found no intellect in your posts just constant whining.

I have read your previous posts and only thing I can conclude is either you`re a person of extremely full of hatred toward religion of Islam & Pakistan or you`re a misguided ignorant soul, brainwashed starting at ``mostly before the age of five``.

On Chowk, if we do normal rattling & ranting as both sides of people are accustomed too, then we will not able to go anywhere or able to accomplish anything.

We`re at the verge of new millinium, do we want to enter with renew hostility toward each others and spend all our energies on countless bloodshed & propoganda. Is any relief in near sight!



Just imagine for a moment what we can do through peace and mutual harmony & existence. We have to start in that direction sooner or later, the sooner it`s better.

Remember both have blood on their hands, We`ve to start with TRUST, let the prejudices & hatred die with the old millinium,

please, become a solution not part of the problem!!!!

PEACE,

Moez Momin.