FM escorting terrorists not good decision: Kandahar negotiator

Sumir Kaul
New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) Ex-Foreign Minister of India
Jaswant Singh escorting the three released terrorists to end
the Kandahar hijack crisis has been a subject of an endless
debate but the chief negotiator feels the action was not a
"good decision" from the security point of view.
Ajit Kumar Doval, who was constantly talking to the
hijackers for nearly 110 hours since the Indian Airlines plane
hijack crisis unfolded on Christmas eve ten years back, said a
clear message had gone from the ground that no one from the
Indian government should accompany the three terrorists who
were to be handed over to the hijackers.
While there have been claims and counter-claims made
within the rank and file of the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP)
over this issue, Doval recalls he was gripped with anxiety
upon seeing Singh alighting from the aircraft along with three
terrorists -- Maulana Masood Azhar, Sheikh Omar and Mushtaq
Zargar.
64-year-old Doval, who rose to become the Intelligence
Bureau Chief and has the distinction of being the first Indian
Police Service (IPS) officer awarded with second highest
military award -- Kirti Chakra, also recalled an instance when
hijackers became stubborn to take out their bags from hold. "A
mild resistance from our side resulted in heightening of
tempers.
"...I was more worried for the foreign minister's
presence may give them more ideas," Doval told PTI.


To a pointed question as to what was his message to
Delhi, Doval recalled "my personal view was that no one should
come. No aircraft should come, nothing should come. These
people (the three terrorists) should come alone. Its a very
dangerous thing and we are in a dangerous situation...".
Doval, however, refrained from getting into the details of why
Singh decided to come to Kandahar and said "from security
point of view it was not a good decision."
Jaswant Singh, on the other hand, had side-stepped the
question about his presence in Kandahar in his book "Call to
Honour" and only focussed on going to Kandahar to end the
crisis and bring back the passengers.
While Singh was holding talks with then Taliban foreign
minister Wakil Ahmed Muttavakil, Doval ensured that all the
passengers were safely transferred to the relief aircraft.
"The whole system at Kandahar was chaotic, on top of
which there was the hijacked plane, the hostages, the relief
aircraft and now the one on which I was. I wanted the hostages
to leave. And I wanted to meet all of them again -- after they
had boarded the relief aircraft," Jaswant Singh had said in
his book released in 2006.

However, Doval, who earned kudos with his dare-devil
approach during unification of the eastern Indian state of
Mizoram and Operation Black Thunder in Golden temple in 1988,
says the foreign minister's presence was quite uncomfortable.
"The hijackers after receiving the three terrorists
insisted on opening the hold of ill-fated aircraft. That
became the most ticklish time for me. That was the only time
when I got perturbed as now we had the foreign minister too
present.
"...My only point that it was a difficult situation.
Hostages had been brought out of the aircraft and all were
lined on the tarmac to board the relief aircraft and the
hijackers wanted to open the hold and we were also running out
of time. What was worrying us what if the hijackers changed
their mind...Taliban were with them, ISI was backing and on
top 160 hostages, three negotiators and India's foreign
Minister," Doval said recalling the tense times. PTI SKL
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