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'Can people under severe mental strain like us take further governmental callousness?'

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh's press conference on Sunday afternoon was upset by an irate relative of a passenger aboard Flight 814.

Even as the national anxiety over the hijacked aircraft, now stationed at Kandahar and occupied by well-armed terrorists increases, the government's stance has left a bitter taste in the mouth of Dr Sanjeev Chibber and other passengers's relatives. They have unsuccessfully petitioned Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to concede the hijackers's demands. Disgusted by the government position, Dr Chibber and other aggrieved relatives loudly vented their fury at Singh's media conference.

Soon after the minister entered the PIB hall, Dr Chibber strolled in with a few others. He drew attention to himself only after Singh had made his introductory remarks. When Dr Chibber, a surgeon, asked the minister to explain why the government was reluctant to release the comrades of the hijackers, the reporters mistook him to be one of their lot.

However, Dr Chibber began shouting that by not releasing those whose freedom had been demanded by the hijackers, the government had revealed its "cruel streak " and was " unmindful of the safety of the crew and passengers."

After the press conference, Dr Chibber revealed why he had disrupted Singh's briefing in an interview.

Some of you, the aggrieved relatives of passengers on the hijacked plane, met the prime minister to convey your feelings. Could you tell us what his response was?

I regret to say that the prime minister's government has shown a strange insensitivity to the plight of 150 passengers, the bulk of them Indians, who are living on the periphery of death. Entire India is aware of this and, indeed, the entire world. We told the prime minister that releasing those whose freedom has been demanded by the hijackers will not amount to giving away Kashmir or any other part of Indian territory.

We emphasised that releasing these captives was a small amount to pay for the lives of 150 people who can be snuffed out if the hijackers feel that their demand would not be met.

I want to know, why is the government so unrelenting? Kashmir has been turned into a political game by politicians, but why should innocent people pay for the politicians's bungling and misadventure with their lives?

Why do you think the government is adamant?

Brother, you tell me, I am just as keen to know. Maybe, a systemic disease has gripped the Indian political system which wants to use innocent people's lives as cannon fodder to suit its convenience.

Are you optimistic that the plight of the passengers on Flight 814 will force the government to relent?

If our entreaties and appeals to the prime minister have been met with a chilly blast (Vajpayee said his government would not compromise with the hijackers), how can we be optimistic? In advanced countries, people like us, those who have the misfortune to undergo such a plight, are at least given psychological counselling. But what have we received? Nobody from the government has bothered to even give us an indication whether the passengers's welfare is being ensured except vague assurances that everything will be done to terminate the hijacking. You tell me, can people under severe mental strain like us take further governmental callousness?

Is there anything else the relatives of the passengers can do to endure the trauma that you are undergoing?

Apart from praying, we keep running from pillar to post in governmental echelons to get ourselves heard. Forty eight hours have passed and one life has already been lost. We know the captain of Flight 814 is under extreme physical and mental strain.

If the hijack agony is prolonged and Captain Saran is forced to fly to more destinations, the plane can be endangered in mid-flight if he gives in to physical and mental exhaustion for which only our government will have to take the blame. Similarly, there are passengers with weak health as has already been felt. I tremble to think of what can happen further in this context.

But doctor, surely you are aware that releasing most wanted terrorists would set a precedent and similar attempts will be made by outlawed desperadoes to hold the nation to ransom?

(shouting) You cannot equate the lives of 150 people with the lives of three or four desperadoes, whatever their crimes may be. Already, there are indications that the hijacking has been executed with the help of some inside job for which the government has to take the rap. We repeat, release these captives and save 150 lives otherwise the nation will never forgive this government.

Nightmare on Flight 814: The complete coverage

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