IC 814 revisited
Watched the program on National Geographic about the IC 814 hijacking. It was a little too dramatacized and the passenger's angle was totally missing. But for 2-3 passengers, they totally reported the whole episode from the Captain Devi Sharan's point of view. Nothing wrong with that, but only that it was just a very small view of the whole episode. I am sure they must have a lot of footage of the time when the plane was in Kandhahar, Afghanistan, but they didn't show much of that. It also reminded me of my own article, which I had written when I had just come back from the ill-fated trip.
The whole office was abuzz with the news that a colleague had been on board the plane and the first day I came back to work I was bombarded with questions and more questions. It was so bad that I had lost my voice by the end of the day. So I decided to write the whole thing down and send it to my friends in office. That article got forwarded around quite a bit, and finally found a place on the web.
After watching yesterday's episode on Nat Geo, I thought I might as well put it up on my blog. So here it is, recopied from a repository on the web :
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>----Original Message Follows---->
From: Yamini Kaur
> Subject: I have tried...
> Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 16:22:02 +0531 (IST)
>
>
> ..to pen down the whole experience on IC-814, and ended up writing
> a rather long-ish document.
>
> There is so much more I can write about it, but I guess, I have
> more-or-less put down all the facts. Of course the account
> is slightly coloured by my perceptions and feelings, coz the
> you are seeing through my eyes.
>
> Please feel free to write back to me about anything that you wish
> to.
>
> Warm regards,
> Yamini
>I guess writing a document which would be awaited so expectantly, and have sucha wide audience, is a dream-come-true,but trust me what I am writing about, was definitely a 'nightmare' I couldn'twake up and walk away from.
I was travelling along with my younger brother Vikram, who happens to be a Final Profession, MBBS student at Govt. Medicalcollege, Patiala.
Dec 24, 1999
The first sight of those hijackers, was a little hard to digest, and so I continued eating the food served in the airplane and waited for the Pilot to announce that it was a (christmas-eve!!) joke. Thepilot's voice crackled over the expectant atmosphere, "This is the captain speaking. We have been hijacked. It is in your best interests to co-operate with the hijackers".
What ensued is all nebulous... Our food trays were chucked away, we were askedto bend over and wait. The air hostesses proceeded to put away the food trolleys. Then strange things began happening.The air hostesses were instructed to take out all the luggage kept in the overhead cabins and throw them in the aisles. Then they proceeded to throw all the accumulated luggage into the executive class, and the people in the executive class were shoved into the economy sector.
I looked from the corner of my eyes, in an attempt to look at the hijackers. There were two of them, both had black Balaclava (monkey caps)on, and held one pistol each. One of them had a grenade and was in a ready stance to use it if need be... Sinister enoughto scare the living daylights out of me, and the rest of the passengers.They talked about making it the 'Millennium flight', but the millennium was still a week away, I thought!!! Little did I know that we were to approach the millennium, in that very flight.
The airhostesses were next instructed to blindfold everybody. The took the cloth placed on the backrest of the seats, and made feeble attempts to tie them on the eyes of all the men. The women were spared. A proper search was made if any one was in possession of any weapons or arms. Another hijacker appeared with a knife in his hand. The lights were switched off. We whispered to each other, how many were there?.
I gave Vikram a commentary of who was where, and what were they doing.I looked at my watch and realized we were already past the expected arrival time. I wondered if my parents knew what was happening. I hoped not!!!We waited and waited, and then at close to 7:00pm, we began to descend. I was terrified that we would crash, but with a jarring jolt we landed and we let out a sigh of relief. Still don't know what they want. But we were somewhere!! Sometime later we took off again. Were we disappointed!! we wondered where were we going, and why didn't they go there directly??? Time passed. The hijackers kept running up and down the aisle shouting at someone, making someone bend down further, berating someone for adjusting his blindfold.
Dec 25, 1999
We landed again, and then took off, and then landed yet again, and finally the next morning landed at yet another destination and the engines were switched off. Each landing made me wince, as I anticipated a crash, and each take off,made my heart sink, that yet again we were aflight, going to God knows which destination.We had no idea who these hijackers were, and what they wanted by the second day morning. But slowly as they spoke, we realized that they used a lot of urdu words, and guessed that they were kashmiris. We had had no food, and were shor ton water. We were asked to safeguard our glasses, as no more would be given.
The hijackers rearranged all the passengers. The made the couples sit in thevery rear, and the separated the men travelling alone. There were kids on board, and they didn't realize the gravity of the situation. We were shifted to the seat right next to last exit. I took hold of the airline's emergency manual which explained how to open the exit doors,just in case!!!!We agreed that there were four of them, and they told us nothing as to where we were. Someone said Dubai, and someone said Pakistan. We hoped it was Dubai!! The hijackers didn't let anybody move.They mandated that everyone who wanted water or go to the toilet, raise his hand, and then they would decide they would allow it.Soon we exhausted the drinking water, and the airhostesses distributed beer cans, and tonic water. The toilets had become dysfunctional with no water in the taps or the flush, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to use them We decided to take in minimum water.
We had had no food for atleast 30 hours now.We talked to our neighbors, and introduced ourselves. We heard about this guy who had got off, leaving his newly wed wifeaboard. We were to learn later that his name was Ripen Katyal, and he hadn't left her alone, he had been killed. But at that point we were oblivious to all this, and saw Rachna move around with another newly wed couple. They took good care of her.
The hijackers assured us that they were trying to procure food for us, but because of Ramazan, it was difficult. Finally at nightfall, food was pulled up. First the spoons were distributed with the instructions to retain them as no more would be made available. The spoons read 'Specially made for Ariana'. I was trying to recall which country did Ariana belong to,when my eyes fell on the Arabic script below the english one, which read 'Afghan watan', and it sank in that we were in Afghanistan. This knowledge, made us feel all the more desolate. Food was distributed and there was rice with a little dryfruit thrown in. Keeping our precious spoons and glasses at safe place, we fell into a troubled sleep, but not before realizing that it was Christmas...
Dec 26, 1999
Woke up in the wee hours of the morning. The stench of the toilets had transgressed the confines of the toilet and was an assault on the senses of the passengers unfortunate enough to be sitting inthe last rows. We were not far away, and slowly we got used to the ever present odors.
Breakfast was brought in, scrambled eggs with Naan. People talked to their neighbors for comfort. The eggs were drippingin oil, and I vomited after a few bites. Vikram tried to convince me to eat some but the nausea had set in and I couldn' teat anything. I went to the doctor and got a few medicines from her. I took one tablet with minimal water, and immediately proceeded to throw up again.
I lay back, thinking about what my parents would be going through. Nothing else bothered me more than this thought. What would finally happen to the two of us, would happen instantaneously, but what my parents and family would go through would be really torturous. I started feeling immensely guilty coz it was my idea to go to Kathmandu and take Vikram along.
The hijackers had started to relax a little. They chatted up a few people, and seemed to talk with ease. Then in the afternoon, they came into the economy class and proceeded to tell us that the Indian Govt. was not in the least interested in our release. The number of foreigners on board was close to 15-20 and already their govt. had sent delegates for their release, we were informed. But the Indian Govt. was not the least bothered. They did manage to accomplish what they wanted.People started talking about how lousy our govt. was, and the general atmosphere was of discontent. They proceeded to tell us about the atrocities that the Indian Army had inflicted on the Kashmiris.They maintained that Kashmir belonged neither to India nor to Pakistan, and that their `maqsad' (intent) was to liberateKashmir. The kashmiris in Indian jails, accordingto them were innocent people.
By nightfall, the atmosphere had again become a little cool. Food was served again. The naans and the non-veg.(don't knowwhat it was!!) was becoming unbearable. So people tried for vegetarian food. Itwas just one orange for two people. We tried eating the non-veg. food, and gave up after a few bites, though we saved it incase we need it later on. Water was scarce.We drank a little, and then saved a little. Lights were switched off, a clearsignal that we were expected to sleep, and sleep we did.
Dec 27, 1999
We had lost track of time. Another morning, some more oily breakfast. We didn't take the egg this time. Opted to share an orange between ourselves. The hijackers seemed irritated. So were the passengers. The Indian delegation was scheduled to arrive soon, and then maybe something would happen. We waited and waited. Talked to our neighbors about who did they have back home. What were they doing in Kathmandu? We were surrounded by couples who had gone to Kathmandu on their honeymoon,and now they were here.
The hijackers came out in the afternoon, and told us that the Indian delegates had come here to shop for dry fruit, not for our release. The made fun of Jaswant Singh, and of the delegates in general. They also seemed to irritated by the UNofficials. They talked a lot against the UN turning a blind eye to the muslims being killed in Chechneya. The hijackers were an educated lot. The conversed in English with the foreigners.
There were a few light moments too. One of the Japanese passengers seemed tohave accepted this as a way of life. She was to attend a conference in India and continued preparing for the same. She had hidden a bottle of vodka at the back, and at the pretence of going to the toilet she would have a swig or two. She had an alarm clock and would set it up to wake in the morning, and also used to try and exercise a little bit. The hijackers tried to make her listen to them, even forcibly made her sit down in her seat, but she wouldn't listen. They let men go to the backside and smoke a little, but forbade the same for women. When she tried to go they made her sit back. So she smuggled a cigarette to the toilet. Finally they gave up,and she continued with her life.Another day went by, and we still waited. The days seemed to merge with each other, and we fell asleep again, in the hope that tomorrows dawn may bring some better news.
Dec 28, 1999
Tuesday morning. The toilets had become unbearable. People going to use them would carry the stink with them. A few people had gone to the executive section to get medicines from their luggage. Some had got perfumes and deodorants and proceeded to spray themselves with the same to overcome the stench. We people sitting in the extreme end, couldn't do much.Food today seemed to be a problem. People didn't want to eat non-veg. as it wasTuesday and very little veg. food was available. So some people compromised. Many others were insistent on veg. food.Many had to go without food. Even in the face of death, some people didn't adjust. We took our share of non-veg. food,and proceeded to add it to our stock of food. Very few people ate the food.
The hijackers seemed to be getting nowhere with the delegation. They would incite the people on board against the IndianGovt. Vikram talked of Stockholm syndrome, and it seemed to be setting in.People seemed to identify with the hijackers and their problems, and talked to them about how they were ashamed to be Indians. Some of them even went to the extent of promising the hijackers that once they got off the plane, they would also do something for the Kashmiri cause.We tried to stay aloof, and hardly conversed with them unless absolutely necessary. Food was brought in for the night.People again proceeded, to fight for veg. food. We took our share, and went tosleep. Very uncomfortable sleep. I tried to make it comfortable for Vikram, but due to his 6ft tall frame, he had a toughtime. Finally I gave up, and fell asleep.
Dec 29, 1999
Two of the four toilets had become un-enterable. I used the other one. With great difficulty I got out without throwing up.Came back to my seat, and by force of habit, looked at my watch. Only 7:30 am(IST). At 8:00am the hijackers started to rouse the people from their sleep, something they had never done so far. 'Bahutso liye' they said and seemed angry.Our gravest fears were confirmed when they told us that all talks had broken off. The Indian Govt. didn't want to free us.They claimed that the Indian Govt. thought this was a joke. So to show theIndian Govt. what was in store for them, theyare going to kill the hostages one by one. A very scary thought indeed... coz the first question which came to everyone's mind was 'Which one first???'.
The doors of the aircraft were opened to allow fresh air in. The stench now filled the major part of the aircraft. The fresh air was welcome relief. It was only later on we learnt that the doors were opened because they couldn't kill in closed places.No one spoke. Grim faces looked at each other. We wondered how they would decide who first. Vikram guessed that they would begin with passengers travelling alone. Some women silently prayed. We waited, but this time the wait was different.By late afternoon, one of the hijackers, informed us that the Taliban chief, the Amir, had 'requested' them to resume talks, and they couldn't refuse him, coz they respected him a lot. So talks would resume. The doors were shut again. The stench was more welcome than the prospect of imminent death.
The hijackers seemed to be in better mood. Food was brought in. This time people didn't want to eat. Pepsi's weredistributed. One pepsi for two people. 'Made in Pakistan' the Pepsi cans read.Suddenly the hijackers made an announcement that all sick people should move to the executive class. Some people were not well, and they went. And then some pretended to be ill. They were all sent ahead. This seemed to demoralize the people who were left behind. The question which seemed upper most in everyone's mind was, ' Will they be released first?'.
The passengers were rearranged again. We found ourselves amidst new neighbors.As the rearrangements were finished, one of the guys at the back broke down. Now this was an ordinary occurrence, coz time after time, one or the other person would break down, generally women, and they would be comforted and told to be patient and strong. But this person who had broken down was our erstwhile neighbor. He got hold of one of the hijackersand begged him to shoot him. He said he couldn't bear this strange suspense any more. My heart went out to him, and I started to cry for the very first time during this entire ordeal. Vikram, comforted me and asked me to be brave, and control myself. The hijacker told him that he would be sent home, and that he would ensure the same. He gave him what he called a 'muslims promise'. That very personwho was threatening to kill people one by one, coz his demands were not being met.
We found our new seats very stuffy. Changed over to the window (shut of course)seats. And discovered this person who was sitting alone and crying. One of girls was calling out to him from her seat, and asking him to take heart. I went and sat with him and talked to him for some time. He had been there with Ripen Katyaland had seen him being killed. He was terrified, and alone. It would have been so difficult to have seen so much and then have to sit all by himself. After some time, Vikram took over and spent some with him. He was better by nightfall. We talked about his family, and he told us that he had a four month daughter back home. Finally we again fell asleep,only thing we could do.
There is one thing I must admit here. I would go to sleep each night with the hope that when I wake up the next morning,the hijackers would be gone. I guess it was my way of reassuring myself that things will be alright, and it is alright to sleep.
Dec 30 1999
Morning, and the usual hijackers standing poised to greet us. Some food was brought in. There was milk, and two people were given one tetrapack to share. The hijackers were in a better mood, and seemed to be eating well. One of the hijackers wasn't sleeping well, or so the redness of his eyes seemed to indicate. This was the seventh day, and I could only think of the moment when I would open the gates of my residence to step in. It was a beautiful thought, and I often thought of it when things seemed a little optimistic.The people who had been sent to the executive class were sent back, and we went back to our old seats, and to our previous neighbours.
One of the hijackers said he had good news. About 80% of the talks were finalized. People cheered. He was the hero it seemed to them. The hijackers praised the Taliban Govt. no end. They talked against the Indian govt. and people were disgruntled with the govt.Then the announcement was made in the late evening that the talks were finalized and the Indian Govt. would release 3 people in exchange for our lives. We were never aware of what the hijackers initial demands were. They said that within half and hour of their men being handed to them they would release us. They made us believe that we would be released by nightfall.
The hostages waited for those men's arrival.By night, we were still hopeful that today we would be allowed to go, and we wouldn't have to spend another cold night onboard, encompassed by the stink that seemed to pervade the whole aircraft. Food was again served. People wanted to be let off, and didn't want the food. But the food had to be seen to be believed. In stark contrast to the blue polythene bags we used to get daily, this food was packed in Red and Orange boxes. Beautiful, for people who had been starving for days. The food was too rich for us to take in.There was one burger, one serving of salad,apple juice, and an pie for sweet. We were ready to share one box between the two of us, but the hijacker forced us both to take one box each and eat to our heart's content. But not having eaten for days on end, it was difficult to eat more than a few bites. Most of the food lay there untouched.We waited to hear the 'blessed' plane to land. We expected it to arrive at anytime. But when till late night (or whatseemed late.) it didn't arrive, we fell asleep.
Dec 31, 1999
The hijackers had shown us false hopes too many times, that we were still skeptic of our fate. Some people were outrigh trelaxed and wanted to freshen up, and be ready(??) for release. We were given,thanks to the Taliban Govt. one toothpaste and toothbrush, to share between two people! When we hadn't brushed for 7 days,one more day would do no harm.Food was again loaded, and we took some to pass time. The hijackers proceeded to give us long discourses on Islam and thepresent situation in Kashmir, where they painted the Indian army as the culprit.People were getting impatient. They wanted to be let off.
Finally they once again proceeded to rearrange us, for we hoped the last time. And then instructed the women to cover their heads, before getting off. They made everyone take back theirluggage, and check that no belongings were stolen. After everyone was satisfied, they got ready to get off. One of them got so carried away, that he shouted to us that he loved us all. He seemed to be giving a stage performance!! Finally they left the plane, and all the passengers shouted with joy, and congratulated eachother on our good luck to have escaped.One of the delegates came aboard, and praised our patience. He told us to check our baggage for any explosives or ammunitions, and assured us that soon we will head home. He said that the ladder will soon be brought in, for us to get off that ill-fated plane.
We got off, the men first, then the women with their head and faces covered, and finally the crew. Everyone thanked the crew for the wonderful way in which they had handled the whole situation. The captain especially had been a pillar strength.We were welcomed in Afghanistan by questioning eyes, with men in Afghani suits,and loads of sophisticated guns on them.We were ferried to the waiting Indian Airlines plane to be welcomed by JaswantSingh himself who went and talked toeveryone without exception and assured us that we will be home shortly.
The flight back was short, and the bonhomie on the plane had to be seen to be believed. This bunch of people who had feared, cried and laughed together, were to go back to their normal lives once again. Who in the world said, 'Normal is boring!'. Ask us!!
The whole office was abuzz with the news that a colleague had been on board the plane and the first day I came back to work I was bombarded with questions and more questions. It was so bad that I had lost my voice by the end of the day. So I decided to write the whole thing down and send it to my friends in office. That article got forwarded around quite a bit, and finally found a place on the web.
After watching yesterday's episode on Nat Geo, I thought I might as well put it up on my blog. So here it is, recopied from a repository on the web :
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>----Original Message Follows---->
From: Yamini Kaur
> Subject: I have tried...
> Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 16:22:02 +0531 (IST)
>
>
> ..to pen down the whole experience on IC-814, and ended up writing
> a rather long-ish document.
>
> There is so much more I can write about it, but I guess, I have
> more-or-less put down all the facts. Of course the account
> is slightly coloured by my perceptions and feelings, coz the
> you are seeing through my eyes.
>
> Please feel free to write back to me about anything that you wish
> to.
>
> Warm regards,
> Yamini
>I guess writing a document which would be awaited so expectantly, and have sucha wide audience, is a dream-come-true,but trust me what I am writing about, was definitely a 'nightmare' I couldn'twake up and walk away from.
I was travelling along with my younger brother Vikram, who happens to be a Final Profession, MBBS student at Govt. Medicalcollege, Patiala.
Dec 24, 1999
The first sight of those hijackers, was a little hard to digest, and so I continued eating the food served in the airplane and waited for the Pilot to announce that it was a (christmas-eve!!) joke. Thepilot's voice crackled over the expectant atmosphere, "This is the captain speaking. We have been hijacked. It is in your best interests to co-operate with the hijackers".
What ensued is all nebulous... Our food trays were chucked away, we were askedto bend over and wait. The air hostesses proceeded to put away the food trolleys. Then strange things began happening.The air hostesses were instructed to take out all the luggage kept in the overhead cabins and throw them in the aisles. Then they proceeded to throw all the accumulated luggage into the executive class, and the people in the executive class were shoved into the economy sector.
I looked from the corner of my eyes, in an attempt to look at the hijackers. There were two of them, both had black Balaclava (monkey caps)on, and held one pistol each. One of them had a grenade and was in a ready stance to use it if need be... Sinister enoughto scare the living daylights out of me, and the rest of the passengers.They talked about making it the 'Millennium flight', but the millennium was still a week away, I thought!!! Little did I know that we were to approach the millennium, in that very flight.
The airhostesses were next instructed to blindfold everybody. The took the cloth placed on the backrest of the seats, and made feeble attempts to tie them on the eyes of all the men. The women were spared. A proper search was made if any one was in possession of any weapons or arms. Another hijacker appeared with a knife in his hand. The lights were switched off. We whispered to each other, how many were there?.
I gave Vikram a commentary of who was where, and what were they doing.I looked at my watch and realized we were already past the expected arrival time. I wondered if my parents knew what was happening. I hoped not!!!We waited and waited, and then at close to 7:00pm, we began to descend. I was terrified that we would crash, but with a jarring jolt we landed and we let out a sigh of relief. Still don't know what they want. But we were somewhere!! Sometime later we took off again. Were we disappointed!! we wondered where were we going, and why didn't they go there directly??? Time passed. The hijackers kept running up and down the aisle shouting at someone, making someone bend down further, berating someone for adjusting his blindfold.
Dec 25, 1999
We landed again, and then took off, and then landed yet again, and finally the next morning landed at yet another destination and the engines were switched off. Each landing made me wince, as I anticipated a crash, and each take off,made my heart sink, that yet again we were aflight, going to God knows which destination.We had no idea who these hijackers were, and what they wanted by the second day morning. But slowly as they spoke, we realized that they used a lot of urdu words, and guessed that they were kashmiris. We had had no food, and were shor ton water. We were asked to safeguard our glasses, as no more would be given.
The hijackers rearranged all the passengers. The made the couples sit in thevery rear, and the separated the men travelling alone. There were kids on board, and they didn't realize the gravity of the situation. We were shifted to the seat right next to last exit. I took hold of the airline's emergency manual which explained how to open the exit doors,just in case!!!!We agreed that there were four of them, and they told us nothing as to where we were. Someone said Dubai, and someone said Pakistan. We hoped it was Dubai!! The hijackers didn't let anybody move.They mandated that everyone who wanted water or go to the toilet, raise his hand, and then they would decide they would allow it.Soon we exhausted the drinking water, and the airhostesses distributed beer cans, and tonic water. The toilets had become dysfunctional with no water in the taps or the flush, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to use them We decided to take in minimum water.
We had had no food for atleast 30 hours now.We talked to our neighbors, and introduced ourselves. We heard about this guy who had got off, leaving his newly wed wifeaboard. We were to learn later that his name was Ripen Katyal, and he hadn't left her alone, he had been killed. But at that point we were oblivious to all this, and saw Rachna move around with another newly wed couple. They took good care of her.
The hijackers assured us that they were trying to procure food for us, but because of Ramazan, it was difficult. Finally at nightfall, food was pulled up. First the spoons were distributed with the instructions to retain them as no more would be made available. The spoons read 'Specially made for Ariana'. I was trying to recall which country did Ariana belong to,when my eyes fell on the Arabic script below the english one, which read 'Afghan watan', and it sank in that we were in Afghanistan. This knowledge, made us feel all the more desolate. Food was distributed and there was rice with a little dryfruit thrown in. Keeping our precious spoons and glasses at safe place, we fell into a troubled sleep, but not before realizing that it was Christmas...
Dec 26, 1999
Woke up in the wee hours of the morning. The stench of the toilets had transgressed the confines of the toilet and was an assault on the senses of the passengers unfortunate enough to be sitting inthe last rows. We were not far away, and slowly we got used to the ever present odors.
Breakfast was brought in, scrambled eggs with Naan. People talked to their neighbors for comfort. The eggs were drippingin oil, and I vomited after a few bites. Vikram tried to convince me to eat some but the nausea had set in and I couldn' teat anything. I went to the doctor and got a few medicines from her. I took one tablet with minimal water, and immediately proceeded to throw up again.
I lay back, thinking about what my parents would be going through. Nothing else bothered me more than this thought. What would finally happen to the two of us, would happen instantaneously, but what my parents and family would go through would be really torturous. I started feeling immensely guilty coz it was my idea to go to Kathmandu and take Vikram along.
The hijackers had started to relax a little. They chatted up a few people, and seemed to talk with ease. Then in the afternoon, they came into the economy class and proceeded to tell us that the Indian Govt. was not in the least interested in our release. The number of foreigners on board was close to 15-20 and already their govt. had sent delegates for their release, we were informed. But the Indian Govt. was not the least bothered. They did manage to accomplish what they wanted.People started talking about how lousy our govt. was, and the general atmosphere was of discontent. They proceeded to tell us about the atrocities that the Indian Army had inflicted on the Kashmiris.They maintained that Kashmir belonged neither to India nor to Pakistan, and that their `maqsad' (intent) was to liberateKashmir. The kashmiris in Indian jails, accordingto them were innocent people.
By nightfall, the atmosphere had again become a little cool. Food was served again. The naans and the non-veg.(don't knowwhat it was!!) was becoming unbearable. So people tried for vegetarian food. Itwas just one orange for two people. We tried eating the non-veg. food, and gave up after a few bites, though we saved it incase we need it later on. Water was scarce.We drank a little, and then saved a little. Lights were switched off, a clearsignal that we were expected to sleep, and sleep we did.
Dec 27, 1999
We had lost track of time. Another morning, some more oily breakfast. We didn't take the egg this time. Opted to share an orange between ourselves. The hijackers seemed irritated. So were the passengers. The Indian delegation was scheduled to arrive soon, and then maybe something would happen. We waited and waited. Talked to our neighbors about who did they have back home. What were they doing in Kathmandu? We were surrounded by couples who had gone to Kathmandu on their honeymoon,and now they were here.
The hijackers came out in the afternoon, and told us that the Indian delegates had come here to shop for dry fruit, not for our release. The made fun of Jaswant Singh, and of the delegates in general. They also seemed to irritated by the UNofficials. They talked a lot against the UN turning a blind eye to the muslims being killed in Chechneya. The hijackers were an educated lot. The conversed in English with the foreigners.
There were a few light moments too. One of the Japanese passengers seemed tohave accepted this as a way of life. She was to attend a conference in India and continued preparing for the same. She had hidden a bottle of vodka at the back, and at the pretence of going to the toilet she would have a swig or two. She had an alarm clock and would set it up to wake in the morning, and also used to try and exercise a little bit. The hijackers tried to make her listen to them, even forcibly made her sit down in her seat, but she wouldn't listen. They let men go to the backside and smoke a little, but forbade the same for women. When she tried to go they made her sit back. So she smuggled a cigarette to the toilet. Finally they gave up,and she continued with her life.Another day went by, and we still waited. The days seemed to merge with each other, and we fell asleep again, in the hope that tomorrows dawn may bring some better news.
Dec 28, 1999
Tuesday morning. The toilets had become unbearable. People going to use them would carry the stink with them. A few people had gone to the executive section to get medicines from their luggage. Some had got perfumes and deodorants and proceeded to spray themselves with the same to overcome the stench. We people sitting in the extreme end, couldn't do much.Food today seemed to be a problem. People didn't want to eat non-veg. as it wasTuesday and very little veg. food was available. So some people compromised. Many others were insistent on veg. food.Many had to go without food. Even in the face of death, some people didn't adjust. We took our share of non-veg. food,and proceeded to add it to our stock of food. Very few people ate the food.
The hijackers seemed to be getting nowhere with the delegation. They would incite the people on board against the IndianGovt. Vikram talked of Stockholm syndrome, and it seemed to be setting in.People seemed to identify with the hijackers and their problems, and talked to them about how they were ashamed to be Indians. Some of them even went to the extent of promising the hijackers that once they got off the plane, they would also do something for the Kashmiri cause.We tried to stay aloof, and hardly conversed with them unless absolutely necessary. Food was brought in for the night.People again proceeded, to fight for veg. food. We took our share, and went tosleep. Very uncomfortable sleep. I tried to make it comfortable for Vikram, but due to his 6ft tall frame, he had a toughtime. Finally I gave up, and fell asleep.
Dec 29, 1999
Two of the four toilets had become un-enterable. I used the other one. With great difficulty I got out without throwing up.Came back to my seat, and by force of habit, looked at my watch. Only 7:30 am(IST). At 8:00am the hijackers started to rouse the people from their sleep, something they had never done so far. 'Bahutso liye' they said and seemed angry.Our gravest fears were confirmed when they told us that all talks had broken off. The Indian Govt. didn't want to free us.They claimed that the Indian Govt. thought this was a joke. So to show theIndian Govt. what was in store for them, theyare going to kill the hostages one by one. A very scary thought indeed... coz the first question which came to everyone's mind was 'Which one first???'.
The doors of the aircraft were opened to allow fresh air in. The stench now filled the major part of the aircraft. The fresh air was welcome relief. It was only later on we learnt that the doors were opened because they couldn't kill in closed places.No one spoke. Grim faces looked at each other. We wondered how they would decide who first. Vikram guessed that they would begin with passengers travelling alone. Some women silently prayed. We waited, but this time the wait was different.By late afternoon, one of the hijackers, informed us that the Taliban chief, the Amir, had 'requested' them to resume talks, and they couldn't refuse him, coz they respected him a lot. So talks would resume. The doors were shut again. The stench was more welcome than the prospect of imminent death.
The hijackers seemed to be in better mood. Food was brought in. This time people didn't want to eat. Pepsi's weredistributed. One pepsi for two people. 'Made in Pakistan' the Pepsi cans read.Suddenly the hijackers made an announcement that all sick people should move to the executive class. Some people were not well, and they went. And then some pretended to be ill. They were all sent ahead. This seemed to demoralize the people who were left behind. The question which seemed upper most in everyone's mind was, ' Will they be released first?'.
The passengers were rearranged again. We found ourselves amidst new neighbors.As the rearrangements were finished, one of the guys at the back broke down. Now this was an ordinary occurrence, coz time after time, one or the other person would break down, generally women, and they would be comforted and told to be patient and strong. But this person who had broken down was our erstwhile neighbor. He got hold of one of the hijackersand begged him to shoot him. He said he couldn't bear this strange suspense any more. My heart went out to him, and I started to cry for the very first time during this entire ordeal. Vikram, comforted me and asked me to be brave, and control myself. The hijacker told him that he would be sent home, and that he would ensure the same. He gave him what he called a 'muslims promise'. That very personwho was threatening to kill people one by one, coz his demands were not being met.
We found our new seats very stuffy. Changed over to the window (shut of course)seats. And discovered this person who was sitting alone and crying. One of girls was calling out to him from her seat, and asking him to take heart. I went and sat with him and talked to him for some time. He had been there with Ripen Katyaland had seen him being killed. He was terrified, and alone. It would have been so difficult to have seen so much and then have to sit all by himself. After some time, Vikram took over and spent some with him. He was better by nightfall. We talked about his family, and he told us that he had a four month daughter back home. Finally we again fell asleep,only thing we could do.
There is one thing I must admit here. I would go to sleep each night with the hope that when I wake up the next morning,the hijackers would be gone. I guess it was my way of reassuring myself that things will be alright, and it is alright to sleep.
Dec 30 1999
Morning, and the usual hijackers standing poised to greet us. Some food was brought in. There was milk, and two people were given one tetrapack to share. The hijackers were in a better mood, and seemed to be eating well. One of the hijackers wasn't sleeping well, or so the redness of his eyes seemed to indicate. This was the seventh day, and I could only think of the moment when I would open the gates of my residence to step in. It was a beautiful thought, and I often thought of it when things seemed a little optimistic.The people who had been sent to the executive class were sent back, and we went back to our old seats, and to our previous neighbours.
One of the hijackers said he had good news. About 80% of the talks were finalized. People cheered. He was the hero it seemed to them. The hijackers praised the Taliban Govt. no end. They talked against the Indian govt. and people were disgruntled with the govt.Then the announcement was made in the late evening that the talks were finalized and the Indian Govt. would release 3 people in exchange for our lives. We were never aware of what the hijackers initial demands were. They said that within half and hour of their men being handed to them they would release us. They made us believe that we would be released by nightfall.
The hostages waited for those men's arrival.By night, we were still hopeful that today we would be allowed to go, and we wouldn't have to spend another cold night onboard, encompassed by the stink that seemed to pervade the whole aircraft. Food was again served. People wanted to be let off, and didn't want the food. But the food had to be seen to be believed. In stark contrast to the blue polythene bags we used to get daily, this food was packed in Red and Orange boxes. Beautiful, for people who had been starving for days. The food was too rich for us to take in.There was one burger, one serving of salad,apple juice, and an pie for sweet. We were ready to share one box between the two of us, but the hijacker forced us both to take one box each and eat to our heart's content. But not having eaten for days on end, it was difficult to eat more than a few bites. Most of the food lay there untouched.We waited to hear the 'blessed' plane to land. We expected it to arrive at anytime. But when till late night (or whatseemed late.) it didn't arrive, we fell asleep.
Dec 31, 1999
The hijackers had shown us false hopes too many times, that we were still skeptic of our fate. Some people were outrigh trelaxed and wanted to freshen up, and be ready(??) for release. We were given,thanks to the Taliban Govt. one toothpaste and toothbrush, to share between two people! When we hadn't brushed for 7 days,one more day would do no harm.Food was again loaded, and we took some to pass time. The hijackers proceeded to give us long discourses on Islam and thepresent situation in Kashmir, where they painted the Indian army as the culprit.People were getting impatient. They wanted to be let off.
Finally they once again proceeded to rearrange us, for we hoped the last time. And then instructed the women to cover their heads, before getting off. They made everyone take back theirluggage, and check that no belongings were stolen. After everyone was satisfied, they got ready to get off. One of them got so carried away, that he shouted to us that he loved us all. He seemed to be giving a stage performance!! Finally they left the plane, and all the passengers shouted with joy, and congratulated eachother on our good luck to have escaped.One of the delegates came aboard, and praised our patience. He told us to check our baggage for any explosives or ammunitions, and assured us that soon we will head home. He said that the ladder will soon be brought in, for us to get off that ill-fated plane.
We got off, the men first, then the women with their head and faces covered, and finally the crew. Everyone thanked the crew for the wonderful way in which they had handled the whole situation. The captain especially had been a pillar strength.We were welcomed in Afghanistan by questioning eyes, with men in Afghani suits,and loads of sophisticated guns on them.We were ferried to the waiting Indian Airlines plane to be welcomed by JaswantSingh himself who went and talked toeveryone without exception and assured us that we will be home shortly.
The flight back was short, and the bonhomie on the plane had to be seen to be believed. This bunch of people who had feared, cried and laughed together, were to go back to their normal lives once again. Who in the world said, 'Normal is boring!'. Ask us!!
Comments