Premier Bhattarai apologises, FM Mahat defends security system at TIA

The fresh skyjacking of the New Delhi bound Indian airliner has jolted Nepal both internally and externally. Internally in the sense that this event, albeit a sad one, has vividly exposed the Bhattarai led government's tall claims that security system in the country was perfectly alright and that even the international airport was not that safe as is being given to understand to the people within and without. Similarly, in the external front, the fresh hijacking episode perhaps will take a long time to come to convince friendly countries in general and India in particular about the supposed "improvements" to be brought in the lose security systems at our International airport that fortunately stands at single one and only one.

Undoubtedly, our security system is top from the bottom. We can't hide this fact. Even outsiders could see it through their own eyes. The foreigners have every right to blame this country which so graciously "opens" her international airport for "authorized gold smuggling" and that enjoys the political blessings from the higher echelons of the establishment. This has been a fact if one were to recall. Bluntly speaking, with the change in the government, a set of people wish to become the Home minister simply because the ministry controls most of the smuggling jobs through her machinery at the exit points such as the Tribhuvan International Airport. Nepal's TIA is a place where staffs from various organizations get posted not for carrying up their responsibilities rather for their "loyalties" towards the political personality who remained instrumental in sending the official there. It is said that a mere six months stint at the TIA is sufficient to live a luxurious life for the rest of the years. Hence the race, the political one, to enter the golden cage that is very much inside the Kathmandu's TIA. Fresh reports have it that gold continues to be smuggled yet through the Thai airways and the Nepali police plus the staff members of the interior ministry at the airport have a festive season practically every day in spite of the claim of the Prime minister that smuggling has been curbed in Nepal.

The manner Nepal's Prime minister hurriedly 'apologized' for the security lapses at the airport is simply disturbing. Admitably, security system at the airport is simply horrible yet the Prime minister by apologizing without waiting for the duly formed commission to go in for a proper investigation, has undoubtedly absolved the Indian airlines Kathmandu office to go scot-free at least in the eyes of the Nepalese. When the nation's Premier has already apologized then what remains for Nepal other than to bear the Indian media campaign that appears hell bent upon damaging the whole nation for obvious reasons. Fortunately, the TIA officials and the foreign minister have different versions to tell the public. They forcefully say that the PIA and the Indian airliner were not at the runway at the same time. The PIA landed early morning and left the Nepali sky some where around eleven. Only an hour later or so the Indian aircraft lands in Kathmandu. When the two could not see each other in Kathmandu then there is no question of the men alighting from the PIA to sneak into the Indian airlines. Hence the Zee TV version of this possibility later subscribed by a responsible person of the stature of Jaswant Singh, stands untenable. Monday evening Dr. Ramsaran Mahat defended the Nepali standpoints that clashed with the Zee version

Fortunately, the Zee TV propaganda against Nepal and her security systems also appear to have irritated the Indian airlines officials in Kathmandu who talking to the press men here too have described the Zee media onslaught as malicious. This notwithstanding, our heart goes to the passengers who continue to be inside the plane since Friday afternoon.

To the best of my knowledge, the Indian government has raised the issue repeatedly that Nepal has remained a sanctuary for the ISI men from Pakistan. We do not know how the ISI people have been penetrating into Nepal and thereby hitting the Indian interests. We are supplied with such information by Indian media.

Now we have a proposition. To get rid of the repeated threats from the ISI in Kathmandu, why not India accepts the Nepalese proposal for regulating the long and porous Nepal-India border. Perhaps this scheme would do away with Indian suspicions that "Nepalese mercenaries" have been tapped by the ISI who sneak in to India and create troubles to them.

It is time that Nepal must help India by regulating the border-a proposal that perhaps the erstwhile government too had advanced.

Headline | National | Date Line | 5 Question | Opinion | 2nd Impression | International