Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 26, 2006
Don't shed tears for Mumbai dozen
The brouhaha over Dutch authorities taking
12 Indian Muslims in custody for questioning is totally uncalled for. The
facts of the incident, if separated from the lib-left chaff that threatens
to swamp the truth, make it abundantly clear that the fault lies entirely
with the Indians who, despite being frequent air travellers - as claimed by
their families in maudlin testimonials telecast by news channels - chose to
behave in a suspicious, if not obnoxious, manner while travelling by a Northwest
Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Mumbai on Wednesday. They were repeatedly
asked to put on their seat belts but they refused to do so; instead, they
kept on hopping seats, making a nuisance of themselves and disturbing fellow
passengers. Despite the universal ban on using mobile phones after an aircraft's
doors have been closed, they kept on toying with their cell phones, passing
them around in spite of several requests to put them away. In the wake of
the London plot, hatched by a group of Islamists, to commit mass murder by
blowing up passenger jetliners in midflight, security agencies and aircraft
crew have understandably become strict in monitoring suspicious activities
and implementing rules that in lax countries unmindful of the threat posed
by jihadis, including ours, are followed more in the breach than in practice.
Moreover, with the unravelling of the London plot, those travelling by air
are prone to nurse taut nerves: It is not surprising that passengers, including
at least one Indian, on the Northwest Airlines flight should have protested
to the crew about the odd behaviour of the Mumbai dozen. What fuelled the
onboard air marshalls's suspicion further was the fact that all the cell phones
were without SIM cards. In such circumstances, it is unfair to describe the
decision to bring the flight back to Amsterdam and take the 12 men in for
questioning as "extreme"; nor does it make sense to accuse the Dutch
authorities of indulging in "racism" or "targetting Muslims".
Only those in denial of the threat posed by
Islamists would cavil against the Dutch authorities for doing something that
is admirable and from which security agencies in India can learn valuable
lessons. Let there be no mistake: What happened on the aborted Northwest Airlines
flight to Mumbai and subsequently in Amsterdam is neither about South Asians
being harassed for the colour of their skin nor does it add up to over-reaction
to what is being described by "outraged" politicians and mediapersons
as innocuous delinquent behaviour. It is about being sincere in implementing
security norms to prevent terrorism and ensure the safety of passengers. Just
because we are used to security agencies not taking their responsibilities
seriously and rules being violated without any penalties, we cannot expect
the rest of the world to be callous and careless. No, the 12 Indian Muslims
who were detained for questioning are not terrorists; but their onflight behaviour
was no different from that of potential bombers planning to blow up the aircraft.
They should have known better; since they chose to disregard clear warnings,
they deserve what they got and more. Politicians should have seen the incident
in this perspective, instead of demanding an apology from the Dutch Government.
Hopefully our security agencies will now follow the Dutch example and act
tough.
