Hostages swapped for three militants

By Harish Khare

NEW DELHI, DEC. 31 The week-long hostage crisis ended today when the Vajpayee Government agreed to release (at least) three hardcore ``Kashmiri'' terrorists in exchange for the freedom of 155 Indian passengers and the crew members of the hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft. All the hostages returned home late tonight from Kandahar to freedom and the new millennium - and, to an emotional reunion with their loved ones at the Palam airport.

Speaking to the nation on the eve of the new century, the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee explained that the government was guided by two concerns: `` the safety of the passengers and the crew, and the long-term, overall interests of our country.'' Rather defensively the Prime Minister explained that the hijackers had originally demanded the release of 36 terrorists and that ``we were able to substantially scale down their demand.'' The President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan also expressed the nation's relief at the passengers' release and congratulated the negotiators for their ``patience and skill.''

The first indication of a breakthrough in the crisis came this morning when it was known that Mr. Jaswant Singh, India's Foreign Minister, would be flying to Kandahar. It was put out that the Foreign Minister was travelling to Kandahar to add authority to the negotiations with the hijackers. Later it was revealed that the Foreign Minister was taking with him three militants, whose release was at the core of the hijackers' demand from the very beginning.

Before the fact of the Foreign Minister travelling with the three terrorists became known, there was a note of congratulation in the officials' voice. It was made out that a ``deal'' had been clinched yesterday itself, and that the Prime Minister had briefed the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan on the contours of the emerging breakthrough. Obviously logistical loose ends needed to be tied up before Mr. Jaswant Singh could fly to Kandahar with the militants.

Soon thereafter major international television networks were telecasting images of the five masked hijackers walking up to the car in which sat the Foreign Minister and the three released terrorists.

As soon as Mr. Jaswant Singh's plane left for Kandahar, the ``agreement'' was made public by Mr. Brijesh Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Mr. Mishra told newsmen that ``there has been an agreement to release all the hostages in exchange for the three militants.''

The three released terrorists are Maulana Masood Azhar (who was in a Jammu jail), Mustaq Ahmed Zarger, (who was in Srinagar and was brought to Jammu and flown to New Delhi along with the Maulana) and the third, Ahmed Omar Sayeed Sheikh who was lodged in the Tihar Jail here.

However, it was far from certain whether there was a ``hidden'' sub-script to the release drama; there are indications that New Delhi could release a few other terrorists at a later date. Nonetheless, Mr. Brijesh Mishra insisted that there were no hidden concessions. Mr. Mishra, who is also the National Security Adviser, argued that the hijackers had ``excessive demands'' but ``we were able to whittle it down.''

Mr. Mishra was not very forthcoming on the fate of the hijackers, and merely noted that ``the Taliban authorities will decide. They can deal with the hijackers according to their law.'' However, later Mr. Jaswant Singh told a press conference in Kandahar, in the presence of Taliban's Foreign Minister, Mr. Wakil Ahmad Mutawakel that the hijackers would not get asylum in Afghanistan and had been given 10 hours to leave the country. Mr. Jaswant Singh invoked the assurance of the Taliban Foreign Minister. ``His excellency has assured me the criminals will not receive any asylum in Afghanistan and they have 10 hours within which to go wherever they have to go,'' added Mr. Singh.

The Home Ministry and other officials associated with the fight against insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir were inclined to believe that the release of the three terrorists would set them back by years.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet was called in the evening, and the ministers were briefed on the latest developments. Later the Prime Minister also briefed the available leaders of the Opposition parties about the deal with the hijackers.

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