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Talks fail to lend IA wings for Kathmandu

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Despite day-long deliberations, a delegation of the Union civil aviation ministry has failed to achieve any breakthrough on the resumption of Indian Airlines flights to Kathmandu.

All IA flights to Nepal were suspended after the December 24 hijacking of IC 814.

Sources said during the talks on Tuesday the Nepal government would not accept the Indian authorities' demands. These include permission to station more than a couple of IA security personnel "at the ladder-point".

They should be allowed to frisk passengers and check their baggage, the Indian side has demanded.

New Delhi also wants an X-ray machine to check the passengers' baggage.

The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary Sunil Arora, and comprised Bureau of Civil Aviation Security Additional Commissioner PT Lohar and Indian Airlines Security Director Himmat Singh.

Talks are scheduled to continue on Wednesday.

According to sources, the Nepali authorities view permitting IA security staff at the Tribhuvan International airport as a comprise of their national sovereignty. They fear that the Opposition would "take advantage of it."

Anti-India plank is a strong mobilising factor for several opposition parties in Nepal. Even within the ruling Nepali Congress there is a large section which openly exhibit their hatred for India.

Sources said senior officials in the Nepal civil aviation ministry told the Indian delegation that if they wanted to frisk passengers, "you could do it inside the plane."

The Indian side argued that permitting foreign airlines staff to carry out security checks before boarding is permitted under the Chicago Convention.

"The officials seem to understand our argument, but the political establishment is apprehensive," sources said.

The IA had suspended all its operations to Nepal in the wake of the hijacking of IC 814. The Christmas eve flight from Tribhuvan airport to New Delhi was taken to several airports before it landed at Kandahar. It stayed there till India gave in to the hijackers on December 31.

The Indian authorities blame Kathmandu for the operation. They say the hijackers were able to smuggle in knives, pistols and grenades only because the security at the airport was lapse. Investigations by independent journalists too have proved this point.

However, a Nepali inquiry into the crisis reportedly gave a clean chit to the airport staff.

Earlier, a joint parliamentary committee of Nepal had observed that a "market-like situation" existed at the security checkpoint. It had also acknowledged that flights from places like Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai were being used for smuggling.

The political system in Nepal is reported to be mixed up with smugglers, who fund various politicians for a free hand at the airport.

"It was alleged that smuggling syndicates and economic offenders also played a major role in the fall and formation of governments... Some political leaders and senior officials appeared to be directly involved in certain cases of smuggling and other illegal activities," the committee had observed.

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