The recent Netflix series "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" has ignited a significant controversy, particularly among political circles in India. The series dramatizes the disturbing events surrounding the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 on December 24, 1999, when five terrorists from the Pakistan-based group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen seized control of the aircraft, which was en route from Kathmandu to Delhi.
This incident lasted seven days and ended with the Indian government agreeing to release three terrorists in exchange for the safe return of the 160 passengers and crew onboard.
Controversy Surrounding the Series
The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has accused the series of misrepresenting the hijackers by assigning them Hindu names, claiming that this portrayal is part of a broader "leftist agenda" to obscure the true identity of the terrorists involved.
BJP leaders have expressed concerns that such depictions could lead to a misunderstanding of the historical facts surrounding the hijacking, shifting blame away from the actual terrorists, who were linked to Pakistan's ISI agency - Decades later, people might think they were Hindus.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking to ban the series, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned Netflix for clarification on the content.
What really went inside the flight?
Close to New Year’s Eve, shortly after entering Indian airspace, the flight was hijacked by five armed & masked terrorists. The aircraft was diverted to several locations, including Amritsar, Dubai & Lahore, before ultimately landing in Taliban-controlled Kandahar, Afghanistan.
During the ordeal, the hijackers released 27 passengers in Dubai but fatally stabbed one individual and injured several others.
Captain Devi Sharan, who piloted the flight, faced intense pressure throughout the hijacking. He later revealed that he had devised a secret plan to crash-land in Lahore to signal for help without alerting the hijackers.
His calm behaviour under extreme distress was crucial in managing the situation, especially after the brutal death of a passenger.
The Timeline:
This was significant and traumatic event in Indian aviation history. This is a brief timeline of the incidents that occurred during this hijacking, including the stops and key moments throughout the crisis.
December 24, 1999
4:00 PM: Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 departs from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, en route to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India. The flight has 176 passengers and 15 crew members, piloted by Captain Devi Sharan.
4:39 PM: The flight enters Indian airspace. Shortly thereafter, a group of five armed terrorists, members of the Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, hijacks the aircraft. One of the hijackers, wearing a red balaclava, enters the cockpit with a grenade and a gun, declaring the plane hijacked.
4:53 PM: The hijackers take full control of the aircraft and demand that the captain divert the flight to Lahore, Pakistan.
4:56 PM: Captain Sharan discreetly sends a coded message to Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Delhi, alerting them of the hijacking.
7:00 PM: The aircraft lands at Amritsar Airport after the hijackers are denied permission to land in Lahore. The hijackers demand to refuel the plane, but Indian authorities refuse.
7:55 PM: Fearing a military intervention, the hijackers forced the captain to take off again, this time heading for Lahore.
8:01 PM: The aircraft lands at Lahore Airport, where it is refueled after lengthy negotiations with the authorities.
10:32 PM: The plane takes off from Lahore, heading towards Kabul, Afghanistan.
December 25, 1999
1:32 AM: The aircraft lands in Dubai after being denied landing rights in Kabul due to nighttime restrictions & the recent Kargil War argument. Here, 27 passengers were released.
6:20 AM: The flight departs Dubai, heading back to Kabul.
8:33 AM: The aircraft lands in Kabul, where it remained for the duration of the crisis.
December 26-31, 1999
December 26-31: Intense negotiations occur between the Indian government and the hijackers. The initial demands include the release of 36 terrorists and a ransom of almost Rs.900 Crores. Over the days, these demands are reduced.
December 31: After days of negotiations, the Indian government agrees to release three high-profile terrorists: Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, in exchange for the remaining passengers. The hijackers finally released all hostages, marking the end of the seven-day severe trauma.
The event remains a painful memory in India's history, with the complexities of negotiating with terrorists and the consequences of such decisions.
Missed opportunities by the goevrnment
The then PM Vajpayee was was informed about the hijacking over an hour after it started and the whole confusion from a hoax call led to delays in decision-making about how to handle the situation.
The Punjab Police was all set to send commandos to storm theplane while it was on the ground, but the government didn’t give approval as they waited for the National Security Guard (NSG) to arrive. Post this delay, the pilot was forced at gun-point to fly.
There was poor communication among local police, intelligence, and national security forces, taht gave way to a disorganized response. While, the government had plans on how to handle hijackings, they were not effectively executed during this incident.
Negotiations and Aftermath
The hijackers initially demanded the release of 36 terrorists and ₹900 crore but eventually settled on three key figures: Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar. The Indian government, under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, faced immense pressure to secure the hostages' release, ultimately agreeing to the terrorists' demands.
The hijacking of IC 814 had lasting repercussions. The three released terrorists went on a strike of various terrorist activities in India. People raised serious flaws in India's crisis management and counter-terrorism strategies, which led to widespread criticism of the government's handling of the situation.
The repercussions of these major exchange
Maulana Masood Azhar
Maulana Masood Azhar, founder of the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), was directly involved in the following attacks after his release:
- 2001 Indian Parliament attack: JeM along with Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out this attack in New Delhi, killing 9 people.
- 2016 Pathankot attack: JeM militants attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station in Punjab, killing 7 security personnel.
- 2019 Pulwama attack: A JeM suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British terrorist of Pakistani origin, was involved in:
- 2002 kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl: Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was abducted and beheaded in Pakistan. Sheikh was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death for this crime.
- 2001 Indian Parliament attack: Sheikh was also alleged to have had a prominent role in this attack along with Masood Azhar.
Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar
Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, founder of the Al-Umar Mujahideen terrorist group, has been training militants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir since his release.
The release of these three terrorists has been widely criticized as it directly led to the escalation of terrorist activities in India in the following years. The IC 814 hijacking and the Indian government's decision to surrender to the hijackers' demands has had lasting repercussions on India's security landscape.
Public Reaction and Historical Context
The series has attracted a lot of social media backlash, with hashtags like #BoycottNetflix trending as many viewers accuse it of distorting historical facts. Critics argue that the portrayal of the hijackers using Hindu names is misleading and could lead to historical inaccuracies being accepted as truth. Some politicians & a passenger have defended the series, stating that the names were based on investigation reports and that the characters were referred to by code names during the hijacking.
Omar Abdullah pointed out that when “Kashmir Files” was released, people accepted it as the straight up truth, but when it comes to this, they want ‘accuracy’.
The controversy surrounding "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" is only getting intense & raising the ongoing tensions in India regarding historical narratives and the representation of sensitive events.
As the series continues to draw attention, it will be interesting to see how the questions about the responsibilities of filmmakers in portraying real-life incidents and the potential implications of their creative choices.
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