Abdul Kalam’s shoegate
News reports surfaced recently that Dr. Abdul Kalam was frisked at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on April 24th of this year. The former Indian president was on his way to Newark via the American airliner Continental Airlines when an American boss for the company insisted that he undergo a security check. While Continental Airlines defended their action, reasoning that there global policy is no special exemptions for VIPs, the civil aviation ministry here in India has opened an investigation into the incident.
I personally think that no one should hold VIP status when security is a factor. While I am confident that Dr. Abdul Kalam— or any of the other former presidents for that matter—would not want to do harm, someone could have slipped an explosive into his bag before he walked on to the airplane and the former president could have unknowingly acted as an agent of terror. For this reason I believe that the VIP no-frisk policy is out of date and reminiscent of another, safer era. If Continental Airlines is found guilty of frisking Dr. Abdul Kalam by the civil aviation ministry investigation, however, the airliner should be punished because despite the fact that they’re American company they were operating in India and thus need to abide by Indian law.
Contributed by Jenny Suzdak
