Archive for the ‘Abdul Kalam’ tag
The importance of frisking
I wonder why it has only just surfaced that American Continental Airlines were not as thorough frisking the former Indian PM, Dr. Abdul Kalam last April as they should have been.
It is possible that he might have been ‘ambushed” on the short distance he had to walk. Considering that no one should be exempt for obvious reasons didn’t seem to be the airline policy.
Searching heels of men’s shoes is regular but not, in my experience, ladies shoes.
In contrast, security at Indian temples is most strict probably because of the large number of visitors.
Although time consuming, it is in our own interests. Temples lost to bomb outrage are irreplaceable but then so are travellers everywhere.
Contributed by Barbara Turner
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 For this reason I believe that the VIP no-frisk policy is out of date and reminiscent of another, safer era.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
