The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Airport drama

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Thursday, Aug 31, 2006

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Airport drama

Why are we making such a big fuss over the manner in which the Dutch authorities treated the 12 Indians who were taken off the Northwest Airlines flight bound for Mumbai? In this case, the passengers were innocent. But how can the authorities take chances? On the brighter side, such arrests will deter potential terrorists from attempting anything on planes.

Jose Mathew Parampettu,
Kottayam, Kerala

* * *

The 12 passengers refused to follow instructions. The concerns of their fellow passengers in such circumstances were justified, considering that the world is yet to come out of the shock caused by the alleged terror plot to blow up American planes over the Atlantic.

R. Ramesh,
Chennai

* * *

It was unnecessary for the Government to make an international issue out of a non-issue. The 12 passengers and their supporters promptly gave it racial overtones. The improper behaviour of the passengers got them into trouble. An apology by them would have been in order.

Air Commodore V.V. Nair (retd.),
Alappuzha, Kerala

* * *

It is unfortunate that the success stories of the security agencies are seldom known while their failures are blown out of proportion. What if there had indeed been a threat? We need to live with the fact that most of those arrested in connection with acts of terror in recent times are of South Asian origin.

Badrinatha Tripathy,
Woodland Hills, California

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