On 24 August 1984, seven members of the banned All India Sikh Students Federation hijacked an
Indian Airlines
Indian Airlines was a division of Air India Limited. It was based in Delhi and focused primarily on domestic routes, along with several international services to neighbouring countries in Asia. It was a division of Air India Limited after mer ...
jetliner Indian Airlines Flight 421 (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
No.: IC421),
a
Boeing 737-2A8, on a domestic flight from the
Delhi-Palam Airport to
Srinagar Airport
Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport also known as Srinagar Airport and Budgam Airbase, is an international airport serving Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is owned by the Indian Air Force, and the Airports Autho ...
with 74 people on board and demanded to be flown to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The plane travelled to
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, then to
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
and finally to
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
, where the defence minister of the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emir ...
negotiated the release of the passengers and the surrender of all hijackers to UAE authorities.
It was related to the
secessionist
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics lea ...
insurgency
An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregu ...
in the Indian state of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
. The Khalistan movement was a separatist movement in Indian Punjab and UK where a small portion of the Sikh community openly asked for a different country for Sikh people (Khalistan).
The hijackers were subsequently extradited by UAE authorities to India, who handed over the pistol recovered from the hijackers.
Indian civil servant
K. Subrahmanyam
Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam (19 January 1929 – 2 February 2011) was a prominent international strategic affairs analyst, journalist and former Indian civil servant. Considered a proponent of ''Realpolitik'', Subrahmanyam was an influential vo ...
was on board an
Indian Airlines
Indian Airlines was a division of Air India Limited. It was based in Delhi and focused primarily on domestic routes, along with several international services to neighbouring countries in Asia. It was a division of Air India Limited after mer ...
flight (IC 421) on 24 August 1984 when the plane was hijacked. The arrested hijackers later claimed in court that it was Subrahmanyam who "planned the entire hijacking to examine nuclear installations in Pakistan."
IC 421 hijacking was mentioned in the book IA's Terror Trail, written by Anil Sharma.
This hijacking was also an important part of the story of 2021 Hindi film
Bell Bottom
Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg. These are similar to flared jeans.
History Naval origins
In the early 19th century, when a standardized uni ...
.
Indian Airlines
Indian Airlines was a division of Air India Limited. It was based in Delhi and focused primarily on domestic routes, along with several international services to neighbouring countries in Asia. It was a division of Air India Limited after mer ...
, India's sole domestic airline up to 1993, was hijacked 16 times, from 1971 to 1999.
Timeline
Indian Airlines
Indian Airlines was a division of Air India Limited. It was based in Delhi and focused primarily on domestic routes, along with several international services to neighbouring countries in Asia. It was a division of Air India Limited after mer ...
flight IC421 took off from
Palam Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (India), National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, D ...
at
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
with 122 passengers, bound for
Srinagar
Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
via
Chandigarh
Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...
and
Jammu
Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...
in the early hours of 24 August 1984. At Chandigarh 67 passengers disembarked and 31 joined the flight for Jammu and Srinagar. At 7:30AM, seven Sikh passengers - described as being in their twenties and wielding
kirpans
The kirpan is a curved, single-edged dagger or knife carried by Sikhs. Traditionally, it was a full-sized sword but modern Sikhs have reduced the length to that of a dagger or knife due to modern considerations based on societal and legal chang ...
- stormed into the cockpit and took control of the flight from Captain V.K. Mehta. On taking the cockpit, the hijackers forced the pilot to fly the aircraft to
Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
and circle above the
Golden Temple - the central shrine of the Sikh faith which had been
raided in June that year by the
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
in an anti-terrorist operation. After two circles above the Golden Temple, the hijackers ordered the aircraft to fly to
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, Pakistan. At Lahore the aircraft had to circle the city for nearly 80 minutes before it was finally allowed to land by the Pakistani authorities at 9:50AM due to dangerously low fuel levels.
Indian Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
spoke with Pakistani President
Zia-Ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, ( Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial ...
and requested him not to allow the aircraft to leave Lahore airport. The Indian government believed that since the hijackers were lightly armed, they could have very easily been neutralized by having special forces storm the aircraft.
On meeting with Pakistani officials on the tarmac at Lahore, the hijackers demanded that the aircraft be re-fueled and flown to the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. The Pakistanis agreed to refuel the aircraft, but advised that the aircraft lacked the range to fly to the Western Hemisphere. The hijackers allowed five passengers, including a three-member family, to leave the aircraft at Lahore. At 7 PM, one of the hijackers produced a revolver and used it to force Captain Mehta to take off from Lahore. Two British Nationals on board the flight later recounted that Pakistani officials had handed a paper wrapped packet to the hijackers, and that the revolver had been produced from this packet.
On departing from Lahore, the hijackers demanded that Captain Mehta fly them to
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. When Mehta refused - citing unfavorable flying conditions - the aircraft was diverted to
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
where it landed. At Karachi, the hijackers allowed 2 women holding British passports to leave the aircraft. After sitting on the tarmac for an hour where it was further re-fueled, the aircraft took off and headed for
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
. On approaching Dubai airport, the UAE authorities refused permission to land, switching off the runway lights as well as the radio beacon, in spite of Mehta's repeated pleas. By 5AM the next morning the aircraft was again facing dangerously low fuel levels and the flight crew made announcements asking all passengers to prepare for a water landing. When Mehta informed the UAE authorities of his plans to ditch the aircraft in the waters off Dubai, permission was finally given to land. The aircraft landed at 4:55AM local time with just 5 minutes of fuel left.
At 8 AM, UAE Defence Minister,
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. H ...
, reached the airport's control tower and began negotiations with the hijackers. At 10:05AM, a white Mercedes car was sent to the aircraft and returned with one of the hijackers for face-to-face negotiations with Sheikh Rashid inside the airport terminal building. At 11:40AM, a van filled with food and water for the hostages was dispatched, but this was turned back by the hijackers. At 12:35PM, 2 ambulances were summoned to the aircraft when one of its passengers -
K. Subrahmanyam
Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam (19 January 1929 – 2 February 2011) was a prominent international strategic affairs analyst, journalist and former Indian civil servant. Considered a proponent of ''Realpolitik'', Subrahmanyam was an influential vo ...
, director of the Delhi-based
Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis
The Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) (formerly known as: Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)), New Delhi, is India's foremost think tank for advanced research in international relations, espec ...
- complained that he required insulin injections for his diabetes. Subrahmanyam and an accompanying hijacker returned to the aircraft after the insulin dose was administered inside one of the ambulances.
At 1:45PM, after repeated requests from Sheikh Rashid, the hijackers finally allowed food and water to be brought on board for the hostages.
During negotiations with the UAE authorities, the hijackers demanded safe passage to the US as well as
political asylum
The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another enti ...
there. The US Consul General in Dubai, David Stockwell, reached the airport during the negotiations but later announced that "Our position is very clear. If they go to the US, they will be arrested." At one point in the negotiations, the hijackers wanted to be flown to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and the authorities began to make plans for a refueling stop in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
.
At 2:30PM, the hijackers forced Subrahmanyam to convey to the negotiators over radio their intention to commence execution of one hostage every half hour - starting with Subrahmanyam - if their demands were not met. No executions were however carried out. At 4PM 2 of the hijackers were taken to the terminal building for further negotiations, At 5:30PM when they had not yet returned, the remaining hijackers threatened to detonate an explosive device on board the aircraft. At 5:55PM the 2 hijackers returned to the aircraft, leaving again at 6:20PM only to return after 10 minutes.
At 6:50PM Dubai Chief of Police Colonel Dahi Khalfan Tamim announced to the press that the hijackers had been put under protective custody and that they had surrendered unconditionally. At 7PM, Two Dubai National Airlines Transport Authority passenger coaches arrived and all passengers and crew members were taken to the terminal building. The hijackers were then detained by the UAE authorities. The UAE authorities initially promised a seven-day asylum to the hijackers before their departure to the United States. In subsequent discussions with UAE and Indian officials, the hijackers were given 2 options:
extradition
Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdict ...
back to India, or prosecution for
air piracy
Aircraft hijacking (also known as airplane hijacking, skyjacking, plane hijacking, plane jacking, air robbery, air piracy, or aircraft piracy, with the last term used within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States) is the Crime, u ...
under UAE law.
All hijackers were later extradited to India.
See also
*
List of hijackings of Indian aeroplanes#1980s
*
List of aircraft hijackings#1980s
*
Bell Bottom
Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg. These are similar to flared jeans.
History Naval origins
In the early 19th century, when a standardized uni ...
*
List of accidents and incidents involving airliners by location#India
*
List of accidents and incidents involving airliners by airline (D–O)#I
*
List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft#1984
References
External links
*
{{Air India
Aviation accidents and incidents in 1984
Aircraft hijackings in Pakistan
Aviation accidents and incidents in the United Arab Emirates
Aircraft hijackings in India
Aviation accidents and incidents in India
Sikh terrorism in India
Terrorist incidents in India in 1984
Hostage taking in India
Indian (airline) accidents and incidents
1984 in India
Indira Gandhi administration
Aircraft hijackings
Terrorist incidents in India
1984 disasters in the United Arab Emirates