India finally broke its silence on the western hostages crisis in Kashmir. It admitted knowledge of their whereabouts after nearly 475 days. The declaration came via their newly installed puppet "Chief Minister," Farooq Abdullah. India declared he was elected in what was clearly a stage-managed "election" in the internationally recognised disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
American Donald Fred Hutchings, German Dirk Hasert, and two Britons, Keith Mangan and Paul Wells were kidnapped with two others on July 4th, 1995, by an unknown group calling itself, "Al-Faran."
American John Childs, a fifth hostage, escaped within a few days. Norwegian Hans Christian Ostroe, a sixth captive, was found beheaded in a remote Kashmiri forest on August 13th, 1995.
The All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Kashmiris all around the world condemned in unequivocal terms the kidnapping and cold-blooded murder of the innocent Norwegian captive by "Al-Faran."
The APHC called for a general strike in Jammu and Kashmir to express its total abhorrence. The people of Kashmir demonstrated an unprecedented show of support in denouncing "Al-Faran," and their opposition to terrorism. All business establishments, schools, colleges, and government offices came to a stand still.
"The latest information I have about the hostages is that they are all alive," the AFP reported on October 19th, that Farooq Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar, just 10 days after being sworn in as ruler of the troubled Himalayan state. "I have got the area of (their) location also, but I will not disclose it now as it can cause problems."
Nine family members of . . . [hostages] flew in from New Delhi, but were prevented by the police from meeting reporters at the airport. The AFP.
The Indian Express, October 22nd, 1996, reported that relatives of the four Western tourists taken hostage by the "Al-Faran" in July last year in Kashmir Valley, today [October 21st. 1996] demanded "proof of their lives." The demand following a statement by state Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah that the hostages . . . are "alive."
"In a joint appeal here at a press conference, they said, 'we have come over to Kashmir to appeal for your help in tracing our sons and husbands. We, their families have lived in constant worry since that day fifteen months ago when they were so cruelly taken, and we beg you to help us, we need to know if they are alive and we need proof of life if they are.' the appeal read." (The Indian Express).
The AFP reports from Bonn, German member of parliament Vera Lengsfeld said she will return to Kashmir to try to secure the release of four westerners kidnapped more than a year ago by [so-called] Kashmiri separatists. Lengsfeld, a member of the Alliance 90/Green party, told AFP that she had obtained "serious news" that Dirk Hasert, a German national who is among the captives, is still alive.
Lengsfeld intends to go to the disputed . . . state . . . accompanied by a group of fellow German MPs. Lengsfeld, who went to Kashmir in early July with Hasert's brother Bernd and two fellow German MPs, said her delegation planned to meet with Indian and Pakistani government officials.
Like the July group, the December delegation will include members of two of Germany's main political parties -- the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party. It will also work in concert with the German foreign ministry in briefing parliament on its findings.
German Defence Minister Volker Ruehe is to raise questions about the kidnappings when he makes his own trip to India at the end of October, Lengsfeld said. The AFP.
The families of four Western hostages held by [so-called] Moslem militants in Indianheld Kashmir appealed Friday [November 1st, 1996] to the people in [Muzaffarabad], the Pakistancontrolled part of the state to help secure their release.
Charles Mangan, father of Briton Keith Mangan, reading out a written appeal at the Friday congregation inside a mosque here [Muzaffarabad] said "this action is not in the interest of the valley or Azad Kashmir nor India or Pakistan."
"We have visited the Valley and New Delhi to appeal for help to establish their whereabouts and condition, and what needs to be done to secure their release.
"We now appeal to you, the people of Azad Kashmir, for your help," Mangan's father said on behalf of their families.
The Imam (priest) of the mosque in his sermon backed the plea saying, "Islam, a religion of peace and harmony, is opposed to kidnappings."
The relatives, accompanied by a US and British diplomat based in Islamabad, also distributed the appeal translated in Urdu to the people outside a mosque.
They said they were "very worried" about the safety of the four who were abducted 487 days ago. "Some rumours say they are dead. If so we want to know this and their whereabouts so that we may take them home and give them a decent burial according to our custom as you wish your loved ones to be treated according to your customs," they said. The AFP reports from Muzaffarabad, November 1st, 1996.
Raymond Wells, father of Briton Paul Wells said the length of his visit would be "flexible" and "he would play by ear and try to drum up international support for the hostages. I don't blame the country and have nothing against anybody except the people who took them. Violence is always counter-productive." The AFP.
Nevertheless, Indian intelligence agencies, by targeting the unfortunate young western tourists, succeeded temporarily in confusing the international community's sympathetic focus towards Kashmir's freedom struggle. However, India needs a lot of courage to make a serious decision to release the hostages and would have to keep itself prepared to face the world.
Nonetheless, releasing hostages safely and soon would be helpful in India's own interest; continue to hold them or arrange to wipeout their evidence of existence will direly cost India in the international arena and for a long time. We have to agree with Mr. Wells, "violence is always counter-productive."