My head hangs low with shame………..

Was former president APJ Abdul Kalam frisked by an American airline because his name implied a particular religious identity or is India particularly generous to foreign dignitaries without other countries returning the favour?

Now it has been well over 2 months since the incident took place….. Is our government so weak that it cannot even take action against such a grave issue…??

When i heard abt the incident my first reaction was that of outrage !… 60  yrs have gone since we have been independant !… bloody 60 years !!!! Are we still slaves to the Capitalistic powers …. can they dominate a Soverign India.

According to the US law, “EVERY PERSON ” who is boarding a direct flight which will land on US soil is to be strictly checked …

I dont care  ! As a common man, a citizen of India, I simply dont care what rules are laid down by the US government…..

what i know is that my President was boarding a flight on Indian soil, and as a part of the Protocol signed by 72 countries he is not allowed to be checked ! NOT ALLOWED !

IGI- airport is indian soil… n it deeply hurts me to say that why should america law overrule Indian law on my country’s soil !

mocking the nation, when it protocols are violated in its own ground.

Kalam was reportedly forced to wait on the aerobridge even as the airlines security personnel debated whether to put him under the security scanner or not. Kalam was asked to surrender before the security officials for a complete body check and remove his footwear as well.

What the fuck !  ???……

Civil aviation minister Praful Patel said he would be speaking to his external affairs counterpart SM Krishna to modify protocol rules. “Protocol rules are drawn after consulting the external affairs ministry. I will refer the matter to him,” he said.

The statement was made after MPs demanded action against those guilty of asking Kalam to remove his footwear during the check, calling it an “unpardonable” act. The incident took place on April 24 when Kalam was about to board a flight to Newark, New Jersey.

As he proceeded toward boarding the aircraft, Continental Airlines staff frisked him in contravention of rules even though CISF personnel on duty pointed out that Kalam was exempt from such checks.

An enquiry ordered into the matter established that the staff had wrongfully, under the direction of their security-in-charge, country director and station manager, carried out pre-embarkation body check on Kalam. A show cause notice was issued on July 9, to the airline’s station manager asking why action should not be taken against Continental under Section 11A of the Aircraft Act, 1934.  As no reply was forthcoming, a case was registered for willful violation of the ministry’s directions.

“The frisking or action per se was absolutely wrong. The former President and other such dignitaries are exempt from such frisking,” Patel told the Rajya Sabha while referring to rules that exempt certain VIPs from checks in airports.

He had to go through the entire security check because it is our policy to frisk everyone. This is the policy Continental Airlines follows over the world. There is no special rule for VIP or VVIP.

In fact, Kalam was very cooperative and underwent the entire process which happened over a month ago,” said the public relations officer of Continental Airlines.

yes you dumb people from USA…. it wasnt submission to ur rules… it was the modesty of the man…. who i have seen sitting down on the stage during a question hour session with Rajdeep Sardesai n Barkha Dutt because there was no chair available. N that time He was the Honourable President Of India…………

I must reiterate it is not about special privilege. I am not talking about a Person, an individual . What I am talking about is the former President of India

Do we see the word India around? Do we still need to be progressive enough to demand equality when India is involved? Can we really justify inactions in the name of security and threats. I agree with the security and threat concerns – but threat from whom? From Dr Kalam?

Somebody commented that It happens only in India. I agree. I don’t believe  you can put a former US president to same treatment anywhere in the world. Forget US. You wont be in a position to do the same thing almost anywhere in the world.

Have we forgotten the preamble of our own constitution where we solemnly resolved to constitute India in a sovereign nation? Are we sovereign?

I would like to end this post with a very nice message….

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I think somebody should have the airlines across the world know that though Mr Kalam was the man behind the missile program he does not carry them in his hand bag !

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