New Delhi: "If I were ever to be captured, I want no negotiations." That's what Henry Kissinger had to say if ever one had to negotiate to bail him out.
Indian diplomacy has never agreed with Kissinger's views, particularly when negotiating peace with militiants.
In fact, Indian diplomacy today faces this dilemma more often than not. On the one hand innocent lives are at stake and on the other, meeting the demands of militants mean putting national security at risk.
On December 8, 1989, Kashmiri militants kidnapped Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's daughter Rubaiya Sayeed. Mufti was then the Union Home minister.
The kidnappers demanded that the government release five hardcore militants if they wanted Rubaiya back safely.
After 122 hours of intense negotiations, the militants were let off and Rubaiya returned safe.
But the defining moment for any Indian negotiator came on the Christamas Eve of 1999.
As many as 14 militants hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC 814, from Kathmandu carrying 185 passengers.
They killed one passenger and took the plane to Kandahar Airport. They then raised a demand for the release of 35 terrorists besides Mohammad Masood Azhar and $200 million for the release of the 154 hostages.
India negotiated, released three terrorists, including Azhar, and all passengers on board IC 814 returned home.
In Afghanistan too, India sat on the negotiating table with the Taliban in recent times, like in the case of Maniappan Kutty. But the crisis ended in a tragedy. Kutty was killed and Indian negotiators were left guessing as to what went wrong.
Negotiations have saved hundreds of lives, but in exchange of those who killed hundreds others, are negotiations all about an ideal or getting the best deal? That remains the biggest dilemma for the Indian diplomacy today.
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