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Clinton to meet Rupin Katyal's father

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Visiting US president Bill Clinton brushed aside his personal aides' contention that his "crammed Indian schedule" would not allow him to give an appointment to C M Katyal, father of Rupin Katyal. Clinton has agreed to take time off to meet Katyal on March 23 for a "brief appointment." Katyal's son Rupin was killed by the hijackers of Indian Airlines Airbus IC 814 in December.

"President Clinton should be praised for brushing aside his aides' suggestion that he can ill-afford to give an appointment to any unofficial personnel during his stay here. By agreeing to take time off from his crammed schedule to meet Katyal, he has displayed a commendable human trait," a senior government official said.

The US officials are learnt to have tried to impress upon the president that there were numerous important VVIPs eager to meet him and that it was not possible to "entertain such people". However, Clinton brushed aside the objections to meeting the father of the hijack victim, underlining that " this was a special case with humanitarian overtones".

"We have not sought any meeting with the US President. We understand that Clinton expressed his desire to see us," said Katyal.

Asked if the family planned to submit any letter to the US president, drawing his attention to acts of terrorism by Pakistan, Katyal said the family had not thought about that.

"We will think about it now. But what can we tell him in writing? Doesn't he know that who the hijackers were, which are the forces helping the terrorists? And who is the man behind such dastardly acts? I am sure he knows it all. We have lost our son in the prime of his youth, within two weeks of his getting married to Rachna," he said.

Family members would not say if Rupin Katyal's widow would accompany other members of the family to the meeting with Clinton.

Significantly, Americans, by and large, were reportedly not too concerned by the hijacking of IC 814 since "the event occurred in a distant third world country - in India," as a noted American columnist noted.

For Indian official circles, Katyal's appointment with Clinton is vital because he would be able to relate first-hand the trauma he and his family suffered after his son, who had boarded the ill-fated flight on his way back from his honeymoon in Nepal, was killed.

The official said that a lot of heartburn prevails among "anti-India elements" who, after getting wind of Katyal's appointment with Bill Clinton, are trying their best to "sabotage" it. He said "the anti-India lobby", especially Pakistani elements, were trying to influence their friends in the visiting US presidential delegation that it would be "improper" for the Americans to "entertain" a private individual like Katyal.

Indian officials say that Pakistani elements based in India cannot digest that while Clinton is spending five days in India, he will spend merely five hours in their country.

"They are doing everything to put a spoke in our efforts to make President Clinton's visit a success," the official said.

With additional reportage by Onkar Singh

The IA crisis

CLINTON VISITS INDIA : The complete coverage

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