Sir,
A while back an article titled “TOCA Upgrades Security Unit As Part of Antiterrorist Effort,” appeared in Aviation Week & Space Technology. The article caught my attention because of the picture of a turbaned Sikh, who as the Indian Government’s representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization had been elected its secretary general in August 1988.
The article mentions that, “three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers have been on duty
guarding one of the organization’s outspoken officers, Shivinder Singh Sidhu, He is a Sikh who served as Chairman of Air India about the time when the airline lost a Boeing 747 in June 1985, over the Irish sea. Canadian officials have implicated members of the Sikh community in that disaster, although no one has come to trial. Sidhu is taking seriously what he considers to be the responsibility of ICAO to take strong actions against terrorism..”
In the interview with the author, Sidhu took “credit for the aggressive action in security and other areas.” The article also notes that, “Sidhu also has taken the unprecedented step of inviting members of the press to discuss general issues…He refers to all-round appreciation for his efficient and tactful handling of the crisis surrounding the AirIndia incident.” Coming on the heels of the revelations in the book “Soft Target” one has to wonder who appreciated his “efficient and tactful” handling of the investigations and who was it a “crisis” for? It may be recalled that Sidhu was earlier one of the advisors to the Governor of Punjab during the earlier days of the present stretch of President’s rule in that state. It is well known that such posts in India are almost always filled by “compliant” civil servants.
After reading the article one has to wonder whether Sidhu’s appearance (turbaned, visible Sikh) and background had anything to do with his deputation to ICAO by the Indian Government. One gets even more suspicious when one considers that he was appointed shortly after the Air India incident and the disclosures made in Soft Target about the activities of the Indian government diplomats and agents in Canada to discredit the Sikh community and undermine its campaign for an independent Punjab.
The article also notes that the next triennial assembly meeting of the ICAO is scheduled (at its headquarters in Montreal, I presume) for Sept 19 Oct 6 where “security will be the top item”. Perhaps some responsible members of the Sikh community in Montreal can arrange for activities that can put the appointment of Sidhu in a broader context of the revelations made in Soft Target.
- Singh Boston, MA.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 15, 1989
