Bollywood films are not expected to reflect reality even if they are based on actual events or persons. The Akshay Kumar starrer, Airlift , is based on the evacuation of over 1.7 lakh Indians stranded in Kuwait after it was invaded by Iraq. The Indian government had organised an air evacuation of the refugees through Jordan; this is the event on which the movie is based. Airlift the movie is an exciting story — but the real-life back story is just as exciting.
The rescue was made possible by a series of moves by the Indian government; first by creating conditions under which they could be taken from Kuwait to Jordan, and then organising a civilian airlift.
Controversial imageFor Indians, the Kuwait story is closely linked to the picture of India’s foreign minister, IK Gujral, hugging Iraq’s president, Saddam Hussein. The photograph was flashed around the world; the hug was taken as a betrayal in the western capitals and excoriated in their media. In India it was termed “avoidable”.
Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990; Kuwaiti defence forces were overwhelmed and the emir of Kuwait, the royal family and government leaders fled to Saudi Arabia as Kuwait City was captured. India, like other countries, was taken by surprise. It was a major dilemma since Iraq was friendly to India and supplied a large part of Indian oil imports, but Kuwait, another oil supplier had a large Indian expatriate community.
India did not condemn the invasion, but called upon Iraq to withdraw. India’s mild reaction was sharply criticised by the Americans, but New Delhi’s first priority was the safety of the 1,80,000 Indians in Kuwait and the 10,000 Indian expatriates in Iraq. The border to Saudi Arabia was closed and the only way out was through Iraq to Jordan.
The Indian government began reaching out to governments in the region. External Affairs Minister Gujral left on a tour of Moscow, Washington, Amman and Baghdad. In Amman, he met King Hussein of Jordan and then flew on to Baghdad in an IAF aircraft.
When Gujral met Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader hugged him, calling India an old friend. The Iraqis released the photograph which then made headlines around the world. From Baghdad, Gujral travelled to Kuwait to meet the Indian community.
A proposal to use an IAF plane to fly to Baghdad fell through as the Iraqi authorities demanded that the airplane bring in food and medicines; this went against the UN sanctions that had been imposed on Iraq. But the Iraqis agreed to allow Indians to travel to Jordan. Indians had to be driven over 1,100 km across Iraq, much of it desert, to reach the Jordanian border; there they were lodged in refugee camps.
The operationThe external affairs ministry and the ministry for civil aviation worked in close coordination to mount the airlift, carried out from August 13 to October 11, 1990. Air India flew about 1,20,000 Indians in 500 flights from Amman to Mumbai. Indian officials worked long hours to organise the documentation for the refugees, many of whom did not have their passports. Indian officials negotiated with the Jordanians to waive several mandatory travel requirements. Amman itself was reeling under the influx of refugees from Kuwait.
The civil evacuation had a collateral effect as the civil aviation ministry allowed the use of the A320 aircraft for the airlift. Indian Airlines’ newly acquired fleet of A320s had been grounded after a fatal crash in February 1990. The purchase of the A320s had subsequently become a political controversy in India. However, Air India pressed the aircraft into service; it later became Indian Airlines’ workhorse for the next two decades.
It was a gruelling experience for the refugees but India managed to evacuate its nationals even as the US began the build-up that resulted in Operation Desert Shield to liberate Kuwait.
This stupendous rescue mission was not just a remarkable feat of logistics; it involved a vigorous diplomatic endeavour to bring home stranded Indians from Kuwait at a time when the world was ranged against Saddam Hussein. It remains a high point in Indian diplomacy.
The writer is a senior journalist