Exactly 24 years have elapsed since the notorious IC-814 Indian Airlines hijacking, an event etching a somber chapter in Nepal’s aviation history. The seizure of the Kathmandu to Delhi flight by terrorists remains a haunting episode, prompting Nepali authorities to ardently fortify airport security.

Nestled in the Himalayas, Nepal grapples with distinctive challenges in safeguarding its airspace. The 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 vividly spotlighted vulnerabilities within Nepal’s airport security apparatus, thrusting the nation onto the international stage with its inadequacies laid bare. This incident not only laid bare the frailty of Nepal’s airport security but also unveiled deficiencies in regulations and overall security infrastructure. The global community poses pertinent inquiries regarding the extent of lessons gleaned by Nepal from this harrowing experience, coupled with a keen interest in the current spectrum of security measures implemented.

The IC-814 hijacking raised numerous questions, some answered and others still pending. Queries persist regarding the source of weapons smuggled aboard the aircraft, the existence of pre-information within Indian intelligence, and the lapses in Nepal’s airport security that allowed lethal weapons to go unchecked.

Each year, billions of individuals traverse airports, making airport security a paramount global concern. Post the 9/11 incidents, air hijacking occurrences have significantly diminished owing to fortified and modernized security systems. Nevertheless, the imperative for Nepal to elevate its airport security to advanced levels has surfaced. Numerous security lapses persist within airports, creating opportunities for human traffickers, gold smugglers, and certain drug traffickers to exploit vulnerabilities. Recent incidents, such as the smuggling of 66 kg of gold and instances of human trafficking facilitated through visit visas, underscore the pressing need for enhanced airport security measures.

Terrorists successfully captured all crew members and 171 passengers, disguising themselves as passengers in an orchestrated air hijacking incident. The Indian plane, victim to this hijacking, was initially diverted to Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan, traversing Amritsar in India, Lahore in Pakistan, and Dubai in the UAE. India, over 8 days following the abduction, failed to execute any decisive security measures against the terrorists. Notably, during the plane’s landing in Amritsar, India was unable to conduct a hostage rescue operation or a specialized security intervention.

In Dubai, the local government prohibited Indian authorities from implementing security measures. Tragically, one Indian citizen fell victim to the terrorists’ violence. Ultimately, succumbing to the hijackers’ demands became the only recourse for the Indian government to secure the release of the hijacked plane. Consequently, three terrorist leaders—Masood Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Omar, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar—incarcerated in Indian jails, were reluctantly freed.

Masood Azhar, currently active, has established the Jihadi organization named Jaish-e-Mohammed. Sheikh Ahmed Omar, born in Britain and educated at the London School of Economics, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 on charges of kidnapping and murder and remains in jail. Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar, initially associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, now leads a terrorist organization, Mujahideen, after his release from an Indian prison. Both Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar face charges related to terrorist attacks on Parliament House and Uri.

The annual alerts from the US State Department and the European Union consistently emphasize the imperative to elevate security standards. Nonetheless, Nepal’s airport security systems grapple with several challenges. Numerous government and private sector entities operate within the airport domain, lacking proper cooperation and coordination. When incidents occur, the absence of a readiness to assume responsibility becomes evident.

The IC-814 hijacking incident underscores the need for Nepal to fortify its airport security measures. Nepal can address security challenges and establish a safer air travel environment.

Key challenges in Nepal’s airport security landscape include political instability, political alliances with smugglers, limited managerial resources, duplicated work efforts, a dearth of advanced technology, a deficient immigration data management system, misuse of airport entry passes, inadequate rules and regulations, and an absence of a clear mandate for security agencies.

To enhance airport security systems, the government must invest in advanced security technologies such as state-of-the-art baggage screening systems, biometric identification, and surveillance equipment. Assigning a single, clearly defined security agency for vital installations would eliminate redundancy. The government should introduce a comprehensive training program focusing on threat detection, crisis management, and effective communication in high-stress situations.

Implementing adaptive security policies with a crystal-clear mandate is essential. These policies should be flexible enough to adapt to evolving threat scenarios and political landscapes, ensuring a proactive approach to security challenges. Given the global nature of airport security, international collaboration, cooperation, and information sharing play vital roles. Strengthening collaboration with international partners is crucial, and the government should invest in infrastructure improvements to alleviate congestion and modernize airport facilities, ensuring efficient security procedures.

The IC-814 hijacking incident stands as a pivotal lesson, underscoring the need for Nepal to fortify its airport security measures. Through investments in advanced technologies, international collaboration, infrastructure enhancements, and comprehensive training programs, Nepal can address security challenges and establish a safer air travel environment. Coordination among the government, aviation authorities, and international partners is imperative to tackle these challenges and safeguard the security and integrity of Nepal’s airports.

Narayan Adhikari is a researcher on national security and terrorism.

Twitter: @BraboAlfa

As things stand, the global security environment is becoming more complex, unstable and uncertain. Non-traditional security threats have increased globally. Engagement in gray zone conflicts has been posing hybrid threats to modern security. Disinformation, deception, misinformation and confirmation bias tools and actions have been taking place for hybrid warfare. In the face of a flood of disinformation and online propaganda, the state mechanism looks completely insufficient and inactive to do anything about it. Thus disinformation and online propaganda, which the internet helps sustain, has given enormous threats to national security.

Intense competition has increased not only between the states but also between the non-state and non-military actors. South Asia has become the center of the polarization of the world powers.  The growing military strategy, military modernization, military alliances, and regional domination of powerful nations poses a serious security challenge to Nepal as well.

In recent months, global powers are competing to provide development aids to Nepal. Development aids would be fine but they are also spreading online propaganda through the internet to spread false information and misinformation to create wrong impressions about the rival countries and to sow the seeds of division among the Nepali people in the process.  False information is spread against a project funded by a certain country and people make their opinions about that project based on the same. Or contents are generated to malign certain countries and present others as good. Online media has been used for this purpose. This is the reason Nepal needs to rein in the false news propaganda regime that seems to be flourishing in recent times. This is because if the right information does not reach the general public at the right time, it will have a big impact on national security.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter help spread fake news and disinformation. Many people fall for it and come to believe it as true.  Probably because of this, many in rural villages come to believe in false things as truth and vice versa. Besides, social media-generated fake news, disinformation and misinformation instill in people negative perceptions about the government, political system, social institutions, neighbors and friendly countries.

Perils of disinformation 

Primarily disinformation serves to weaken the state. Criminal groups or state-sponsored groups deliberately share false information to damage the state’s reputation. There are many such instances from the past. 

In 1983, the Patriot, a pro-Soviet Indian paper that often published pieces provided by KGB agents, released a story claiming that the US military created the AIDS virus and released it as a weapon. The story began to spread rapidly and people came to believe it as true. In 1987 again, the Soviet-controlled press reprinted and rebroadcast it in over 80 countries in 30 languages. So it soon began to appear that the Americans were the ones who had created AIDS.

The fact was that the AIDS virus was terrifying and not well understood at the time. This propaganda by Soviet disinformation was especially targeted at damaging the image of the US.

In 2017, during the French presidential elections, a duplicate version of the Belgian newspaper Le Soir ran a fake article claiming that Emmanuel Macron was being funded by Saudi Arabia and he was the candidate preferred by Saudi Arabia.

Social media-generated fake news, disinformation and misinformation instill in people negative perceptions about the government, political system, social institutions and neighbors and friendly countries.

Throughout the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, Covid-19 spread terror all over the world. During the global health crisis time, many online portals, some intentionally others unintentionally, generated incomplete, false and misleading information about Covid-19 and its origin.

It is obvious how and why disinformation harms. First, disinformation impacts national politics and geopolitics. Second, it creates a false narrative about geopolitics and its actors. Third, it is used to kill democratic values. Powerful nations create fake news contents deliberately to manipulate and mislead the people, so that they can build alliances or perpetuate hegemony as per their interests. Fourth, it can damage economic, social and cultural aspects of life. More dangerous, it can break the trust and value of democratic institutions, and at sometimes even promote digital violence and repression.

What should be done?

The flow of misinformation in Nepal is intensifying. This is affecting the state, institutions, national politics, and security organizations. Fake news contents are also being spread for personal character assassinations. Disinformation has to be nipped in the bud but it is not an easy task to counter disinformation, online propaganda and fake news. The catch is failure to prevent disinformation and misinformation on time could lead to a serious national security crisis in the long run.

To control this, the state should formulate a national cyber security policy and fact check system.  It should be noted that spreading false information and online propaganda amounts to cybercrime. Those who publish and spread misleading information should be prosecuted. Similarly, strict action should be taken against those who spread false information against the state.

The right to freedom of opinion and expression is the constitutionally guaranteed right of every Nepali citizen. Everyone should respect the right to privacy. But in the name of democracy, online propaganda and disinformation should not be allowed to be used as tools to further geopolitical rivalries or for any other bad motives. For effective prevention and control of the fake news world, the government mechanisms need to come up with special initiatives. Nepal should never become the playground of disinformation against neighbors and friendly countries.  Nepal should not allow any element to do so. National interest is what matters for Nepal. Nepal should play ‘national interest card,’ not any other state’s card. Nepal wants harmony not hegemony from its aid and development partners.

Narayan Adhikari is a researcher on national security and terrorism.

Twitter: @BraboAlfa

If we look at the world through security perspective the grey zone conflict has been raised. Maritime encounters at sea and freedom of navigation issues are subject of intense debate in the international arena. New security challenges, irregular warfare, and global climate change, digital threats, global economic disruptions, violent extremism could pose new threats to the next century.

Nepal and geopolitics

Covid-19 has ravaged South Asia, particularly Nepal and India. People are pleading for help as the country is reeling under vaccine shortage. In many places hospitals are running out of beds and oxygen. The country is in lockdown. Our health workers and security agencies are working restlessly in this pandemic. People are losing lives every day. In this health crisis, regional solidarity and cooperation are needed more than ever before. But this has not happened, triggering regional security challenges along with the health crisis.

South Asia—which stretches from Mount Everest to the Indian Ocean to Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal—lies on an exceptionally strategically important location. Geopolitical tensions have impacted South Asia, which has a lot of minerals and riches. Indian Ocean is rich in Oil and minerals, which is one of the maritime routes of the global economy. Today, the freedom of navigation is becoming a global issue, leading to the possibility of future maritime encounters, which will be costly for the whole world. For example, China has claimed 90 percent of the South China Sea, and this claim is based on the U-shaped nine-dash line etched on the map in the 1940s by a Chinese geographer. On the other hand, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, signed December 10, 1982, has been described as a “constitution for the oceans.” These two are mutually contradictory, indicating possibility of conflict.

In this context, South Asia is emerging as a major hub for the polarization of world powers. The escalating strategic war in South Asia has been gradually forcing the region towards instability. Regional alliances and ‘Quad policy’ formation are rapidly increasing everywhere. The recent ‘Himalayan Quad’ meeting between Nepal, China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan has introduced ‘comprehensive’ security agreements and infrastructure-oriented aid to the Himalayan region.

We need to be sensitive and concerned about the security of the Himalayan region because of the growing instability around the world. The Himalayan region is one of the biodiversity hotspots. The mountainous region of South Asia is a mine of Ayurvedic medicine, apart from being a source of civilization. The large amounts of minerals are considered to be stored in the mountainous region. We should not spoil the natural beauty of the region in the name of modern development. While building roads, railways, and other big projects along this region we also need to ensure that ecology does not suffer much.

Covid-19 could prove to be a world-changing pandemic with potentially profound impacts on national and international security environment.

Climate change has impacted the Himalayan zone in much larger scale than we may have imagined. Massive avalanches, melting glaciers, hydro dams outburst, and increasing temperatures are results of climate change. The weather of the Hindu Kush Himalayan range is rapidly changing threatening millions of lives in the future.

If we do not act to preserve our mountains today, we are going to suffer tomorrow. This is a wake-up call for us all. Future will see a massive increases of environmental refugees.

Threat on Asia

As the situations are unfolding this way, regional cooperation and collaboration has been limited to a slogan in South Asia. Regional organizations like SAARC are completely inactive. When regional organizations become inactive, we fail to resolve differences by putting regional common issues in an open forum.

Indo-Pacific Strategy, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), QUAD Group, and Himalayan Quad have attracted the attention of the students for research and studies. Common people of South Asia have no clue what are the pros and cons of these projects, which seem to be countervailing projects for each other.

Due to unstable governance, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are facing multi-dimensional issues including national security threats. Pakistan and India have not been able to resolve their issues. Border and water disputes which started in 1947 are still there. Due to the border dispute between Nepal and India, unique relations and many bilateral cooperation projects have been overshadowed.

Since 1970, India and Pakistan have also engaged in an unhealthy technological nuclear arms race. Trans-border terrorism, terrorism, and transnational crime, cyber espionage are an enormous threat in this region. Apart from security threats the economic gains, regional cooperation is needed for the maintenance of peace and security in this region.

South Asia at the moment is under the throes of Covid-19 pandemic. Thus saving lives should be the first priority of the countries in the region now. But when we emerge out of it, we must consider this aspect of security with equal seriousness.

Narayan Adhikari is a researcher on national security and terrorism.

Twitter: @BraboAlfa