Alan Johnston and Phool Chand Ram

jubilant in having overcome an ordeal successfully. There was no such relief for the kith and kin of Dr Phool Chand Ram of the FCI, who was abducted by the ULFA almost a month after Alan. While it was claimed that his body was found buried in far away Baksa, Assam, it now transpires that he is still alive.

While full details of these two kidnappings and their respective triumph and adversity are not available, the contrast in the approaches to the management of the incidents has brought the tragedy of being Ram into sharp focus. At the core is the wobbly hostage policy of the government. Surprisingly, despite proclamations that just 1 per cent of the population supports the Ulfa in Assam, his captors were able to trudge with a diabetic patient for over 70 days, changing locations every night. This seems to indicate that while general support may be limited, there are enough people who can be cajoled or coerced into providing lodging and boarding to Ulfa militants. This indicates that we need to do a reality check on the backing Ulfa enjoys.

Apart from security lapses, the political approach to the kidnapping appears to have been of sheer apathy. If Assam CM, Tarun Gogoi, had issued a firm directive to the security forces after April 17, it would have perhaps gone some way in securing Ram8217;s release. Policies integrating the Northeast with the hinterland are good stories in the media, but the security of those like Ram who take the risk of serving away from home does not get much play.

It is also not clear if any pressure was applied by the FCI, which is a major national institution 8212; particularly in the Northeast, where it has a substantial presence with 15 zonal and district offices and 56 godowns. Maybe the BBC could provide a lesson or two on how an empowered organisation can protect its employees through opinion building. What about civil society? Johnston8217;s kidnapping had led to protests in many parts of the World and an online campaign with over 200,000 signatories. While TV channels made much of the kidnapping of a child in Noida, apart from an occasional snippet not much was reported on Ram8217;s status.

This lack of empathy with victims like Ram is shocking. It is shameful that his family was left to fight a lonely battle against a criminal-terrorist group such as the Ulfa. Ram8217;s tragedy should awaken us to the need to fight the intimidation of groups like the Ulfa. We should establish effective victim-centric policies for obtaining release without compromising state authority.