At quiet Palam,by lights of Army vehicles,homage paid to the dead

Outside the special aircraft that brought home bodies of six Indians who died in the Kabul attacks on Friday lay remnants of lives that had been snuffed out....

Outside the special aircraft that brought home bodies of six Indians who died in the Kabul attacks on Friday lay remnants of lives that had been snuffed out a white polythene bag that fluttered in the wind,a red suitcase,belongings packed in haste,in fear,in grief.

Among those present to receive them at the Palam Technical Area of the Delhi airport on Saturday evening was President Pratibha Patil,who is also the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces. It was not a scheduled visit but an impromptu gesture by the President,who had returned from Pune minutes before the special aircraft,K 2412,was to land at 5.57 p.m,to pay her respects to the six dead,including two Army majors,a constable,an engineer,a counselor and a musician.

Along with the family members,Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao,deputed by the government to pay homage to the dead,were also present.

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In the twilight,three Army vehicles standing some distance away turned on their headlights,casting a yellow hue on the six coffins laid out for military honours on the runway,draped in the Tricolour. In the eerie stillness of the moment,not a sound could be heard.

The first to lay the wreath was President Patil. On her way back to her car,she stopped to pay her condolences to the relatives of the victims.

Along with the coffins bearing the dead,the aircraft also brought back those who survived the Taliban attacks. The eight critically injured were brought out first and taken to the Armys Research and Referral Hospital.

An IAF officer who watched the ceremony said the journey of the coffins from the airport to the hometowns in this case Manipur,Chamba,Agra,etc was the most painful. For hours,the officials accompanying the bodies in airplanes,vans,debate how to face the families,what to tell them.

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Their training didnt help much in these moments,he said. You feel ashamed,embarrassed,you fumble,and you cry too,he said. Its hard. It hurts.