NEW DELHI — When an Indian fighter pilot who had been captured by Pakistanwas released on Friday, it capped a humiliating episode for India and asurreal week for him.
First the pilot, Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan Varthaman, was soaring through thesky in a MiG-21 on Wednesday. Then he was shot down by Pakistani forceslink.
After parachuting into enemy territory and being surrounded by a mob, hetried to eat some of the documents he was carrying, according to Indiannews media reportslink.He was then badly beaten before being rescued by Pakistani troops.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Over the next few days, videos of him beinginterrogated in Pakistani custody spread on social media around the world.
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In one, Wing Commander Varthaman is blindfolded, hands tied behind hisback, face still bloody. In another, he is cleaned up and drinking tealink.Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan VarthamanCreditPakistan Armed Forces, via AssociatedPressImage
With his dark handlebar mustache and stoic demeanor, the wing commander,35, became the face of India and Pakistan’s conflict over the disputedKashmir region, and a major prize in a geopolitical battle.
Over the past week, the escalation of hostilities, including aerialdogfights and heavy shelling along the border between Pakistan and India —both of which are nuclear powers — set South Asia on edge.
But those tensions eased Friday evening as Wing Commander Varthaman wasreleased shortly after 9:20 p.m. local time.
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He walked through a border checkpoint wearing a blue sport coat and whitedress shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, and gray slacks. He seemed relaxed.Indian border guards shook his hand and whisked him away. Then hedisappeared in a convoy of Indian government vehicles.
He had been scheduled to emerge hours earlier at 5 p.m., and Indianofficials said they did not know the reason for the delay. But they seemedunfazed and said Wing Commander Varthaman was happy to be back on Indiansoil.link
On Friday, in a speech shortly before Wing Commander Varthaman wasreleased, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, called him “brave” andsaid he was an example of the “new India.”
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“This is an India that will return the damage done by terrorists withinterest,” said Mr. Modi, who faces a major election in the coming months.Many Indians are now angry at Mr. Modi and feel that India’s military movesin the past week backfired.
The troubles started on Feb. 14, when a suicide bomber in theIndian-controlled part of Kashmir rammed a car packed with explosives intoan Indian military convoy, killing more than 40 troopslink.
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It was the most devastating attack in Kashmir in decades, and Indiaimmediately blamed Pakistan, accusing it of helping the bomber. Pakistandenied any role.
Western intelligence officials have said that Pakistani security servicesallow anti-India militants to operate in Pakistan and that some of thesemilitant groups provide material support and expertise, like bomb makingknow-how, to insurgents in the Indian-controlled parts of Kashmir.
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On Tuesday, India took the bold step of sending a dozen warplanes intoPakistan. They dropped bombs on what India claimed was a terrorist trainingcamp, though witnesses in the area said the bombs had fallen in an emptyforest, injuring one man, an older villager.Video0:28Pakistan Frees Indian Pilot
Pakistan retaliated on Wednesdaylinkbyflying planes across the border into Indian air space.
While Indian officials have not detailed how Wing Commander Varthaman wasshot down, Western officials said they believe he was lured into a trap byPakistani jets.
They say that after Pakistani jets crossed into Indian airspace, theyquickly turned and flew away, tempting their pursuers into an area wellcovered by Pakistani air defenses, which then hit Wing CommanderVarthaman’s plane with a surface-to-air missile.
Wing Commander Varthaman, the son of veteran combat pilot, seemedself-confident throughout the recorded interrogation sessions. He answeredsome questions, without appearing nervous, and then refused to answerothers, like what his mission was, saying: “I’m sorry, sir. That’s all I’msupposed to tell you.”
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Asked in a 2011 television documentary what it took to be a fighter pilot,he said, “Bad attitude!”
In one of the videos from this week, he is seen drinking tea and lookingrelaxed.
“I hope you’ve been treated well with us?” a Pakistani officer asks inEnglish.
“Yes,” Mr. Varthaman says. “I have, and I would like to put this on recordand I will not change my statement if I go back to my country also. Theofficers of the Pakistani Army have looked after me very well. They arethorough gentlemen.”
“This is what I would expect my army to behave as,” he adds. “Am veryimpressed by the Pakistani Army.”
