DNA Edit: Stop blaming Swaraj - The Oppn should draw a line under this painful affair

It has been extremely difficult for the families, who had kept their hopes alive that the 39 Indian hostages would return home safe, to come to terms with the news of their deaths. The four-year-wait, beginning in 2014, was a test of faith and optimism that drew from enormous reserves of inner strength. And now, bereft of that last shred of positiveness, the families feel that the Ministry of External Affairs had toyed with their emotions by suppressing information that the ISIS had killed the captives long back. In moments of intense grief, it is but natural to forget that without due diligence and concrete evidence it was impossible for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to pronounce them dead.

The government couldn’t have relied solely on the version of the lone Indian who escaped from ISIS custody. It needed independent sources to verify the facts. It’s true that the Islamic militants are merciless, but they also displayed ​unexpected ​generosity when they released the Kerala Christian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil after detaining him for 18 months. On the war front in Iraq and Syria, it is virtually impossible to gather credible information about the Indians. The world was caught up with the Syrian refugee crisis and news of ISIS brutalities.

Like the relatives of the deceased, Swaraj too was optimistic that the men could be brought back home once the city of Mosul in northern Iraq was wrested from the ISIS. But despite depleted strength, ISIS was putting up robust offensives. The war had ravaged the region beyond recognition. It had turned into a mass grave. The task to identify the Indians from countless bodies was by no means easy. Even if there is a remote possibility that they are alive, it had to be explored. One never knew if the Indians were holed up somewhere as the fighting raged.

Meanwhile, Swaraj was collecting DNA samples from the relatives to launch a thorough search. She didn’t leave any stone unturned during the quest. Finally, when the hour came to announce the depressing news, she chose to address the Parliament because by then the issue had become extremely politicised. The Opposition termed the time-consuming search operation a delaying tactic of the government. How does the MEA stand to lose in this issue when the Indian workers had voluntarily gone to Iraq? The ministry was only trying to help the anxious family members in their long spell of crisis. It’s shameful that ​Opposition leaders could stoop so low to score brownie points over the deaths. Swaraj is now trying to get the mortal remains of the Indians to give full closure to the families. The whole affair was draining for her as well and she too deserves closure. However, no word of compassion can compensate the families for their loss. They will now have to wait for time to heal the wounds.