I have to begin somewhere in this never ending search trying to connect the dots..an interesting dot.
subcontinent.com
Don Hutchings--http://www.iea.com/~jschelly/
Don's Capture Story
Kashmir has a reputation of hospitality and friendship to tourists and has long attracted visitors, especially those wanting to escape the heat of lowland India or enjoy a stay on a houseboat. Don went to Kashmir with his wife, Jane Schelly, to trek through the highlands of Kashmir. Don and Jane had heard of political unrest in the area on their previous trip to India in 1991, having spoken to many tourists who had visited the area. However, after talking to the Indian Government Tourist office in New Delhi, tourists who had just returned from Kashmir, and a private touring company, they felt that it was safe to visit. All of these agencies however, are in the business of promoting tourism. Upon arriving in Srinagar, they further checked with the Jammu/Kashmir State Government Tourist office, registered their passports with authorities, and had no reason to believe that trekking would be unsafe. Jane felt their grave mistake was not checking with the State Department tourist information or with the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. They hired two local guides in Srinagar who then employed 2 ponymen at the trailhead. Their twelve day trek took them from Pahalgam northeast following the east branch of the Lidder River to Amarnath Cave, the site of the very famous Hindu pilgrimage. They would have then moved further north to another region except for the Baltal Pass being blocked by heavy snow. They turned back to Pahalgam and went up the northwest branch of the Lidder River to the Kolohai Glacier. They were scheduled to leave the region via the Sonamous Pass to Sumbal on their twelfth day. Unfortunately, due to deep snow, this pass was also not negotiable by the ponies. It was on this day, returning to Pahalgam, that they encountered the militant group Al Faran.
This group was specifically looking for Westerners to take hostage - to be used in an exchange for 21 jailed Muslim militant separatists. They encountered Don and Jane in the Lidder Valley of Kashmir. Don and Jane's encounter with Al-Faran was tragically accidental. Don and Jane had originally wanted to go a different direction but they were prevented from doing so by snow in the passes. They had turned around and were in the Lidder Valley where they ran into Al-Faran.
They encountered their captors in their camp in the Lidder Valley. The militants entered the camp and ordered everyone to surrender their documents. Questions were threateningly asked, tents were searched, and possessions stolen. The men, John Childs, Keith Mangan, Paul Wells, and Donald Hutchings were told to put on all their warm clothing. They were told they would be taken to talk to the militant commander, a three hour walk away, and they would be released the first thing in the morning. Jane was given a note for American officials. The militants wanted jailed members of Harkat-ul-Ansar (HUA) freed in return for the hostages. The next morning, she, along with the other women, Catherine Moseley, and Julie Mangan returned to Pahalgam where she gave the note to the police. She also gave the note to the United Nations post which contacted the U.S. Embassy. This was the beginning of the long, unfinished business of freeing the hostages.
The hostages. Don is on the far right with the cap and beard.
There were several significant events over the next six months. The first was the escape by John Childs several days after their capture. He escaped by taking advantage of a case of dysentery to slip into the darkness of night. He dysentery necessitated relieving himself about every two hours so the guards were used to him walking about at night. He got an opportunity to leave when the guards were asleep and he headed uphill. Later, he was picked up by an Indian Army Helicopter on a ridge above 12,000 feet. The militants looked for John downhill from their camp and did not find him. They did, however, capture two more Westerners, Hans Christian Ostro, a Norwegian and Dirk Hasert, a German. They now had five hostages of various nationalities.
The next several weeks brought several threats of death if demands weren't met. A hostage, Hans Christian Ostro, was unexpectedly murdered during this period. This had everyone very upset. We found out Don was all right because the militants and the hostages released an audiotape. I will never forget his voice when I heard it. His tone was anxious and I sensed fear in it. The words I remember well are:
"Jane, I want you to know that I am okay. But I don't know if I die today or tomorrow. I appeal to the American and Indian governments for help. I love you, Jane."
This still stops me when I think about it.
There was a lot of negotiating for the next several months of 1995. The last confirmed sighting of Don was late in 1995. In December 1995 Al-Faran finally encountered the Indian Army. There was a skirmish and many of the militants were killed including their leader, Hamid Turki.
There have been a lot of unconfirmed sightings of Don over the next two years. Jane went back to Kashmir during the summer of 1996 and the summer of 1997. She has met with countless government officials including President Clinton. The situation at this time is unresolved. We simply do not what Don's fate is. I feel that if anyone would survive this situation, Don would. He is strong, mentally centered and he has access to the knowledge required for him to survive. He is a neuropsycologist so he understands human nature very well. There have been many instances of hostages such as Terry Anderson and Terry Wait who had been held for years, incommunicado, only to be freed years later. Our hope is that Don is freed sometime soon. |
