“Return of the Memons: A Pyrrhic Victory” continues…

It was September 5, 1994. All was set for Rahin’s and her baby daughter’s departure by Air India. After bidding a tearful goodbye to the family of the consulate staffer, who had given her and her month old baby shelter and care, Rahin, accompanied by embassy officials, arrived at the Dubai International Airport. She hoped to see her husband Yaqub and other family members in the next few hours. That was all that mattered to her at that moment.

But unexpected twists and turns are inherent to such tales. It was, I clearly remember, a Friday afternoon. I got a call from a Consulate official that Rahin was at the airport but denied immigration clearance for departure as her name figured on the Interpol Red Corner list. I was in my office when the news came. The only person I could turn to was my batch-mate Ravi Sharma, posted at Interpol Headquarters in Lyons, France. I called him in sheer desperation.

His phone rang incessantly with no response. My last glimmer of hope was fading. I tried again and this time after a few rings he answered. After hearing out my rather unreasonable request to get Rahin’s name off the Interpol Red List pronto, Ravi responded: ‘Do you realize it’s the beginning of a weekend and the Interpol Headquarters is already closing. My family is waiting outside in our car. We are off for a skiing holiday. How do you expect me to help you?’ I said: ‘Ravi, the job has to be done. We have come thus far and it can’t get deferred because of this silly formality.’ Very reluctantly, he asked me to send him a fax with a formal request, which I promptly did. It is to Ravi’s credit that he delayed his family’s departure and got the Interpol to withdraw the Red Notice.

When I conveyed this news to our Consulate officials, who in turn informed the Dubai Immigration, the Immigration officials looked at their computer screen in sheer disbelief. Suddenly Rahin’s name had disappeared from the Red List. She was allowed to leave.