It was an emotional homecoming for six Indian sailors of an Egyptian cargo vessel, freed by Somali pirates after 10 months in captivity, as they were reunited with their families here Friday.
The sailors and their families thanked Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney for facilitating the release.Welcomed with garlands, the sailors described their time on the hijacked MV Suez as the worst experience of their lives. They thanked Burney who arranged for the $2.1 million ransom money to get them and 16 other crew members of the ship – including 11 Pakistanis – freed.
‘We are grateful to the Ansar Burney Trust which raised the money to get us released,’ said N.K. Sharma, one of the freed sailors.
MV Suez, which was hijacked by Somali pirates Aug 2, 2010 in the Gulf of Aden, was released June 14. The vessel was initially escorted on its way to Oman by Pakistani naval vessel PNS Babar. The crew, however, had to abandon the vessel when it ran out of fuel and they were transferred to the naval ship. They were later put on board the PNS Zulfikar, which arrived in Karachi Thursday.
They arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on an Emirates flight via Dubai.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna expressed relief over the release and thanked Pakistan for aiding it.
‘We are relieved that their ordeal has ended and they would soon be safely back with their families. We appreciate the timely help extended to them and sailors of other countries, by the Pakistani navy,’ Krishna said in a statement.
He, however, added that the ordeal has not yet ended as over 500 sailors are still captive.
‘However, let us not forget that the ordeal of over 500 sailors from across the world, who are still in captivity of the pirates, is not yet over. The scourge of piracy requires a well coordinated response by all entities, especially navies of more than two dozen nations that provide security to sea-faring vessels in piracy-infested waters,’ he said.
The sailors requested the Indian government to rescue the other sailors still trapped on various ships in captivity of Somali pirates.
‘There are several Indians there on other hijacked ships. One ship, M.V. Iceberg is there since last 19 months,’ Ravinder Gulia, one of the freed sailors said.
Recounting their experience on the hijacked ship, the sailors said they lived in foul conditions with limited food and water.
‘Survival was most challenging. We were given limited food and water. We would catch fish for our survival,’ said Prashant Chauhan, another sailor from the ship.
Asked about the Indian government’s role, the sailors expressed disappointment at not being helped.
‘The Indian government extended no help. We are tired and have nothing to say (to the government),’ said Gulia.
Relatives also expressed concern over other sailors still being held hostage by pirates.
‘Other Indian sailors are still in captivity there,’ Sampa, wife of rescued sailor Ravinder Singh, said crying, ‘how can I not be emotional, I am not the Indian government.’
Madhu Sharma, wife of third engineer N.K. Sharma thanked Ansar Burney and invited him to India.
‘I would invite him to India, to come and meet us so that we can thank him,’ she said.
It was Ansar Burney’s trust, which paid the ransom money to the pirates to secure release of the MV Suez crew.
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party also joined in thanking Ansar Burney for helping in the rescue of the sailors.
‘We are grateful for the efforts of Ansar Burney, the human rights activist based in Pakistan, through whose efforts the Indian sailors could come back to their country,’ BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters. IANS
