Distressed sailor’s families up the ante
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 10:10 am under India News Distressed sailor’s families up the ante
In an attempt to garner mass support in their fight for the rescue of the 18 Indians on board the hijacked Cargo MT Stolt Valor, the families of the hijacked sailors are holding a peace march in various parts of the country today (October 7).
Rallies will be held simultaneously in 15 cities of the country. Seema Goyal, wife of the captain of the ship Prabhat Goyal, will lead the march from Mumbai.
On Saturday (October 4), the families had held a march at the Jantar Mantar in the capital to get public support for the sailors. Earlier, they had also staged a demonstration in New Delhi demanding action by the government to secure their release.
Meanwhile, another crew member on the ship has made a phone call to his home in India. Ullas Krishna, the second officer of the MT Stolt Valor told his family that the ransom money been demanded by the pirates has come down to USD 1.5 million.
“The amount of the ransom has come to 1.5 million. The Japanese owners are ready to give only 0.75 million. So, if a little more amount is give to the pirates, and then negotiations will be fruitful. The negotiations were delayed because of the language problem,” Thangam Krishna, mother of Ullas Krishna told TIMES NOW.
(Listen to Ullas Krishna’s mother)
“They are confined to one room and their health condition is worst,” she added.
The Japanese embassy yesterday gave assurance to Seema Goyal, who visited the Japanese embassy in New Delhi, of expediting the rescue mission.
Jayaprakash, uncle of Ullas Krishan, who also spoke to his nephew over the phone pleaded to the government to the rescue the sailors ‘at the earliest’, as their ‘lives were in danger’.
“We beg to the government to do the needful and take whatever steps…they have to be released at the earliest, because the sailors are in utter tension, their life is in danger,” Jayaprakash said.
(Listen to Ullas Krishna’s uncle)
Seema Goyal and the family members are trying to seek an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Pratibha Patil, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
The wife of the captain of the ship, hijacked by armed Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden, has also met Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and Minister of State from External Affairs Anand Sharma, seeking their intervention to save the lives of 18 Indian sailors onboard the vessel.
The seafarers on board MT Stolt Valor have been held hostage by the pirates who hijacked the cargo ship on September 15. The hijackers had earlier demanded a ransom of USD six million for the release of the crew and later came down to USD 2.5 million, which has been further reduced to USD 1.5 million.
The families of the abducted crew members have made repeated demands that the government should act to secure the release of the Indian crew on board. Many of them have fallen ill and the pirates have not allowed them any medical assistance, reports suggest.
Abducted Indian sailors on the hijacked ship MT Stolt Valor sent a desperate S.O.S message for help on Thursday (October 1), one of the crew members spoke to Seema Goyal, who identified himself as Shukla, literally begged and cried to plead with authorities to save them from the Somalian hijackers.
Earlier, under pressure from the families of the abducted sailors aboard hijacked MT Stolt Valor, Defence Minister AK Antony said “serious attempt” is being made to secure release of the Indians held hostage on the Panama ship, MV Stolt Valor. He has, however, ruled out government following any policy of “hot pursuit” as “it has wider implications.”
MT Stolt Valor is a 25,269 ton dry weight chemical tanker built in 2003 in Hong Kong, which is on time charter to Stolt Tankers. The Hijacked ship was on time charter to Stolt Tankers. The ship is owned by Panama-registered Company, Ocean Carrier Transit.
The vessel is believed to be heading to Eyl, a stronghold for pirates operating from Somalia. This is the tenth ship now held by pirates operating from Somalia.
( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)
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