Kasargod: Seaman from District Fears for Life from Pirates
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (SP)
Kasargod, Nov 26: Mohammed Nangi from Mogral in the district, who is one of the 21 seamen held captive by pirates, has informed his family members that his life is under threat from the pirates.
Fairchem Bogey, a chemical-oil carrier managed by Mumbai-based Anglo-Eastern Ship Management with 21 seamen on board, had been hijacked by Somali pirates off Salalah port in Oman on August 20 this year.
Mohammed said that the pirates used to give small quantity of food to the ship’s employees for a few days, and have stopped the same since the last several weeks. Hence the ship workers are forced to survive on sea water alone. He also revealed that the pirates have been assaulting top level employees of the ship since a few days, and have been posing life threat to others at gunpoint. As such, all the employees are doubtful of their survival, he disclosed.
The ship workers, who have been held captive, have been requesting their families to contact the shipping company and put in efforts for their early release. Their family members had also visited Mumbai some time back and held protest in front of the company.
Zohara, wife of Mohammed Nangi, who is put up in Mumbai are present, said that the company officials shooed away protestors with the help of policemen. She said that the company has been provided with police protection now, and that the relatives need to obtain permission from policemen before they could talk to officials. “17 relatives of the workers of the ship are in Mumbai. We now plan to go to New Delhi to meet union ministers,” she explained.
The relatives are angry that the company has not made any serious efforts to get their employees released from the clutches of the pirates, although it has been over three months since they were held by pirates. In the meanwhile, the family members of Nangi said they plan to meet the state Chief Minister during his mass contact programme slated to be held in the town on December 2.