Mumbai, August 23: In a troubling development, 22 Indian sailors remain in the clutches of pirates after two ships were hijacked in the waters off Yemen. Manoj Yadav, General Secretary of the Fishermen’s Union of India (FSUI), reported that families of the crew members have lost contact since August 20, prompting urgent pleas for assistance. He claims that over 30 Indian sailors have been held captive by Somali pirates since April. The families are anxiously awaiting a response from the local government regarding rescue efforts.
Yadav stated, “The two hijacked vessels had 22 Indian crew members on board. Somali pirates took control of these ships. Family members reached out to FSUI, expressing concern as they have not heard from their relatives since around 6 PM on August 20. Initially, they were communicating via mobile phones, but that abruptly stopped. After seeing media reports, the families became fearful and requested us to raise this issue with the appropriate authorities.”
He further noted, “Based on past experiences, it is known that these pirates demand ransom. However, the real issue is that since April, they have continued to hold other sailors captive. This is not a new occurrence. They have hijacked several vessels with Indian crew members, and many are still missing. Currently, there are more than 30 Indian sailors in the hands of these pirates.”
Yadav mentioned that they have seen a press briefing from the Ministry of External Affairs, indicating that they are monitoring the situation. He also referred to a statement from the Indian Embassy in Syria, which mentioned coordination with the local government. While this is reassuring, he questioned, “What are we going to do? Will we wait for their negotiations and proposals, or will we act as we have in the past?”
The FSUI General Secretary revealed that families have shared numerous audio recordings with them, but they are hesitant to disclose details for the safety of the sailors still on board. The families are undoubtedly under immense pressure and fear. This is not a typical situation where sailors are held at gunpoint and confined to a room.
He expressed concerns about trusting either the Iranian or American navy, as both countries have previously harmed Indian sailors, despite knowing they were on board. Yadav recalled a harrowing incident from April 22, where numerous small boats surrounded a ship and opened fire, resulting in the perilous situation for 21 Indian sailors and one Vietnamese national. The attack lasted over an hour, during which the ship was relentlessly fired upon.
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