Indian seafarers face threat
With pirates roaming the high seas and the navies of hostile countriesremaining a constant threat, the lives of Indian seafarers in international waters are fraught with peril. Little has been done to ensure their safety even after the creation of the Indian Maritime Casualty Investigation Cell. According to veteran seafarers, the cell does not address real issues and even after several months, the Indian government has not taken initiatives to ensure that sailors are safe while on the high seas and redress grievances pertaining to dozens of maritime causalities.
The Union ministry of shipping and agencies concerned are impotent, said Captain A. K. Bansal, an Indian representative at forums of international seafarers. Though the Union government decided to form a dedicated Indian Maritime Investigation Casualty Cell, the troubles of Indian seafarers continue as relatives and family members of several Indian seafarers are still waiting for replies from the shipping ministry, said Capt. Bansal.
Rather than creating more and more chairs and bodies, the officials should address the plight of Indian seafarers, one of the largest labour forces in the international maritime industry, he added. Though the creation of the Indian Maritime Investigation Casualty Cell is a positive development, the rules and regulations have been enacted only to fulfil international obligations laid down by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO), say experts.
According to Capt. V. Manoj Joy, national co-ordinator of Sailors Helpline, Indian seafarers do not benefit from the new frameworks. Lalitha Srivastava of Hyderabad, whose husband went missing from a ship eight months ago, has yet to receive any response from the office of the director general of shipping despite approaching the shipping ministry many times, said Capt. Joy.
Source: eunavfor
