Six Indian sailors back home after 10-month ordeal

New Delhi, Jun 24 (PTI) After 10 months in the
captivity of Somali pirates, six Indian sailors of M V Suez
vessel touched down on home soil Friday to an emotional
welcome from family members.
The sailors came by an Emirates flight from Dubai
which landed at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport at
9.36 am (IST) and were received by family and friends carrying
garlands.
Relatives broke down in tears at the sight of the
rescued sailors as their children carried placards that read
'Thank you Ansar Burney uncle, we love you', in a reference to
the Pakistani human rights activist who facilitated their
release from the sea brigands.
Closely holding his three-year-old son, Ravinder Singh
Bhulia, one of the released crew members who hails from
Rohtak, said, "Indian and Pakistani media helped us a lot. As
far as the Indian government's role in the release, I don't
want to comment on it".
With tears rolling down her cheeks, his wife Champa
said, "The pain would never go".
Another released crew member Prashant Chauhan said, "I
am very happy. I waited for this moment for 10 months".
The Indians were part of the 22 member crew, including
four Pakistanis, a Sri Lankan and 11 Egyptians, who were freed
last week after ransom was paid to the Somali pirates.
The crew of the MV Suez was brought to Karachi
Thursday by Pakistan Navy warship PNS Zulfiqar, which had
picked up sailors from the waters off Oman.The MV Suez had
sank somewhere off the coast of Oman after running out of
fuel.
There was no government representative to receive them
at the airport.
N K Sharma, another released crew member, said,
"Whatever Pakistan government has done is really praiseworthy.
We don't know what Indian government did or did not but
Pakistan government has treated us well."
Recounting his ordeal, Sharma said they starved for
many days and on some days they just got water.
"We used to get boiled rice, spaghetti and potato once
a week," he said.
Family members of the released men thanked Burney for
facilitating the release of the sailors, but complained that
the Indian government did little to save the sailors.
SAILORS 2 LAST
"Government did nothing to help the sailors. We had to
run from pillar to post asking for help. We are indebted to
Burney," Surinder Kaur, the mother of one of the released crew
member Satnam Singh, said.
Six-year-old Nandita, daughter of N K Sharma said, "We
are so happy that papa has come back. We thank Burney uncle".
Champa, who had staged a dharna in front of Indian
National Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's house
several months back demanding government intervention, said,
"The Indian government said they could not do anything because
they were helpless but if a Pakistani rights activist could do
it, why could not they. Even the human rights organisation and
NGOs did nothing".
"Pakistani is usually related to terror but the role
the country played in bringing back our loved ones proves the
theory wrong," said an overwhelmed Champa.
Biju, who was aboard the hijacked ship, said "I can't
wait to be back with my family".
The six Indian crew members released included N K
Sharma from Jammu, Ravinder Singh Bhulia from Rohtak, Sachin
from Mumbai, Satnam Singh from Ambala and Prashant Chauhan
from Shimla and Biju. PTI EKA
SSB