New Delhi:
As India wraps up the evacuation of thousands of its people from Libya, some Indian sailors are still held hostage by Somali pirates for close to a year.
Eleven of those sailors were finally released on Wednesday, but as many as 79 others may still be out there, waiting and hoping for someone to rescue them.
Mounting pressure on the government to ensure the release of these sailors, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley met the Prime Minister along with their families demanding quick action.
Sharing their anguish, the Prime Minister assured them that the government would do whatever is feasible for the safe return of the sailors, sources said.
The Prime Minister told the members that the Indian government was working with various other governments for the purpose, they said.
On Wednesday, the Opposition had slammed the government for showing "helplessness" in the matter. Sushma Swaraj had even led a walkout of BJP, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal members.
After nearly a year in captivity, 11 Indian sailors were released yesterday most likely a result of ransom paid finally by the ship's owners to the pirates.
Ajit Kautwal's nephew Abhinav is one of those 11.
"It was really good news for us that my brother's son is coming back to India. I don't know by when would they be back, but that's for sure that they have been released," said Ajit.
According to the government, there are at least 5 other merchant vessels with 53 Indian sailors on board though other sources put the number as high as 79.
Their families have been camping in Delhi to push the government on their release.
"The pirates demanded Rs 20 crore in Indian currency. We used to get phone calls from them," said Sandeep Arya, brother-in-law of Randep Guleria, who is on MV Suez.
"Our embassy in Cairo and Consulate in Dubai have been in touch with respective Egypt and UAE-based owners of the ships," External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The Ministry of External Affairs comes into the picture where the ship owners or management is based in a foreign country and has assisted by taking up the matter with local governments to expedite negotiations between the owners/management of the ship and the pirates.
As a result of such efforts, 21 Indian nationals held on merchant ships were released in 2008, 34 in 2009, 56 in 2010 and 13 in 2011, bringing the total number of sailors who have been released to 124.
According to international law, the governments can't negotiate with the pirates; they can only ask the vessel owners to do that. While the Indian government has been involved in negotiations, families of the abducted sailors are hoping and praying every second for their safe return.