On March 2, a chemical tanker MT Royal Grace was hijacked near Oman by Somali pirates and there were 17 Indian crew members who are still in the hands of the pirates. Nothing in effect has happened to redress the anxious Indian sailors and now the pirates’ negotiator has given an ultimate call to the parents of the hostages that if ransom is not paid by November 30, “we will start drowning your children one by one”. The unfortunate parents from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab appealed to the government on Monday to intervene and rescue their sons. They have approached the senior officials of the External Affairs Ministry and Shipping Ministry as well “but we are yet to get even a ray of hope from anywhere. An anguish-stricken parent said that the Indian government was not concerned about their problem and “has told us that this is a private matter and that they will not intervene. We now request the people of the country to help us”.The ransom money is Rs.1.5 million. The Dubai-based ship-owner has abandoned them. The 22 crew members of the hijacked vessel are from India, Pakistan and Nigeria.
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