Call for assistance made by distressed Indian sailors on social media

  AJMAN - A total of 41 Indian sailors stranded on four ships anchored off Ajman port have been rescued by their country's exterior affairs minister and will soon be able to go back to India. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj responded to a call for help from the sailors made via social media website Twitter. The sailors sent a message to Swaraj asking for help to collect their unpaid pages and to be able to go back to India. Their captain, G Rajesh, had told the media that the ship owner had taken the passports of all the sailors and did not respond to their pleas. The sailors have also not been paid their salaries for months, with some left unpaid for 15 months. Rajesh said the sailors were surviving on dal and rice on a ship "riddled with holes" and not enough water for bathing. External Affairs Minister Swaraj then ordered the Indian consulate in Dubai to help the sailors immediately. She also told the consulate to contact the captains of the two vessels, the ship owners, port official and other government agencies to provide food to the sailors, resolve the issue with regard the payment of the wages and the repatriation of the mariners to India. “I have asked the mission to ensure Indian sailors do not suffer for want of essential supplies,” she said on Twitter. GAC/Expat MediaJTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyJTJGJTJGcGFnZWFkMi5nb29nbGVzeW5kaWNhdGlvbi5jb20lMkZwYWdlYWQlMkZqcyUyRmFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlLmpzJTIyJTIwYXN5bmMlM0QlMjIlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEElMjAlM0MlMjEtLSUyMGluLWFydGljbGUlMjBhZCUyMC0tJTNFJTBBJTIwJTNDaW5zJTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJhZHNieWdvb2dsZSUyMiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIyZGlzcGxheSUzQSUyMGJsb2NrJTNCJTIyJTIwZGF0YS1hZC1jbGllbnQlM0QlMjJjYS1wdWItNTAwNjI0MTU4MzU4MTg0OSUyMiUyMGRhdGEtYWQtc2xvdCUzRCUyMjg1MjYwOTM2MTElMjIlMjBkYXRhLWFkLWZvcm1hdCUzRCUyMmF1dG8lMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpbnMlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlM0UlMkYlMkYlMjAlM0MlMjElNUJDREFUQSU1QiUwQSUyOGFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlJTIwJTNEJTIwd2luZG93LmFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlJTIwJTdDJTdDJTIwJTVCJTVEJTI5LnB1c2glMjglN0IlN0QlMjklM0IlMEElMkYlMkYlMjAlNUQlNUQlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEE=