Shiv Sena Member of the Parliament (MP) Priyanka Chaturvedi has made a fresh appeal to the Centre for the rescue of 23 Indian sailors stranded on board MV Anastasia docked at China’s Bohai sea for almost seven months.
She said that despite Centre’s initiative for their rescue, the sailors await good news. On Saturday, Union Minister of State of Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya had announced that the sailors would return home after a crew change was arranged for their vessel at a Japanese port. A total of 39 Indian seafarers on the MV Jag Anand and MV Anastasia have been stranded off two Chinese ports for months.
“Our Seafarers stuck in China are coming back to India! Ship MV Jag Anand, having 23 Indian crews, stuck in China, is set to sail toward Chiba, Japan to carry out crew change...This could only happen due to strong leadership of [Prime Minister] @NarendraModiji,” Mandaviya said in a tweet.
Chaturvedi, who has been raising the issue of rescuing and bringing back these sailors since July 2020, thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Mandaviya and the officials of the Indian Embassy in China for ensuring their return.
“However, the seafarers stranded on MV Anastasia still await the happy news of their return. Anastasia has been docked at China’s Bohai Se and they still await permission for change of crew,” said Chatirvedi. “It is my appeal to the Government of India and ministers to ensure the safe return of our Indian seafarers stranded on board MV Anastasia,” she added.
The Centre on Friday had said it had again taken up with China the issue of bringing back all the 39 stranded sailors and was awaiting a response from Beijing and shipping companies on the various options available to handle the matter. The government was seeking an early nod from China for a crew change.
