New Delhi, June 14: Foreign minister S.M. Krishna today welcomed the release of six Indian sailors by Somali pirates but declined to “speculate” on Pakistani activist Ansar Burney’s role in raising some of the ransom paid to end the 10-month hostage crisis.
“We are happy they have been released and the ship is now moving out,” said Krishna. Asked about Burney, he replied: “Let us not get into a speculative analysis on who is behind it and who is provoking it.”
The minister’s comments came on day the families of some of the Indian sailors showered praise on Burney for having come to their rescue when the Indian government allegedly didn’t, and a claim by the Pakistani rights activist that Trinamul MP K.D. Singh backed off a promised donation.
Rajya Sabha member Singh had initially promised $500,000 (Rs 2.25 crore) for the humanitarian cause as the hostages included Indians but went back on his word even after making Burney travel to Dubai thrice, the Pakistani activist said. The sum would have been part of the $2.5 million (Rs 11.25 crore) said to have been paid for the release of the 23 crew members of the ship, Egypt’s MV Suez, hijacked on August 2, 2010, in the Gulf of Aden, he added.
The ship’s owner paid $1 million (Rs 4.5 crore) — 11 of the hostages were Egyptians — and the Ansar Burney Trust the remaining $1.5 million (Rs 6.75 crore). Five Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan were also among the hostages.
Agency reports quoted Burney as saying that even the governor of Pakistan’s Sindh province, Ishrat-ul Ibad, had travelled with him on one of the three trips to Dubai to receive the donation but Singh went back on his commitment. The Trinamul MP could not be contacted on his cell phone despite several attempts by The Telegraph.
In Pakistan, Burney spoke of opposition from some quarters in his country to paying up for the Indians after Singh didn’t keep his word. “This was not about nationalities but a humanitarian cause... we have not paid a ransom, we have given humanitarian aid to the Egyptian shipping company to help it secure the lives of its employees,” said the 54-year-old advocate and a former federal minister for human rights. He founded his trust in 1980.
Back in India, the families of some of the sailors hailed the Pakistani as a saviour and alleged Indian government apathy to their plight.
“No matter what the people of my country say about them (Pakistanis), I got tremendous support from them. Burney sahib is like god for me,” Madhu Sharma, whose husband N.K. Sharma was among the six Indians, said from Jammu.
“If my husband is free today, it is because of the efforts of (Pakistani human rights activist) Ansar Burney and governor (of Pakistan’s Sindh province, Ishrat-ul Ibad),” added Madhu, a mother of two whose hometown is otherwise known as a place where anti-Pakistan sentiments run deep.
Not far from her home, the international border is often in the news for ceasefire violations by troops from the Pakistani side.
Madhu recalled that she had tried at least 10 times to meet Rahul Gandhi. “After 10 attempts, his staff promised that he (Rahul) will help us and ensure he (Sharma) is released in 10 days. But that was four months back.”
The sentiment was echoed by the wife of sailor Ravinder Gulia, 30, in Haryana’s Rohtak. “Burney raised funds with the help of the Pakistan government. The Indian government let us down. We met many leaders but nobody helped us. They said paying ransom is not the right way. I have lost all faith in Indian politicians,” said Sampa Arya.
Ravinder’s father Rajender Gulia said: “Pakistan has helped us like an elder brother and emerged as a saviour.”
Sampa said she had spoken to her husband on the phone. “All of them are in good health. They will return to India in a few days.”
Of the other four Indians, one is from Haryana, one each from Himachal and Tamil Nadu and one from Mumbai.
