Seafarers grounded on Mumbai's shores

Seafarers grounded on Mumbai's shores
J.DEY

OCT 14: A 80-year-old woman on her deathbed in Myanmar yearns to see her son for the last time. But he is stranded in Mumbai without enough money to even make a telephone call, let alone visit his native village.

This is the story of a seafarer called Kyin (name changed) and five of his fellow mates, four Burmese and one Indonesian, who abandoned M V Blue Moon at Mumbai's outer anchorage after the old freighter was caught in rough seas on March 27. Ever since they have been stranded in the city with just enough money for two square meals a day.

The six seafarers have not yet received even back wages of around $15,000. The Honduras-registered vessel has been sent to the scrapyard at Retibunder in central Mumbai and the owner is nowhere to be found.

Kyin's problem started when he signed on the ship at Singapore on January 18. It did not take the 50-year-old chief engineer long to discover that the ship was mortgaged to buy some bunker oil and provison for its final voyage to the UAE. But by then, it was too late.

Even before the crew members could receive their wages, they had to abandon the vessel off the Mumbai coast and seek temperory shelter in a city hotel.

Soon, they did not have enough money to pay boarding and lodging charges. They then contacted the International National Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) inspector in Mumbai.

Though some immediate relief was provided by ITF, the seafarers found they had inadvertently violated rules laid down by the military regime in Myanmar. They were warned not to contact any trade union outside the country, said ITF Inspector Abdulgani Serang.

``Intially things were not so bad and we thought the problem will be sorted out soon,'' remarked a seaman. But after four months now, the seafarers' condition is so bad that they save on food so that they can mail a letter to their dear ones. ``I am longing to see my two small children and wife besides my sick mother,'' said Chief Engineer Kyin,``I have not made a phone call in the last two months,'' he added.

Another said most of the time they subsist on roadside food like `wadapav' and meat sold on skewers for Rs 3 a plate. A lunch in a restaurant is a luxury, they said. ``There is no money to buy medicines leave alone visiting a doctor for medical attention,'' Maung (name changed) said.

The Indonesian seaman revealed that he is faced with an even more serious domestic problem as his wife has threatened to divorce him. He has not remitted any money to her for the last eight months.

The seafarers said that their morning begins with prayers followed by a brisk walk to Ballad Pier and some time spent at a book stall. Incidentally, this is all the sight-seeing they have done in the last four months.

ITF Inspector Abdulgani Serang told The Indian Express that suppression of the seamen's basis human and trade union rights by the military junta in Myanmar was top of the agenda during the Asia/Pacific regional committes meeting at Taipei between September 28-29. Action is being intiated to ensure that the seafarers get their dues,'' added Serang.