Shiv Sena demands – 39 sailors stranded in China to be brought back, letter written to Foreign Minister

Harleen Kaur Grewal

Pune, January 7, 2021: The Shiv Sena has demanded the Central Government to bring back the 39 stranded Indian sailors from China. Party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi has written to the Foreign Minister S Jaishankar saying that 39 Indian sailors have been stranded in the Chinese waters since July. Their families yearn for their return, but they are given no help.

Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote, “Due to lack of support from the central government, 39 sailors have been left to their fate and their families are struggling for their return. The families of the sailors struggle for assistance and no one is helping them, many of the sailors are from Maharashtra.”

Significantly, two cargo ships, including 39 Indians – MV Anastasia and MV Jag Anand have been stranded in the Chinese waters because they were not allowed to take their goods there.

Chaturvedi said in the letter, “This stalemate has come due to trade war and both ships are forced to anchor at Chinese ports. The ships were refused permission by the Chinese authorities to unload their cargo and other sailors were not allowed to be sent to relieve the crew.”

She said that MV Anastasia has been stopped in Bohai Sea, China, while MV Jag Anand anchors at the port of Jingtang.

Chaturvedi said that trade disputes between countries are not new and in such cases citizens cannot be made ‘goats of sacrifice’. She said, “This stalemate should be resolved at the earliest and the sailors should be brought back home.”