New Delhi: The 23 Indian sailors who have been stranded on merchant vessel MV Jag Anand at the Jingtang port in northern China’s Hebei province since June, are all set to return.
Announcing the news Saturday, Union Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the crew will first sail to Chiba in Japan, reaching there on 14 January and subsequently flying to India after following the necessary Covid-19 protocols.
Our Seafarers stuck in China are coming back to India!
Ship M. V. Jag Anand, having 23 Indian crews, stuck in China, is set to sail toward Chiba,Japan to carry out crew change, will reach India on 14th January.
This could only happen due to strong leadership of @NarendraModi ji— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 9, 2021
UPDATE :
The Seafarers will reach Chiba Port, Japan on 14th January and after following due procedure related to COVID protocols, they will fly back to India.— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 9, 2021
The return of the sailors came after extensive efforts by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company and the external affairs ministry. The Indian Ambassador to China, Vikram Misri, is also reported to have taken up the matter with Chinese authorities.
Another vessel, MV Anastasia, however remains stranded near China’s Caofeidian port since 20 September, with 16 Indian crew members.
The two ships were transporting coal from Australia to China but were refused permission by Chinese authorities to offload their cargo and leave on grounds of Covid-19-related restrictions.
Also read: No link between Indians on 2 stranded ships and border conflict, says China
Why were the sailors stranded
MV Jag Anand is owned by the Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited and chartered by freight trading firm Cargill. It had reached the Chinese Port on 13 June but was denied permission to unload the cargo. Chinese authorities refused permission for crew change, resulting in them crossing the legal permissible time limit of 11 months aboard a vessel.
Authorities in China had cited the Covid-19-related restrictions to justify its decision.
Under India’s Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour) Rules, 2016, the longest a seafarer can serve on board before he/she is entitled to repatriation is 11 months.
The National Human Rights Commission had last month also issued notices to senior officials in the shipping and external affairs ministry demanding a report on the action taken by the Indian government to secure the release of the sailors. Spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, Anurag Srivastava, had then replied saying that the Indian government was pursuing the matter with Chinese authorities.
Humanitarian approach of Great Eastern Shipping Company
In his tweet Saturday, Shipping Minister Mandaviya praised the Great Eastern Shipping Company’s “humanitarian approach” and said the firm stood by the seafarers throughout their ordeal.
I deeply appreciate the humanitarian approach of the Great Eastern Shipping Company towards the seafarers and standing by them in this crucial time!@GE_Shipping
— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 9, 2021
ThePrint had earlier reported that the company was actively negotiating with the Chinese authorities and took steps to ensure there was no shortage of food and other necessities aboard MV Jag Anand.
Also read: What happens when tycoons abandon their giant cargo ships