C Shivakumar
Chennai:
It was 10 days ago since the news of the death of 19-year-old Vignesh
in a Malaysian ship was broken to his parents in Madurai. But apart
from running from pillar to post, the parents have yet to get back the
mortal remains of their younger son.
Nineteen-year-old Vignesh, a engine cadet in Jams Marine College in
Thoothkudi district was on on-job training along with his batchmate
from Kochi in Kerala, Nikhil Silvi for 12 months when both passed away
on February 4, 2015, while inhaling poisonous gas from the tank of a
ship Cara USIA owned by Nasinar SDN BHD.
The incident happened on the morning of February 4, and the parents
came to know about the death only in the evening. Vignesh’s grieving
father A Ramakrishnan, a security guard in a hotel near Avaniapuram in
Madurai, has only pleas for help to have a final glimpse of the son,
on whom he had pinned his whole dreams and his earnings so that the
family could come out of the drudgery.
“We approached the college. They assured us they will help us get the
body back. But it is 10 days and all we hear is that the body is
undergoing post-mortem,” a sobbing Vijay Rani said.
Both father and mother are semi- literate and have to depend on
neighbours and friends to approach the government officials as well as
college. Interestingly, the college has said that they are in no way
linked to the on-the job training despite Vijay Rani claiming that she
had paid Rs 2.75 lakh in a bank account to help her son get the on-job
training after the college asked her to do so. "We paid in the name of V E Traders, Tamil nadu Mercantile Bank account number 030150050800175 by using Pan number AGXPR8046C after being instructed," she said.
A captain of the institute denies that they received any money for
training. “Our job is only to provide pre-sea training. The on-job
training is to be organized by the students. I have not organized it.
The boys approached the agent. We did not sign on any papers. We just
ask the boys to contact those who approach our institute. We also
don’t have a count of who all come to our institute,” he said when
asked for the details about the agent.
While the parents, unaware of all this are still pinning the hope on
the college. “The college has assured us that they will help us in
bringing back his body,” says Ramakrishnan.
“We don’t have anything left. We wanted Vignesh to study well. He is
only one who has studied this much in our family. Now we just want to
have a last glimpse of him. I request the Prime Minister Narendra Modi
as well as AIADMK party supremo J Jayalalithaa to help us in moving
the diplomatic channels so that we can have the glimpse of my son,”
said the father. Nikhil Silvi’s parents could not be contacted.
V Manoj Joy, national Co-ordinator, Sailors Helpline, told Express
that Director General Shipping for failing to take action on violation
of rules by such institutes and agents who don’t have Recruitment and
placement of Seafarers lincence. “They are the nodal agency for
safeguarding the lives of seafarers. This incident is illegal
trafficking. Indians sailors are being sent on dangerous ship, some of
which are involved in illegal arms trafficking,” said Joy.
The seaman welfare officer could not be reached. Joy says the welfare
office hardly functions. Meanwhile, Indian high commission in a reply
has said it is in touch with the police authorities to send the mortal
remains of the two Indian sailors home.
Acquino Vimal, Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of India in
Kuala Lumpur, said that the autopsy could not be performed on the body
as the authorized medical practitioner is not here. “It could be
performed only on February 17,” he says in a letter to J S Deswal,
personal secretary to Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs. “If it is a
European country national, would they allow this much time to get back
their mortal remains,” reasoned Joy.
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