Pakistani saviour for Indians held by Somali pirates

[Windjammer]

At their wit's end after appeals to everyone from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh downwards fell on deaf ears, families of four Indian sailors held captive by Somali pirates have found a saviour in Pakistani rights activist Ansar Burney, who has performed a similar role before.

Saying that they were "fed up" with the lethargy of the Indian officials, the distressed families recently met Burney, a former Pakistani federal minister for human rights, at a function in Laadpur village of Haryana's Jhajjar district, about 30 km from Delhi, and appealed to him to come to their aid.

Burney was being felicitated by the Gulia khap (caste-group leaders) in the Jhajjar district of Haryana, as he had helped free some Indian sailors from the clutches of Somali pirates earlier.

Ravinder Gulia, one of those freed, is also a resident of Jhajjar.

"We can no longer believe the hollow assurances offered by union ministers, political leaders and senior functionaries of the government. That is why we would urge you, on humanitarian grounds, to step in and facilitate the release of our kin. You are the only person who can help us," was the message conveyed to Burney.

The relatives said that Somali pirates had hijacked a Dubai-owned Nigeria-bound vessel MT Royal Grace on March 2 last year and taken 22 crew members, including 17 Indians, hostage. Three Nigerians, a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi were also on board.

"My younger brother, Sourav Kumar, 23, is among the 17 Indians kept hostage by Somali pirates. They seek a ransom of Rs. 7.5 crore. We met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj urging them to intervene and free my brother and the others, but despite their assurances, they appear to have washed their hands of the matter," Mundresh of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh told IANS, expressing confidence in Burney.

Lokdass Sahoo and his wife Kalyani, from near Raipur in Chhattisgarh, said: "We have done numerous rounds of union ministers in Delhi over the last two months seeking the safe release of our son Pritam Sahu (25), but we have got no help."

A middle-age woman, Mehtab, from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh said: "My son Shahid Babu made a call some months ago and informed us that he along with 24 crew members have been held hostage by Somali pirates."

Ansar Burney said: "The kin of four Indian sailors had met me during the International Sadhbhawna function at Laadpur village. They sought my cooperation and help for the safe release of their kin after narrating the whole story. The families, who are under immense distress, also showed me some documents pertaining to the case."

"I have not made any commitment about safe release of their kin. But I shall make sincere efforts to get them freed from Somalian pirates. I will approach higher authorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria to seek help in facilitating the safe release of captive sailors as people from those countries too have been held hostage," he added.
Ravinder Gulia's wife Sampa Arya now runs an NGO, Sailor Relief Fund.

"I have also started working for the safe release of captive sailors from the clutches of Somali pirates. I have gone through the documents that the sailors' kin have made available," she said.

"Since 17 of the captive sailors are from India, we will try to mobilise all the sailors' kin to urge the government to secure their safe release and fight Somali pirates," Arya added.

Pakistani saviour for Indians held by Somali pirates

 

[Bang Galore]

Short of using military force, something all these families are opposed to, there is very little that the Indian government can do.

 

[Baby Leone]

At their wit's end after appeals to everyone from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh downwards fell on deaf ears, families of four Indian sailors held captive by Somali pirates have found a saviour in Pakistani rights activist Ansar Burney, who has performed a similar role before.

Saying that they were "fed up" with the lethargy of the Indian officials, the distressed families recently met Burney, a former Pakistani federal minister for human rights, at a function in Laadpur village of Haryana's Jhajjar district, about 30 km from Delhi, and appealed to him to come to their aid.

Burney was being felicitated by the Gulia khap (caste-group leaders) in the Jhajjar district of Haryana, as he had helped free some Indian sailors from the clutches of Somali pirates earlier.

Ravinder Gulia, one of those freed, is also a resident of Jhajjar.

"We can no longer believe the hollow assurances offered by union ministers, political leaders and senior functionaries of the government. That is why we would urge you, on humanitarian grounds, to step in and facilitate the release of our kin. You are the only person who can help us," was the message conveyed to Burney.

The relatives said that Somali pirates had hijacked a Dubai-owned Nigeria-bound vessel MT Royal Grace on March 2 last year and taken 22 crew members, including 17 Indians, hostage. Three Nigerians, a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi were also on board.

"My younger brother, Sourav Kumar, 23, is among the 17 Indians kept hostage by Somali pirates. They seek a ransom of Rs. 7.5 crore. We met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj urging them to intervene and free my brother and the others, but despite their assurances, they appear to have washed their hands of the matter," Mundresh of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh told IANS, expressing confidence in Burney.

Lokdass Sahoo and his wife Kalyani, from near Raipur in Chhattisgarh, said: "We have done numerous rounds of union ministers in Delhi over the last two months seeking the safe release of our son Pritam Sahu (25), but we have got no help."

A middle-age woman, Mehtab, from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh said: "My son Shahid Babu made a call some months ago and informed us that he along with 24 crew members have been held hostage by Somali pirates."

Ansar Burney said: "The kin of four Indian sailors had met me during the International Sadhbhawna function at Laadpur village. They sought my cooperation and help for the safe release of their kin after narrating the whole story. The families, who are under immense distress, also showed me some documents pertaining to the case."

"I have not made any commitment about safe release of their kin. But I shall make sincere efforts to get them freed from Somalian pirates. I will approach higher authorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria to seek help in facilitating the safe release of captive sailors as people from those countries too have been held hostage," he added.
Ravinder Gulia's wife Sampa Arya now runs an NGO, Sailor Relief Fund.

"I have also started working for the safe release of captive sailors from the clutches of Somali pirates. I have gone through the documents that the sailors' kin have made available," she said.

"Since 17 of the captive sailors are from India, we will try to mobilise all the sailors' kin to urge the government to secure their safe release and fight Somali pirates," Arya added.

Pakistani saviour for Indians held by Somali pirates

This is not the first time tht Pakistanis save indians from pirates...i remember i guess in 2010 when Pakistanis NGO on human ground takesomany charities from elite Pakistanis to save Pakistanis along with so many indians when some indian minister ditch the Pakistani NGO in dubai & left the indians families on the mercy of somali pirates.......

 

[meghdut]

Its all good if the Pakistani activists could release them. What matters is their safe relief. If it could be achieved without military force(but without bowing down to pirates demands),nothing could be better. Best of luck to the Pakistani.

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Short of using military force, something all these families are opposed to, there is very little that the Indian government can do.

Indian Govt can't pay the ransom? Do we have such a policy?

 

[Mech]

Indian government will at all costs attempt to avoid paying any kind of ransom. Military operation as a viable solution has been floated but was quickly shot down by the victim's relatives. We raise our special forces especially for resolving hostage situations--but there is very little we can do in the face of overwhelming opposition.

Indian Govt can't pay the ransom? Do we have such a policy?

In this we are trying (without much success ) to emulate the United States.

 

[Windjammer]

Short of using military force, something all these families are opposed to, there is very little that the Indian government can do.

Coughing up the ransom would be a good start.!!

 

[Baby Leone]

Indian Govt can't pay the ransom? Do we have such a policy?

even Pakistani Govt dont pay them its Pakistani Business mans, NGOs & general public who paid for the release of indians & Pakistanis on human grounds.....

 

[notsuperstitious]

This is not the first time tht Pakistanis save indians from pirates...i remember i guess in 2010 when Pakistanis NGO on human ground takesomany charities from elite Pakistanis to save Pakistanis along with so many indians when some indian minister ditch the Pakistani NGO in dubai & left the indians families on the mercy of somali pirates.......

I fully appreciate it. There are good people who deserve to be given more power.

BTW Indian businessmen in Dubai have been saving Pakistani convicts for a while now.

An Indian saviour: From Mohali, with love

An Indian saviour: From Mohali, with love – The Express Tribune

This March, as Pakistanis cheered their cricket team in their big match against India at Mohali, thousands of miles away, a man from Mohali was freeing two Pakistanis from the jaws of death.

SP Singh Oberoi was submitting pardon money to a court in Sharjah to free a group of 10 men — two of them Pakistani — from the jaws of death. “I was paying money to save eight Indians. How could I leave the two Pakistanis in the same group?” he asked.

This was not the first time this Indian helped a Pakistani prisoner escape the gallows. Oberoi, a Dubai-based businessman, has been promoting his own brand of ‘Aman ki Asha’, working tirelessly to help those embroiled in death cases in the UAE. Whether the worker happens to be Indian or Pakistani doesn’t make a difference to him.

Currently, he is pursuing four cases in which six Pakistani blue—collar workers have been charged with murder. He is paying pardon money (diya) to earn their freedom.

The death sentences for two Pakistanis — Mohammed Ansar Chaudhary from Azad Kashmir and Sahid Hussain Ifthreen Rana from Multan — have already been waived by a Sharjah court. These men, along with eight Indian Punjabis, were involved in bootlegging, which led to the murder of Pakistani worker Mumtaz Yousuf. In some labour camps on the outskirts of Dubai, procuring and selling liquor is a flourishing, albeit illegal, trade. Different groups of workers operate in their own areas, and understandably, one group doesn’t allow the other to enter their area. But trouble erupts when this unwritten rule is breached. Intrusions lead to clashes and violence. When the fight becomes really brutal, deaths occur, as on this occasion. Though the Dubai police keep a close eye on such activities, these incidents have been fairly common.

Oberoi has submitted pardon documents in another case in which two Pakistani workers, alongside a Bangladeshi and seven Indian Punjabis, have been charged with the murder of an Indian. As of now, Oberoi has paid Rs18 lakhs as pardon money to get the three Pakistani prisoners released.

So did the idea that these men belong to an ‘enemy’ country cross his mind? “I never think like that. My focus is on saving human lives, whether Indian or Pakistani. These men are victims of circumstances, driven to such crimes by poverty and desperation. They come from lower middle class families and take loans to travel abroad to make a living,” says Oberoi. He offers help to those who have no one else to fight their cases. “To help someone in distress is being human. I value the common heritage of the neighbouring countries, especially in Punjab on both the sides, people have similar eating habits, language and lifestyle.”

Though he helps Pakistani prisoners, he has never received support from Pakistan’s embassy. “I have never been contacted by the Pakistani embassy for any of these cases and I have never approached them either.”

In Mumtaz Yousuf’s murder case, Oberoi says it was not easy to convince Mohmmad Yousuf, the victim’s father, to pardon the murderers of his 23-year-old son in exchange for Diya. “It took me seven months to convince Mumtaz Yousuf’s family,” says Oberoi who arranged for the visas, air tickets and accommodations for Mohammad Yousuf and his relative Kashif Imran in Dubai. “Mohammad Yousuf stayed here for two months attending court hearings but wasn’t ready for a compromise.”

Oberoi then tried to convince him that if he accepted the blood money he could prevent 10 families — the families of the accused — from going through the pain that he had been through. “I told him that the money could never bring his son back but it would certainly help Mumtaz Yousuf’s seven siblings and secure their future. Eventually he agreed,” says Oberoi.

On February 1, 2011, Oberoi and Mohmmad Yousuf appeared in court and the jury was informed that he is ready to pardon all the 10 men. “It was an agonising decision; I don’t want these families to experience the pain that I’m going through,” Yusuf told the court. The jury accepted the request and the verdict was finally delivered on March 27, when the death penalty was waived.

Oberoi has come to the conclusion that blue -collared workers, both from India and Pakistan, are victims of adverse circumstances: “Most of these crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol. I do not blame the boys. They come after paying so much money to agents. It is the economic condition of these workers that force them to get on the wrong side of the law. Most of the time, they fall in the trap of making easy money without realising the gravity of the situation,” he says. At the same time, Oberoi maintains that he only helps those who are stuck in unfortunate circumstances and do not have the resources to save themselves. “I can never think of helping those involved in rape, drug cases and intentional murder cases.”

Oberoi also says that the Indian and Pakistani embassies are doing whatever they can to improve the situation despite limited resources and manpower. “We must realise that, because of the number of Indian and Pakistani workers in the UAE, it is impossible to monitor each and every case. My experience is that whenever anything comes to their notice, they do try their best to help workers.”

In this respect he believes that Indian and Pakistani communities in the UAE have a larger role to play in helping such people. “Besides creating awareness about life, laws and conditions in the UAE, I think communities here should arrange orientation courses back home to help those planning to come here,” he says.

Local communities can also pool in resources and help in fighting cases where workers have been wrongly implicated or in cases where they know for sure that they are innocent. “The real problem is communication and lack of knowledge of local laws.”

However, Oberoi has only praise for the Dubai and Sharjah police authorities who have always supported him. “They are very cooperative and whenever I visit a jail to meet the accused, they support and respect me. They only want to carry out justice.”

WHO IS SP SINGH OBEROI?

SP Singh Oberoi originally belongs to Mohali, Chandigarh. He is chairman and managing director of Apex Group of Companies. Back in India, Singh is involved in several humanitarian activities in Indian Punjab and organises mass marriages for the less privileged. He has sponsored more than 6,000 marriages — approximately 4,000 Sikh marriages, around 2,000 Hindu marriages and 160 nikahs as per Muslim traditions. He also sponsors underprivileged students in Punjab, pays their full expenses from 10+2 years of school, 4 years of engineering and then secures jobs for them in Dubai. Apart from running the NGO Esoterics Foundation, working on various environmental awareness programmes, Oberoi is constructing a charitable school and hostel for children with special needs in Patiala.

 

[Bang Galore]

Indian Govt can't pay the ransom? Do we have such a policy?

Coughing up the ransom would be a good start.!!

No ransom is payable by the Indian government as a matter of policy. On logical grounds alone, that would make sense. The Indian government would then on the grounds of fairness & equality have to pay ransom to all kidnappers of Indian citizens whether local or foreign. That is a policy no country in the world would agree to.

 

[Windjammer]

No ransom is payable by the Indian government as a matter of policy. On logical grounds alone, that would make sense. The Indian government would then on the grounds of fairness & equality have to pay ransom to all kidnappers of Indian citizens whether local or foreign. That is a policy no country in the world would agree to.

Perhaps with the exception of the Talibans, the British, American, Australian and French governments have negotiated with the kidnappers of their citizens and secured their release, and in some cases the principled and influential individuals have come forward for the sake of humanity, hence i raised the question elsewhere about the contribution by the likes of Ambanis. !!

 

[dearone4u_22]

Coughing up the ransom would be a good start.!!

you pay once ..they will ask for it again buy kidnapping other ppl.....this is a moral hazard issue ..we don't expect you to understand ...Carry on with your chest thumping

still For your understanding :-
Operant conditioning (or instrumental conditioning) is a form of learning in which an individual's behavior is modified by its consequences; the behavior may change in form, frequency, or strength

Reinforcement and punishment, the core tools of operant conditioning

Reinforcement is a consequence that causes a behavior to occur with greater frequency.

Punishment is a consequence that causes a behavior to occur with less frequency.

Extinction is caused by the lack of any consequence following a behavior. When a behavior is inconsequential (i.e., producing neither favorable nor unfavorable consequences) it will occur less frequently. When a previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced with either positive or negative reinforcement, it leads to a decline in that behavior.

 

[harpoon]

I am confused..earlier it was reported that the Somali pirates are demanding the release of 100 of their comrades in Indian custody in return for Indian sailors or are they different group.

 

[Bang Galore]

Perhaps with the exception of the Talibans, the British, American, Australian and French governments have negotiated with the kidnappers of their citizens and secured their release, and in some cases the principled and influential individuals have come forward for the sake of humanity, hence i raised the question elsewhere about the contribution by the likes of Ambanis. !!

India can't negotiate even if other richer countries do. Too many citizens; not enough money. The tough standard is not just based on morality, more like economic reality with common sense thrown in. Even if given by others (non-government), the dilemma remains. You are encouraging such behaviour & where do you draw the line?

 

[Wickerman]

Indian govt doesnt really care about its citizens.

Anyway, if this guy can get the victims out, then its appreciated. Thank you.