TIRUNELVELI /KANYAKUMARI:The families of the two Indian engineers abducted by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) on March 8 say they are still in the dark, with no information forthcoming from the government regarding their sons. They strongly urged the Indian government to swiftly rescue their sons from captivity.
Indians working in the Operations and Maintenance Department of Dar Petroleum Production Company, South Sudan, have been temporarily stopped from attending field work since the abduction.
It may be recalled that the two engineers B Mithun Ganesh (25) from Vadakkankulam, Tirunelveli, and A Edward (40) from Thingalsanthai, Kanyakumari, were out on the field to repair an electrical snag in an oil well when they were abducted. They were employed as Well Tank Operators by the company. In the evening of March 8, they went to Adar oil field in a car to restart a malfunctioning electric device installed in an oil well. Reports claimed that they were captured by SPLA-IO forces that had killed 33 government soldiers in an intense fight at Guelguk North before the abduction.
While reports confirm that SPLA-IO had been consistently warning foreign workers not to enter oil production sites, Indian workers alleged that they were not officially warned about the threat. “Neither we nor our immediate heads knew that the Indians working in the oil field have been under a threat from the SPLA-IO forces since February 19. Probably the top officials knew. They may have chosen not to reveal it since it would have created panic and affected oil production,” said an Indian worker from South Sudan, on condition of anonymity.
It is also surprising that the company hasn’t provided any security to the Indian workers even after the warning was issued by the rebel group. “We heard that some Indian media reported that the two Indian engineers went to the oil field without a driver and security personnel which is the reason for the abduction. This is quite a normal thing here. No security comes for field operations,” the worker said.
Meanwhile, the families of Mithun and Edward are feeling helpless as no official has contacted them so far. Speaking to Express, Muthu Vijaya Boopathy, father of Mithun said, “No Indian official has contacted us or given us an update.”