NEW DELHI: It's been nearly two months since the position of Ambassador in Doha is lying vacant. The last Ambassador to Doha, Dipak Mittal, returned to India in March and joined the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
It was learnt that Joint Secretary (Gulf) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Vipul was his likely replacement but no formal announcement came from the MEA yet, and the position has been vacant since March-end.
It’s the next of kin of the eight naval veterans who have been under solitary confinement in Doha since August 31st, 2022, who have been feeling completely rudderless without an Ambassador.
"It becomes difficult to access information on our men in Doha. With charges having been framed and the case being tried against these eight veterans under Qatari law, our anxiety levels have increased and we do not have a go-to person to understand what lies ahead,’’ said sources.
Meanwhile, the naval veterans continue to call home every week and the past few conversations that they’ve had indicated that their patience is wearing off and they feel tortured and threatened whilst under confinement.
"The conversations we have with our men in Doha are brief and monitored by the Qatari authorities as a result of which we have not been able to have an open conversation with them since they were detained. They have always maintained that they are innocent and the charges levelled against them baseless,’’ said sources.
Meanwhile, the wives of some of the naval veterans have been in Doha for a few weeks now. They have been allowed in-person meetings with their husbands but the conversation is formal as it's always monitored by the authorities in Doha.
With the eight naval veterans having lost their jobs, there is no money that is going to the families now, as a result of which the families who are in Doha are facing tremendous challenges to survive on their own – whilst reeling under the uncertainty of what the next hearing (which will be in June) beholds for the naval veterans.