CHENNAI: Ignored, helpless and starving, the 783 Indian fishermen, including 450 from Tamil Nadu, are sharing limited supplies in the hopes that they will be rescued from Iran soon. With the Indian embassy allegedly turning a blind eye, the fishermen can only request to be rescued from Kish and Chiruyeh Islands. Joseph Johnson, a fisherman who hails from Kanniyakumari district told Express from Chiruyeh Island that the Indian embassy in Tehran had directed the fishermen to contact Consulate of India in Bandar Abbas.
“The officials from the consulate initially asked us to meet at a common place after stating their inability to contact us at Kish and Chieryuh Islands, to which we agreed. Later, they turned down the appointment stating that entry to the province is blocked and will contact us when the lockdown is lifted,” said Johnson.
“The embassy’s attitude makes us feel that we don’t belong to India. Our fear is that we may get Coronavirus. The owner’s brother has been infected on the island,” said J Robinson, another fisherman from Kanniyakumari.
When TNIE contacted Bandar Abbas Consulate, they parried off queries and asked to contact Indian Embassy in Tehran, who never picked up the phone. Meanwhile, Iranian boat owners are not providing provisions to the stranded men. As such in Chieryuh Island, which has 188 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, 12 from Kerala and 120 from Gujarat, are sharing what little food there is.
Captain Johnson Charles, secretary for Meenavar Orunganaipu Sangam, says that he and other activists have been approaching the State as well as other political outfits to put pressure on the government. “We are running out of time. The Union government should act fast,” he says.