202 Indians are on the sinking Costa Concordia of which 150, mostly crewmen are from Greater Bombay's Bassein area.
It's Friday 9.45 pm. The ship is inclining at 60 degrees. An hour later, the abandon ship call is given. Easier said than done. With no lifeboats available, the crew don't know how to abandon the vessel. They are rescued by helicopters at 3.30 am. Another ordeal has begun. Saturday. The crew are temporarily sheltered, probably in the cruise port's landing sheds. Embassies of various nationalities are in action. They come and take their citizens to hotels awaiting flight arrangements and evacuation to home countries. Except the Indian Embassy. The Indians crew are not quick to react or don't know how to. The Italian Cruise Company are probably hard to get. They are liable for the whole mess after all and are working on a whole strategy for the press. The Italian government cannot be contacted. Language barrier for the Indians. They decide to rough it out in the sheds. Next day Sunday, they call the Indian Embassy in Rome. The Embassy has been doing nothing. They should have been in contact with their nearest consulate or mission and gone to the site, expecting that some Indians would be in trouble. Wherever they is trouble there are always Indians. The world has 1.2 billion of them after all and they are hard to miss. The call to the embassy is probably answered by some caretaker who tells the caller that they will do something the next day. Don't they know the office is closed on the weekend. There is no telephone patch to a emergency duty standby person. This problem like any other, emergency or not must be handled bureaucratically. To hell with urgent problems unless from Delhi. The next day some babu comes. Puts them up in the most seedy hotel money can buy. Has arranged with the manager to inflate bills about 5 times. The Embassy big guys in Rome must get something for all this after all. The crew are probably made to sign that all monies, for accommodation and return airfares must be reimbursed. The crew panic. They don't know how to get their dues and compensation for their personal losses from the cruise lines. They have no confidence in the embassy. They refuse to leave the hotel and the island until they are assured. Good luck to them. See: http://bit.ly/xI9TGZ One can read between the lines of this news blurb. It does not take much imagination. Roland. Toronto. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
