India tops in shoplifting:survey

Capt Prabhat Goyal and his crew return today after 70 days in captivity aboard the MT Stolt Valor. His excited kids want him to stay put

Shivansh Goyal (7) wants to give his father, Captain Prabhat Goyal, captain on board M T Stolt Valor, a big hug when he returns home this morning. "Papa se keh do ab kahi nahi jaana, bas hamare saath hi rehna," said Shivansh to his mother, Seema.

Prabhat, who has a hearing impairment and needs constant attention, will return home nearly two-and-a-half months after heavily-armed Somalian pirates hijacked the vessel in the Gulf of Aden on September 15. "My two daughters, Trishi (16) and Ayushi (11), are also excited to meet their father," Seema told MiD DAY.

But unlike her children, Seema does not mind if Prabhat continues with his profession. "I will be the happiest person if he decides to take up a shore job. I have been married to a seafarer for 20 years and I know what it means to be a sailor. I won't stop him from pursuing his career," explained Seema.

Seema, who runs the Doon Public Academy in Dehradun, had fought a lone battle to ensure the release of her husband along with 17 other Indian crewmembers. She met with senior officials of the Indian Maritime Industry, state and central government agencies after the vessel was hijacked. She has been constantly in touch with Prabhat after the vessel was released. "It cost us over Rs 300 per minute to speak to him, but money was not on our mind. My kids missed him a lot," said Seema. She added that Prabhat sounded fatigued and was looking forward to return home.

He told Seema that all medical tests and other formalities were completed at the Muscat port and that the crew was excited to come home.

The hijack

M T Stolt Valor was hijacked by Somalian pirates near the Gulf of Aden off the Somalian coast on September 15. On board were 22 crew, including 18 Indians. The vessel was released on November 16 after the Japanese owners reportedly paid a ransom of $2.5 million (approx Rs 115 crore) to the pirates.

'My kids have matured beyond their age'

Prabhat Goyal's children do not want their father to go back to the sea. "Our daughters had a school function on Saturday, where they performed cultural dances and missed the presence of their father," said Seema, Prabhat's wife. She added that in the last two months her children has matured beyond their age. "Let them spend some time with their papa and they will soon start behaving like kids again," added Seema.

The family is jubilant that Prabhat would return home nearly two and a half months after the M T Stolt Valor was hijacked by Somalian pirates on September 15. "I am sure that families of the other 18 Indians and 2 Filipinos feel the same way like we do and are brimming with enthusiasm," said Seema.


Source; http://www.mid-day.com/news/2008/nov/241108-Captain-Prabhat-Goyal-MT-Stolt-Valor-hijack-victims-returning-home.htm