Human rights of Indian seafarers remain cause of concern: NHRC

New Delhi [India], February 22 (ANI): National Human Rights Commission member Dnyaneshwar Manohar Mulay today said that without proactive cooperation from different stakeholders, the human rights of Indian seafarers will remain an area of concern.
He was chairing an Open House Discussion organized by the Commission on the human rights of Indian Seafarers. He emphasized the need for better coordination among the Ministry of Shipping, the Ministry of External Affairs, including Protector General Immigration, the Immigration Authorities as well as various stakeholders representing the Seafarers to take care of their human rights violations.
Mulay said that the tendency of ship owners to operate their fleets under foreign registration to avoid taxes results in hindrances in fixing their accountability in case of human rights violations of Indian seafarers onboard their ships.
He advocated that some mechanism needs to be evolved to ensure that Indian citizens who work in the maritime industry get due protection and promotion of their human rights and said the Commission is concerned with the aim to forge an understanding among the multiple authorities in the country and has been organizing these consultations on a regular interval in the recent past.
Speaking at the event, Amitav Kumar, DG, Shipping, said that a committee has been constituted to look into the complaints regarding sexual harassment of women seafarers at workplace on January 30, 2023. The complaints can be lodged on the website of the DG Shipping, Government of India.
Bramha Kumar, Joint Secretary, Overseas Employments & Protectorate General of Emigrants, Ministry of External Affairs said that detailed information is given to the seafarers as part of their pre-departure Orientation Training (PDOT) so that they are aware whom to contact in case of any exigencies. In a positive development, the Ministry of External Affairs has taken on board the data regarding the seafarers wishing to go for overseas employment on the e-migrate portal on the MEA website. He also said that distressed seafarers can seek assistance under the Ministry's scheme of Indian Community Welfare Fund, ICWF.
NHRC Member, Rajiv Jain, Registrar (Law) Surajit Dey along with Joint Secretaries Anita Sinha and Devendra Kumar Nim along with other senior officers were present at the event apart from senior officers of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Representatives from the Ship Owners' Association, Maritime Union of India, Women Seafarers Foundation, Gujarat Maritime University and Gujarat National Law University also participated in the discussions. (ANI)