Shashi Tharoor writes to S Jaishankar, seeks evacuation of Kerala fishermen from Iran

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New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take urgent action over the issue of Kerala fishermen stranded in Iran following the coronavirus outbreak and explore all channels with Iranian authorities for their evacuation.

In a letter to Jaishankar, he said certain fishermen groups from India, including many from his Lok Sabha constituency of Thiruvananthapuram, are currently stranded in Iran following the outbreak of coronavirus in the region.

These are fishermen who have legally secured work permits and have been hired by local fishing companies to work in the country, Tharoor said.

Responding to requests by Tharoor and others, Jaishankar said the government was collaborating with the Iranian authorities to set up a screening process for the return of Indians stranded in Iran in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP thanked Jaishankar for the response and said in a tweet, "Families in my constituency are very anxious and I would appreciate your keeping us informed of any developments. All the best."

Earlier in his letter, Tharoor had written, "Based on information, I have received from concerned family members of the affected fishermen as well as the SOS video that has been posted by this group on social media, it appears that around 30 fishermen from Kerala, including those belonging to the fishing hamlets of Poonthura, Vizhinjam, Kovalam and Pozhiyoor in my constituency, are currently stranded in Iran and are confined to their rooms with limited access to food and water."

Some reports have suggested that as many as 23 individuals are being forced to live in a single room, the Congress MP said.

"This is a situation that developed overnight as part of the larger quarantine and containment measures being implemented by the Iranian administration to contain the outbreak of Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) in the country," he said.

"While one can appreciate the urgent need to contain this outbreak, the plight of our fishermen warrants immediate attention given that it appears that they are running low on critical supplies," Tharoor said.

It is imperative for the Indian government to utilise all available channels of communication and establish contact with the affected group and work to ensure that critical amenities such as food and water are made available to them without any further delay, he said.

"Given the uncertainty surrounding the spread of this epidemic, I would like to urge our government to explore all channels with their Iranian counterparts towards the goal of evacuating these affected groups, as you did so effectively for our compatriots in China, and reuniting them with their family members," he said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also appealed to Jaishankar to take necessary steps and arrange for safe return of hundreds of fishermen, including Keralites, trapped in Iran following coronavirus scare.

In a letter to Jaishankar, he said the state government has received information that more than hundred people, including around 60 from Kerala, were trapped in Azalur in Iran.

"When contacted by state government officials, it has been stated by the persons trapped in Azalur that more than hundred persons are there out of which around 60 are reported to be from Kerala," Vijayan said in the letter.

He said it was learnt that they were unable to return to India on account of the Covid-19 spread.