Missing or Dead: Rescuers give up last hope
Mohammed Sajid & Narayan Reddy
Port Blair, Dec 03: The Cyclonic Storm “Leher” has left Andaman after causing large scale damages in South Andaman area. Though all fishermen, who were out in sea on 24th and 25th November 2013 are back, Mr. M Kubelu still remain missing. According to reports Kubelu had gone for fishing with three other fishermen in Wandoor area on 24 November 2013 and on 25 November 2013 they faced the full fury of Cyclonic Storm “Leher”. The sea conditions were so rough that at around 4.30 am their fishing dinghy capsized near Wandoor. All four fishermen had no other way than swimming towards land for survival but amidst the swelling sea one of the fishermen, M Kubelu suddenly disappeared. The three survivors somehow managed to reach home and report this matter to the Police Department.
Meanwhile Coast Guard, Police and Forest Department had already launched a search operation to trace out these four fishermen. After return of three fishermen the search focused only on M Kubelu but the search operation yielded no results.
“We have been told that the search parties have given up and submitted a report that my father is untraceable and the search parties have also been called back,” said the elder son of M Kubelu while talking to Andaman Sheekha.
When Andaman Sheekha Contacted Mr. Onit Panyang, IAS, Secretary, Fisheries, what happen to the missing fisherman, he informed Andaman Sheekha that only one Fisherman is missing since from 25th November 2013 after the Cyclone “Leher” namely M Kubelu R/o Junglighat.
He also informed that they are tried to search that fisherman with the help of Indian Coast Guard, Police and Forest Departments but the fisherman could not be found. However, he maintained that Fisheries Department is still trying to find out the missing person with the help of Cost Guard.
It is good that the Fisheries Department has kept the hope alive when other agencies have given up all hopes. The reality is that everybody knows deep inside their heart that Mr. Kubelu is no more. Even those who saw Kubelu vanishing in high sea, know that Kubelu will never return. Even the wife, two sons and a daughter of the fisherman has accepted the reality. This is high time for the Administration to declare Kubelu was ‘missing believed dead’ instead of only ‘missing’ so that poor family of Kubelu atleast gets some compensation.
