'The most dangerous of all my trips...'

 

• Source: https://m.rediff.com/news/1998/sep/02ship.htm

 

 

For B Navindra Karkera, even after spending 26 years in the merchant navy did not prepare him for the events of August 14. As the rest of his countrymen were preparing to usher in the 51st anniversary of the country's independence, he found himself and his crew taken into custody by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam off the Point Pedro coast, witnessed his ship, M V Princess Kash, being bombed by Lankan jets, and lived through a gunfight between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE.

Now back in Bombay, his ordeal has left him with not unpleasant thoughts about the rebels for a separate homeland in the Lankan northeast. Syed Firdaus Ashraf met him for a first person account of his travails.

On July 15, I waved goodbye to my wife and son before setting sail on the MV Princess Kash to Colombo. I have been in the merchant navy for 26 years, so this is kind of routine with my family. At that time, of course, I had no idea that this would be the most dangerous of all my trips.

After sailing for one month, during the course of which we called on various ports, finally, on August 10, my ship sailed from Colombo to Point Pedro. This location is close to Jaffna town, where the LTTE has its base. The cargo that we unloaded at Point Pedro was essentially food items, motor vehicles, vegetable oil and general cargo.

On August 12, we neared Trincomalee port. And as per merchant navy rules, I called up the Sri Lankan navy and informed them about our Expected Time of Arrival at Point Pedro -- either late on August 13 or early morning of August 14.

On the 13th evening, I called the Lankan navy again and gave them my position who answered my call on Channel 16. (It is like a main route where a 24-hour watch is kept on every ship by the defence authorities of the respective countries.)

Since I was to reach Port Point Pedro the next day, I informed them that I would be reaching Point Pedro either at 2300 hours on August 13 or on 14th morning. Since there was no response, I called the Lankan navy once again and asked them that whether I should drop anchor on the 14th morning or should I do it right now?

The navy replied that instead of reaching on 13th night, I should reach on August 14th early morning, and they also advised me to drop anchor. I did accordingly.

But I found something fishy since their signal kept blinking on and off continuously. So I asked the other side, are you the Sri Lankan navy or what, because you are blinking your light continuously? They said they were the navy and that they do blink their light sometimes.

Only then was I assured that I was indeed interacting with the Sri Lankan navy.

At 0230 hours on August 14, the Sri Lankan navy called again, this time to change my route from channel 16 to some other channel. They also told me to reduce our speed. And I did accordingly, in the belief that I was following the Sri Lankan navy's instructions.

After that I could see very bleakly two speedboats, carrying around 25 people, approaching our ship. Since I was carrying a letter to be delivered to the northern commander of the Sri Lankan navy, I thought they were coming to collect that letter.

But before I realised what was happening, they boarded the ship with ladders and opened fire on us with AK-47s.

Only then did I know they were from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. They were speaking to each other in Tamil. And since I belong to Karnataka, I could at least make out what language they were conversing in.

They told us to evacuate the cabins and come out. There were 17 Indians and four Sri Lankans on our ship. The Tigers started removing valuables from crew members, tied our hands and told us to lie down on the weather deck.

One guy asked for the captain. I stood up and said it was me. They showed me two suicide bombers who had loaded explosives on their chests and told me that if we created trouble they would blow us all up. So I said I surrender.

They immediately took over the command of the ship, switched off the Global Positioning System by which you can track and record the ship's route, and started operating with radar!

I was shocked to see them. All the 25 people were between the ages of 12 and 18. Some of them were wearing uniforms and some of them were in shorts. What surprised me most was their knowledge about the ship. They operated such a huge ship without any hassles. They told me that they were called 'Sea Tigers'.

After that they started unloading potatoes and scooters from the ship. Small boats arrived from the direction in which they had come. Many other LTTE soldiers surrounded the ship and started offloading the goods.

By 0630 hours, we reached Mullaittivu. The LTTE told me this place was ruled by them, and dropped anchor a mile from the shore. At their behest, I kept calling the Sri Lankan navy continuously, since they wanted me to inform the authorities that the Tigers were in command of the ship, and if the navy tried to approach us they would blow up the vessel.

But there was no response from the navy.

Among the most surprising things the Tigers told me was that for the last two days I had been interacting with them, and not with the navy!

Anyway, around 0900 hours, we received a message that the vessel would be bombarded within half an hour. I thought it was sent by the Lankan navy.

The Tigers told us to pass on a message to the navy not to bomb the ship since there were 17 Indians and four Lankans on board. I kept sending this message, but there was no response. I then realised I would be killed in the fight between the Sri Lankan navy and the LTTE.

 

Edited June 11, 20232 yr by நன்னிச் சோழன்

'I thought I would be killed in the crossfire'

 

• Source: https://m.rediff.com/news/1998/sep/02ship1.htm

 

I requested the LTTE to let my crew and I leave the ship. They then contacted their ground base. I don't know who sent the message, but we were all told to abandon the ship.

After evacuating all of us, the Tigers took the crew, barring me, into the interior. I couldn't figure out why they detained me on the beach. They handed me a walkie-talkie, and interestingly it had a communication facility.

Again, on their instructions, I started sending false messages to the Sri Lankan navy -- not to bomb the ship since we all were still on board.

After some time, the navy called me and asked where the LTTE captured us, at what time, and what we proposed to do.

I was surprised by that question and said I could not do anything because I was under the LTTE's control.

So they told me either to abandon ship or proceed with sailing the ship. I was shocked by this answer and replied angrily, 'How can I do that since I am totally under their control? I cannot do anything, please try to save us.' And, I started sending SOS messages.

After sending those messages, there was no response from the Navy.

Around 1500 hours we got a final message. 'Princess Kash, we are going to bomb the ship. Either abandon ship or proceed in the other direction.'

After half an hour, they blew up the ship without realising that we were on the ground.

I could see three jets flying over us at great speed. The planes then dropped bombs. At that time I was in a shed, and before I realised it, the LTTE literally carried me and sheltered me in a bunker.

I was cramped inside along with five LTTE guys. The Sri Lankan navy bombed the place so thoroughly that the shed where I was sitting earlier was reduced to ashes.

Then the LTTE guys started firing at the planes. This was literally a war-like situation with the jets and LTTE firing at each other. I think there were nearly 200 people along with women cadres on the beach. And all of them were firing at the planes.

After the jets flew back, they showed me my ship which had been bombed out of existence. I think nowhere in the world has a merchant navy ship been bombed so badly. It is sad because the Sri Lankan navy had loaded the ship, and both the LTTE and navy knew there was no weapons on the ship. Still, they bombed the Princess Kash.

I think the navy bombed the ship because they did not want any proof left behind about their communication failure.

They did not even realise that so many people's lives depended on that ship. My certificates and clothes, everything had been destroyed. I was left only with the clothes I was wearing.

After this the Tigers took me to the guesthouse where all my crew had been kept hostage. At noon the next day, they took me to the Red Cross office by bus. It is the safest place as nobody bombs it. They told us that the LTTE has released you. However, the four Sinhalese on board the ship were not released. The Tigers told me that their rules were different for the Sinhalese. I feel sad because till this day, the Sinhalese crew members are with the Tigers.

Staying with the Tigers, even for a day, was an experience. Though the LTTE is fully equipped in arms and ammunition, they do not have any electricity. During the night, they start the generators for some time; but in the day they use it only during an emergency.

The LTTE also gave us a lecture on their cause and why they wanted friendship with India. I don't know why they said what happened with Rajiv Gandhi was not good -- since the general belief is that the Tigers killed Gandhi. They told me that the then Lankan president Premdasa played dirty politics and therefore they killed him.

In their words, Premdasa use to say that let the LTTE and the Indian Peace Keeping Force fight with each other, we will be spectators. Since I was under their control I did not question them about their views on Rajiv Gandhi. My only concern was to be a free man along with my colleagues.

They told me to inform all Indians not to have ill-feelings about them. They also mentioned that Sri Lanka is buying weapons from enemy countries like China and Pakistan. They wanted me to tell the Indian government to be friends with them since they were our immediate neighbours, and share the same culture and god. 'You are a captain and I am sure the Indian people will believe your words,' they told me.

Interestingly, they did not even have a telephone connection. I pleaded with them that I wanted to call my wife and tell her I was all right. But they said there was no way to contact the outside world.

The place where we were was completely dark and the place is ravaged. We were there for two days and we had no problem with the Tigers. They showed us video films on how they captured the Sri Lankan army base, and bragged about all their achievements.

After reaching Colombo on the 17th, I immediately contacted my family who were in a state of shock after reading that my ship had been bombed.

Journalists who interviewed me in Sri Lanka took their government line that I was siding with the LTTE. I asked them, 'You tell me what was your navy doing for six hours before the LTTE captured me? Because for me to reach the LTTE base, would take some hours. So when they knew I was going there, why didn't they intercept me?'

I told them how ignorant the Sri Lankan navy was, since they do not know about the LTTE's equipment. They could have intercepted and sent me a message that I was not interacting with them but with the LTTE all through, but they didn't do that.

I feel the LTTE is a brilliant organisation, they had all the information about my ship. They knew that at Colombo, my ship was loaded at an army jetty.

They intercepted my ship because they thought I had loaded defence equipment onto it.

I feel the Sri Lankan government bombed the ship because they wanted nothing to go to the LTTE.

Till the time I was in the LTTE's camp I did not think I was a free man. Even when I was passing through the war zone, I thought anytime now I would be hit in the crossfire. It was only when I reached Madras airport that I thought I was a free man.

My only regret is I could not convince the LTTE to free my Sinhalese friends. I told them that we merchant navy people have no boundaries. For us whichever port we approach is our country and home. But they refused my request.

Edited June 11, 20232 yr by நன்னிச் சோழன்