‘Hijacked’ by Pralav Dhyani: Undying hope through 11 months of captivity
Three hundred and thirty-one days in captivity can be harrowing for a fresh merchant mariner who is excited about his first foray across the deep blue seas, but ends up staring into the black muzzle of guns wielded by pirates in foreign waters.
On April 11, 2010, a cargo vessel, MV RAK Afrikana, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean and its 16 crew members, along with eight trainee cadets, were taken captive. The author, then just 21, was among them.
They were taken to an obscure location in Somalia, from where negotiations commenced for their release. For almost a year, the crew members, who came from different countries, stuck together through mock executions and mental torture, terror and betrayal, as a complex web of politics and piracy revealed itself.
Described as a compelling story of hardship and the power of human resilience, the book is a thrilling first-person account of the perils of being a maritime officer and how treacherous life on the high seas can be.
The writer puts together a simple yet emotionally gripping narrative of survival and faith, of psychological resilience and endurance, of hope and despair in the face of life-threatening circumstances.
The hijacking episode wasn’t a kidnapping where they were just picked up by some goons, but an organised crime clique that knew exactly what to do, how to do it and how much time every step should take. It was a smoothly-run racket.
While living on a hijacked ship, the author saw everything — from torture and humiliation to deprivation. He saw how money makes the world go round. He saw resilience and courage in the face of danger, but also submission and fear.
Incidents and experiences on-board the captive ship and the day-to-day fatigue have been meticulously recorded. So have been the myriad thoughts flashing through the minds, the abundance of questions and the absence of answers.
The crew kept the ship running and carried out their regular protocols and maintenance drills under the shadow of the gun. Juxtaposed with this were the whims and fancies of the pirates, their suspicions and the lack of understanding of technical matters. There were health crises among the crew. To make matters worse, a leak in the ship’s hull sprung up, leading to ingress of sea water.
And then finally came the wisp of hope, accompanied by streaks of uncertainty, as the first word on their release trickled in. Varied emotions and sentiments gripped the crew as an aircraft circled overhead and dropped a packet containing the ransom. The pirates finally left for good and the ship was free, but still not safe.
The challenge of moving the disabled ship out of pirate-infested Somali waters remained; the ship’s owner had expressed his inability to send any direct help.
After 11 months of confinement, the crew finally abandoned the vessel and was picked up by an Italian warship.
Amid all that darkness, one thing never left them: hope; of getting to the end of their ordeal, going back home and seeing their families again. This is the story of that undying hope. Of the 24, there was one who was not destined to see freedom again.
Book Review