THELIGHTOFANDAMANS: EDITORIAL: MF Samsun: Enjoy it!

Monday, March 5, 2012

EDITORIAL: MF Samsun: Enjoy it!

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

EDITORIAL

MF Samsun: Enjoy it!

MF Samsun is believed to be the good thing that has happened to the shipping sector after a long period. The jinxed sector had its share of pain in the form of MV Afra Bay, MV Karmatang, MV Chuglum and now MV Campbell Bay.

Chartered by the A&N Administration on wet lease from

Turkey

, for a period of 24 months, MF Samsun has all the modern passenger amenities and comfort and can travel at a speed of 16 knots. It can also transport 214 cars/28 trucks/500 T break bulk cargo.

The prompt induction of Samsun will naturally ease the connectivity and transportation concern of Southern Group.

The Lieutenant Governor had inducted the vessel on 21 Feb 2012, but made its maiden voyage on 4 March 2012 from Port Blair to Campbell Bay after completion of formalities relating to custom, immigration and flag staff inspection. Passengers onboard have exuded satisfaction with the facilities.

The service aspect of shipping sector in the Islands had hit rock bottom that the Islanders wholeheartedly welcomed any move that reduced their misery. Whether its privatization or wet lease, they don't care a bit. They just need uninterrupted and prompt service.

Many more vessels are on the offing, which will be chartered and put into service in harbour ferry, Inter Island and Foreshore sector. It would be preposterous to question the rationale behind the move as the Islanders have lost all hope they had on the Marine Dept, which has miserably failed to either run or maintain the vessels.

The way crew behaved with the passengers on MV Kalighat last week and a few days ago at Mayabunder is glaring examples of how serious they are in their profession. The way things are moving; in the near future department like DSS would totally stall recruitment process.

The sorry state of affairs at the dockyard shows our apathy. Proper dockyard facilities, trained manpower, adequate supply of spares and an effective management are essential to pull up the department from the bottomless pit. However, there is no light seen anywhere at the end of the tunnel.

With an estranged past, as far as service is concerned and a bleak future as far as employment opportunities are concerned, lets enjoy the new wave of luxurious ships owned and manned by phoren crew and relish their hospitality, which we have been missing for a long time. Let us forget for a while that ours is an Island territory, where we need to rely on some European or South-east Asian country to connect us with our scattered Islands. Let self-reliance for a while remain a delusion! Enjoy the ride!

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About The Light of Andamans

The Light of Andamans’ was born out of the zeal and determination to fight against the suffocating Kafkaesque atmosphere on the society that existed even after 30 years of Independence under bureaucratic rule. It was a hangover of the ‘Raj’that extended much too long in the Islands.

The Light of Andamans’ was started in 1975. The paper had always been a crusader, taking up the causes that no other newspaper would touch. In doing so, it very often stepped on the toes of the authorities and had to face persecution in the form of denial of advertisements and numerous court cases against it. For a small stint, the publication came to a halt in 2003.

Gezira Publications Private Limited took over the paper in the year 2005 and transferred the title in a bid to revive the second oldest newsmagazine from extinction and also to carry forward the mission.

The Newsmagazine, under the new management, has undergone a sea change both in form and content. It turned into a full-fledged tabloid with 10 pages with plenty of photographs making both pleasing to the eyes and soothing for the mind. “It has acquired a position where it influences the policies in vital matters concerning the development of the islands, protection of aboriginal tribes and addressing the problems of the disadvantaged groups. The newsmagazine is known and appreciated for its bold, free, fair and balanced reporting.”

Late Govinda Raju and his team worked very hard to rebuild the reputation, goodwill and a healthy new image of the newsmagazine brick by brick. After the demise of Mr Raju in 2010, the magazine is now being edited by Zubair Ahmed and published by Basudev Dass. The newsmagazine continues its mission of highlighting policy issues pertaining to the Islands.