Grateful to India for offering help in Thai cave rescue : Thai Embassy
New Delhi, Jul 10 : Charge d'Affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy in India Apirat Sugondhabhirom on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to India for offering its assistance in the ongoing rescue operations of the members of a Wild Boars soccer team stranded in a flooded cave in northern Thailand.
Speaking exclusively to ANI, Apirat said, "I would like to thank India for offering its help. The Royal Thai Embassy has been receiving many messages from our Indian friends caring for our children trapped in the cave. The gesture that India has shown to us will not be forgotten."
The Indian embassy in Bangkok informed the Thai authorities that the Kirloskar Brothers, an Indian company with expertise in pumping and flood management, can help drain out excess water from the cave, said Apirat in the interview.
"The (Thai) Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked for the generous offer and have conveyed this to the interior ministry. We will not forget this help," Apirat noted.
He clarified that there were no Indian companies or professionals engaged in the rescue operations as of now. He however added that the Thai government was seriously considering to employ the Kirloskar Brothers.
Explaining the difficulties and challenges of the operations, Apirat underscored that weather, water and the physical condition of the stranded boys and the coach were the key factors kept in mind during the entire exercise.
"Within the (Tham Luang) cave complex, the passages inside are totally submerged in water due to rains. The monsoon is coming soon. We are racing against time. It's been raining on and off for the last two weeks. The weather has cleared a bit now. The rescue operations led by the Chiang Rai Governor has been doing a good job," he said.
Explaining how the team ended up being trapped inside the Tham Luang cave, Apirat said that the boys were planning a surprise birthday party and had ventured inside the cave. He, however, clarified that it was not the first time a soccer team group had visited the risky cave.
As heavy rains pounded, the boys were forced to go further deeper to escape the rising water levels and were ultimately trapped.
"On July 2, the British divers found them. We came to know about this. The boys were looking hungry and very weak. Luckily, they were carrying provisions. The original plan of the group was not to go down deep inside the cave. But, unfortunately, on and off rains played spoilsport," Apirat recalled.
He informed that eight boys have been rescued in the last two days. They are recovering at the Chiang Rai Hospital. The third series of rescue operations were underway to retrieve the remaining five members of the soccer team.
Apirat continued, "Many of our international friends are actively cooperating with us in the rescue operations. Divers from Laos, Myanmar, Belgium, China, Israel and also Thailand having expertise in diving and pumping out excess water from the cave are all contributing in the operation. We are grateful to that."
He lamented that during the operations, a "heroic and brave" diver had died, who was previously from the Royal Thai Navy.
Apirat further said that a team of doctors and divers were taking turns to stay with the stranded group.
Asked whether the Thai government required an immediate help, he said that everything was under control and the teams were doing their jobs without any problems.
Praising the coach of the Wild Boars football team, Apirat said, "Previously, he was a Buddhist monk. He has used the knowledge of meditation. With this, he kept a cool head and managed to calm the boys down. He even told them to meditate, saying that help would always come. When the British divers found them, the children were not panicking. They were calm with no signs of fear."
Calling it a "very difficult operation", Apirat prayed for the safety of the remaining five persons and the divers and hoped that a good news would come at the end of the day.
courtesy : aninews.in
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Congress seeks Centre's clarification on third-party mediation in Kashmir issue
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Congress on Monday urged the Centre to clarify whether it is open to third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue, warning that such as stance could potentially violate the Simla Agreement.
The grand old party pointed to US President Donald Trump's daily statements, claiming that he was intervening in the matter, and said a clarification from the union government on the matter was inevitable.
While addressing a party programme here, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the party wants to know whether there has been a shift in the country's foreign policy, and therefore the matter has to be taken up in the Parliament at the earliest.
Questions are now being raised if the Simla Agreement has been violated.
"Was the Simla Agreement, which rejects any third-party involvement in the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, violated? Trump has been making statements daily, claiming that he has intervened in the matter. We need the government's clarification," Venugopal said.
"The Congress party has asked the Prime Minister of India to urgently convene Parliament to discuss these issues. This is not to blame anyone or put them on trial."
The Congress party also called for a special session of Parliament to evaluate the situation in detail, to identify any mistakes that were made, and to ensure that they are not repeated in the future.
"We must get answers to these questions in order to rectify lapses and mistakes, and to continue our fight against Pakistan without fail," he added.
His comments came after India and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to halt military actions on land, air and sea after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
There were violations of the agreement as Pakistan resorted to cross-border firing within hours of its announcement.
According to Venugopal, the country is going through a very serious situation, and the Congress, the INDIA alliance, and the entire opposition firmly stand behind the union government and the Indian Army in their strong fight against terrorism.
The leader also mentioned that in recent days, both the country and the world have recalled former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had firmly opposed third-party intervention in the Kashmir issue.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to cease all military actions, following the most severe confrontation between the two countries in decades.
The escalation was triggered by an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which left 26 dead.
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