Malta boat tragedy

Eight years ago on Christmas day, several young Indians lost their lives as they were being ferried illegally across the Mediterranean. It is unclear to this day how many of them perished. The Hindustan Times reports on the protests of family members:

Perturbed over the Centre’s decision not to become a party in any of the court cases pertaining to the Malta boat tragedy of 1996, family members of victims today held a protest.
Led by Malta Boat Tragedy Probe Mission chairman Balwant Singh Khera, they raised slogans against the Central as well as the state governments, saying they expected at least a monetary relief on humanitarian grounds for the lives lost on the night of December 25 that year.
“Even if the government has decided not to get involved, the least it can do is to help the families in retrieving the remains of those who died. Besides, it must come out with an official list so that it could be clear as to how many persons were actually killed,” said Khera.
Though the chances were bleak, there were many families who still hoped their wards might return, he said. “We agree that the youths were being ferried illegally, but since they were Indians, it is the duty of the government to procure the right information,” he added.
Khera contended that if the government could go all out to ensure the release of the three Punjabis taken hostage in Iraq, why could the same not be done in the Malta case.