Seven Indian sailors, who have been held hostage by Somali pirates for the last two years, have appealed to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh , the President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj seeking their help.

The sailors have narrated their ordeal in a video message and have sought immediate intervention of the government. The video was reportedly uploaded on the web 45 days ago, but was accessed by the family of one of the hostages on Friday. One of the sailors, the vessel's Second Officer Bhaskaran Nair Unnikrishnan, is reportedly a diabetic patient and is said to be in urgent need of medicines.

The sailors were taken hostage on September 28, 2010 when their ship, MT Asphalt, was hijacked by Somali pirates. The vessel and eight of its crew members were released on April 15, 2011 after the intervention of the Mumbai-based shipping company. But these seven sailors were held back as hostages.