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| SOS children playing in the water. Photo from SOS Archives |
March 18, 2011: The Indian Navy announced on Monday that it arrested 61 pirates thought to be from Somalia or Yemen, according to
The New York Times. The captures, made about 700 miles off
India's southwestern coast, were the third made by Indian authorities this year. In January and February, India arrested 43 pirates. The latest group of pirates is now in police custody in Mumbai, India.
The Indian Navy seized a fishing boat from Mozambique that pirates had secured in December and used as a base to strike ships in the Arabian Sea. The 78-foot ship, Vega 5, posed a risk to international shipping for several months. During its latest seizure, the Indian Navy rescued 13 crew members who had been kidnapped by the pirates.
Pirate attacks on ships have grown in recent years. As reported by UPI, according to the International Maritime Bureau, such attacks grew by 10 percent between 2009 and 2010.
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| Holi celebration in SOS Bhubaneshwar. Photo from SOS Archives |
Successful Pirate Raids an Apt Prelude to the Hindu Holiday
As the Indian Navy basks in its latest successful maneuver against pirates, Hindus in India and elsewhere are preparing to welcome the triumph of good over evil by celebrating Holi, the Festival of Colors.
This year, Holi falls on March 19th and 20th. Children find Holi a special treat because on the second day of the festival, family and friends gather to joyously throw colored water and powder at each other. On the first day, they light fires to burn an evil, mythical demon.
Every day, SOS Children’s Villages, which has 39 Villages across India, brings light and color to the lives of children whose parents cannot care for them. During Holi, SOS mothers and children gather together with the whole SOS Village to herald the end of winter and the start of spring.
Hindu children living in SOS Children’s Villages know that bonfires are lighted to celebrate good over evil. The holiday has its origins in Hindu mythology, when Hiranyakashipu's plan to lead his son to death was upset by Prahlada's devotion to Lord Vishnu, and the evil daughter Holika burned in the pyre instead.
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| Covered in colored powder at SOS Greenfields. Photo from SOS Archives |
A Time to Help SOS Bring Color to a Child’s World
Help vulnerable children find a colorful future at an SOS Children’s Village. Consider making a donation in honor of the 20 million Indian children who have been abandoned or orphaned.
Learn more about SOS Children's Villages. Sign up for the SOS eNewsletter!