Fishing community outfits in India and Pakistan have urged the Prime Ministers of both countries to immediately release the 749 fishermen who are languishing in prisons on both sides of the border for years.
The community leaders have implored the two governments to release the fishermen in the month of Ramzan as a humanitarian act.
“As many as four Indian fishermen died in Pakistan jails in the last year and their bodies came after almost a month of their deaths,” said Velji Masani, president of Akhil Bharatiya Fishermen Association and a fishing community leader, adding that the families of these fishermen live in extreme poverty with no means for subsistence.
“There are 666 Indian fishermen who are languishing in jails in Pakistan. Of these 559 are from Gujarat, 46 are from the Union Territory of Diu, 30 from Maharashtra, 23 from Uttar Pradesh, four from Bihar and one from Goa,” Mr. Masani said at a press conference in Ahmedabad.
The letters written to the Prime Ministers of both countries have signatories from National Fishworkers Forum (India), South Asian Solidarity Conclave, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy.
A press conference was also held in Lahore, Pakistan, on April 13, appealing for the release of Pakistani fishers in Indian jails.
“The way we had a press conference in Gujarat to highlight the issue to the Indian government, a similar conference was organised at Lahore Press Club to make a similar appeal to the Pakistani government. We have requested both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to release the fishermen unconditionally,” said Jatin Desai, a veteran journalist and peace activist who works for freeing of fishermen of both countries.
Usmangani, National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) leader, emphasised the release of arrested fishermen and the reconstitution of the Joint Judicial Committee on prisoners.
“They are extremely poor people. Nothing is recovered from their possession except their fishing tools. Maximum sentence they can be awarded is just three months imprisonment. But they spend several miserable years in jail,” he said, adding governments of both countries must release them immediately.
According to Mr. Masani, of the 666 Indian fishermen — all caught after October 17, 2018 — a total of 631 have completed their sentences and their nationalities have also been confirmed. Similarly, according to information cited by him, there are 83 Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails of which 50 have completed their sentences.
He added that these fishermen should be released as there is nothing against them.
The community leaders highlighted the issues of fishers of both India and Pakistan who are arrested for trespassing water borders, charged with violation of the Passport Act of the respective country and imprisoned after trial by courts with prison sentences of a few months. They pointed out that their release is never as prompt as their arrests.
During fishing expeditions, fishermen sometimes cross the international maritime border in the Arabian Sea, between India and Pakistan and they are caught by the respective agencies of Pakistan and India and are charged with violation of the Passport Act of the respective countries and are sentenced for a period of three to six months.
“My two sons are in Pakistan jail for the last six years. Five months ago, my husband passed away waiting for their release. I work as a labourer to support my family. My sons have not committed any crime. PM Modi must intervene to seek their release from jail,” said 50-year-old Valuben Solanki, choking as she speaks.
