Mumbai: Concerned by the arrest of over 100 Indian fishermen by Pakistan off Gujarat coast on March 25, an NGO working for peace between the two nations has urged the Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency (MSA) to hold a dialogue immediately.
“The number of arrests is extremely high and this has not happened in the past,” said Mumbai-based Jatin Desai of Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Democracy and Peace. Along with the fishermen, their 19 fishing boats have also been seized.
It is high time the two sides hold a dialogue specifically on this issue since “it is a violation of human rights and also a violation of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea. A meeting is scheduled next month and we urge both the governments to discuss this issue in detail,” he said.
The various mechanisms set up like the India Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners must be revived since it gives the arrested people an opportunity to put forward their case status, their grievances, health related issues and so on, the NGO said in a statement. “The people of both the countries have since years been demanding for a No Arrest Policy which has not even been considered for discussion till now.”
The effect of the complete pause in dialogue is faced most by the fishing community since their life and livelihood is at stake. “It is also true that the fishermen belonging to Pakistan have also been going through the same plight.”
Desai added that the economy of the Saurashtra region in Gujarat has been severely affected. The arrests only create an atmosphere of fear within the community and hesitation to go to the sea. “This ultimately affects the fishing industry as well.”
While appreciating the release of over 400 fishermen by the Pakistani government during December 2016-January 2017, Desai added that it is also important that both countries maintain a policy of peace and dialogue and the people are not made victims of the politically created hostilities between the two.
