Several fishermen’s associations staged a protest at the Collector’s office here on Monday, seeking immediate intervention by the State and Central governments to ensure the safe release of 27 fishermen from Andhra Pradesh who were arrested by Pakistan Coast Guard on November 27, 2018.
Maritime norms
The fishermen—14 from Srikakulam district and the rest belonging to Vizianagaram and East Godavari districts—were working in Gujarat. They were arrested on charge of violating maritime norms while fishing in the Arabian Sea.
It is learnt that they were allowed to write to their family members only once since they were lodged in a prison near Karachi a few days after their arrest.
Srikakualm Fishermen Community Welfare Association leaders Duda Sudhakar, M. Phalguna Raju, Chintapalli Suryanarayana and others on Monday urged Srikakulam Collector J. Nivas to use his good offices to ensure immediate intervention by the State and Central governments in the issue.
They also sought immediate livelihood options to the family members of the fishermen.
The Collector promised to to bring the issue to the notice of the government.
“We are planning to go to New Delhi and meet officials of the External Affairs Ministry as the names of some of the arrested fishermen are not announced officially. But, the family members have identified them from the pictures released by Pakistan government. The State government must speak to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad,” said Mr. Sudhakar.
Meanwhile, the families of the fishermen back home are a worried lot over the fate of their sons.
Mental agony
“Our son K. Manikantha has been a captive in Pakistan for the last seven months. The government has extended financial assistance to other families. But, no help has come for us thus far. Running our family has become difficult as Manikantha was the sole breadwinner. Mental agony has become unbearable for us,” said Penta Nilaveni and P. Apparao from Chigudipeta in Etcherla mandal.
S. Nukaratnam, wife of Rama Rao who was among the arrested fishermen, urged the government to initiate measures to ensure the early release of her husband and other victims. “I am eagerly waiting for the release of my husband. The government must bail us out,” she added.
