The Turmoil of Fisher People Caught Between India and Pakistan Report
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Fishing in troubled waters The turmoil of fisher people caught between India and Pakistan Report & Compilation May 2013 Published by: Dialogue for Action (DA) Compiled by: The Research Collective (TRC) Cover Illustration : Sajith Kumar Dialogue for Action, an initiative of Cover photo : Ahmad Nizam Awang/Flickr PSA, aims at asserting meaningful engagements between South Asian Cover Design : Joe Athialy people with a belief that people and communities have an inherent Printers : Jerry Enterprises, Delhi - 9873294668 capacity to work towards conflict transformation and such promotion of dialogue processes is the lasting solution to civil, political, economic and cultural conflicts. The objective is to create conducive people- centric spaces, legislations and judicial protection of citizens – through inter-community dialogue, advocacy with state and non-state actors, media interactions and popular action – for preservation of active democracy, peace, human rights and justice in South Asia. The The Research Collective is an specific areas taken up include: initiative of PSA that provides Indo-Pak fishers issue/conflicts, research facilities to different Siachen conflict between Indian communities, organizations and and Pakistani Armies, Sir Creek situations. TRC facilitates research conflict in Indo-Pak maritime around the theoretical framework waters, issues of prisoners between and practical aspects of India and Pakistan, the larger battle development, industry, sustainable of democratic movements in alternatives, equitable growth, Central India's tribal region and the natural resources, community & Other publications by The Research Collective conflicts between different ethnic people's rights. It has gained from 1. Negotiating Power: A Socio-Economic Study of GMR Kamalanga Energy Ltd communities in North East region. the past experience of researchers affected community in Dhenkanal, Odisha and socio-economic analysts who 2. Siachen: End to the Impasse? Report & Compilation about the highest battlefield have tried to make specific on Earth interventions using data and information collected from local communities and governments, For Private Circulation Only alike. Cutting across subjects of economics, law, politics, social and Programme for Social Action (PSA) nature sciences, the work bases H-17/1 (Basement), Malviya Nagar, New Delhi – 110017 itself on peoples' experiences and Phones: +91-11-26687725 / 26671556 community perspectives. Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Cover Illustration : Sajith Kumar Dialogue for Action, an initiative of Cover photo : Ahmad Nizam Awang/Flickr PSA, aims at asserting meaningful engagements between South Asian Cover Design : Joe Athialy people with a belief that people and communities have an inherent Printers : Jerry Enterprises, Delhi - 9873294668 capacity to work towards conflict transformation and such promotion of dialogue processes is the lasting solution to civil, political, economic and cultural conflicts. The objective is to create conducive people- centric spaces, legislations and judicial protection of citizens – through inter-community dialogue, advocacy with state and non-state actors, media interactions and popular action – for preservation of active democracy, peace, human rights and justice in South Asia. The The Research Collective is an specific areas taken up include: initiative of PSA that provides Indo-Pak fishers issue/conflicts, research facilities to different Siachen conflict between Indian communities, organizations and and Pakistani Armies, Sir Creek situations. TRC facilitates research conflict in Indo-Pak maritime around the theoretical framework waters, issues of prisoners between and practical aspects of India and Pakistan, the larger battle development, industry, sustainable of democratic movements in alternatives, equitable growth, Central India's tribal region and the natural resources, community & Other publications by The Research Collective conflicts between different ethnic people's rights. It has gained from 1. Negotiating Power: A Socio-Economic Study of GMR Kamalanga Energy Ltd communities in North East region. the past experience of researchers affected community in Dhenkanal, Odisha and socio-economic analysts who 2. Siachen: End to the Impasse? Report & Compilation about the highest battlefield have tried to make specific on Earth interventions using data and information collected from local communities and governments, For Private Circulation Only alike. Cutting across subjects of economics, law, politics, social and Programme for Social Action (PSA) nature sciences, the work bases H-17/1 (Basement), Malviya Nagar, New Delhi – 110017 itself on peoples' experiences and Phones: +91-11-26687725 / 26671556 community perspectives. Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Contents ................ 1 Dedicated to the fond memory of .................. 7 our dear friend, comrade and legal luminary from Pakistan ................ 10 Iqbal Haider ................ 13 ................ 15 & Matanhy Saldanha ................ 19 Political activist and leader of National Fishworkers' Forum (India) The fisher people of India and Pakistan will miss the strong ................ 33 political activism and advocacy they both engaged in, for the protection of rights and livelihood of the fishing community in South Asia. ................ 39 ................ 59 ................ 85 Contents ................ 1 Dedicated to the fond memory of .................. 7 our dear friend, comrade and legal luminary from Pakistan ................ 10 Iqbal Haider ................ 13 ................ 15 & Matanhy Saldanha ................ 19 Political activist and leader of National Fishworkers' Forum (India) The fisher people of India and Pakistan will miss the strong ................ 33 political activism and advocacy they both engaged in, for the protection of rights and livelihood of the fishing community in South Asia. ................ 39 ................ 59 ................ 85 Acknowledgements ................ 88 As we work towards a permanent solution of this issue, towards creating a long lasting economic cooperation agreement between India and Pakistan, we would ................ 90 like to thank the teams of organizations like PFF, PILER, NFF, PIPFPD, Focus on the Global South and South Asians for Human Rights for providing support, solidarity and guidance in this work. We are also grateful to the journalist fraternity and the Press Clubs of Karachi and Mumbai for covering the issue and for creating joint ................ 95 media initiatives that help in building confidence and trust in both countries. We owe a special thanks to Adv. Colin Gonsalves and the team of Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) in India and Adv. Asma Jahangir and Justice (R) Nasir Aslam Zahid ................ 107 for their support to this work in Pakistan. This work would not have been what it is if not for the active collaboration and support of Com. Karamat Ali (PILER) and Com. Mohd Ali Shah (PFF). ................ 112 We are very grateful to all the authors, for their respective writings on the issue as well as their long-term engagement with the issue. We regret that we were unable to seek prior written permission from the authors or the publishers in most cases. Our ................ 119 only explanation and defense is that this is a non-profit private circulation compilation aimed at only bringing together these writings to assist productive dialogue on the issue. For the purpose of the compilation, we have omitted some ................ 121 photographs and other non-text images from the original articles. The resource support from Heinrich Boell Foundation (HBF) towards programme ................ 123 coordination and publication costs could not have come at a more opportune time in facilitating this work. We would like to thank Dr Michael and Dr Axel Harneit Sievers along with the HBF India team for initiating and sustaining this support. Without the consistent and committed efforts of Jatin Desai, this work would have ................ 126 been impossible. PSA Governing Board and the constituent members of the General Body join the fishworkers and their organizations in India and Pakistan in thanking Jatin for his invaluable contribution that has set free hundreds of innocent fishermen and other prisoners. This publication and the one on Siachen were made possible by Ms Aashima Subberwal of The Research Collective of PSA who worked relentlessly on the several drafts and compiled the media reports for these. We thank Lakshmi Premkumar for her inputs, in her capacity as the Coordinator of TRC unit. We thank Sajith Kumar for the cartoon illustration on the cover page which has truly captured the essence of this publication. A special thanks to Joe Athialy for the cover design and for listening to our endless suggestions. PSA Collective May 2013 Acknowledgements ................ 88 As we work towards a permanent solution of this issue, towards creating a long lasting economic cooperation agreement between India and Pakistan, we would ................ 90 like to thank the teams of organizations like PFF, PILER, NFF, PIPFPD, Focus on the Global South and South Asians for Human Rights for providing support, solidarity and guidance in this work. We are also grateful to the journalist fraternity and the Press Clubs of Karachi and Mumbai for covering the issue and for creating joint ................ 95 media initiatives that help in building confidence and trust in both countries. We owe a special