Homecoming After a Long Ordeal: Caught between alien land and the deep sea
In May, Pakistan decided to release 499 Indian fishermen from Landhi jail and repatriate them to India. Caught on wrong side of the International Maritime Boundary Line, these are their stories...
14 min read
“Before leaving home, I spent time with my infant son Vidyut, wife Heera, and mother Lalita. On January 1, 2021, I left for fishing near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Arabian Sea. I expected to be at sea for a few weeks.”Deepak Chavda, 27
From Kotda village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since January 9, 2021
The day he left home: “Before leaving home, I spent time with my infant son Vidyut, wife Heera, and mother Lalita. On January 1, 2021, I left for fishing near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Arabian Sea. I expected to be at sea for a few weeks.”
What happened at sea: “I set sail on board fishing trawler Vijay Raj from Porbandar on January 5. One night, we dropped anchor off the Jakhau coast in Kutch district and fell asleep. When I woke up at 8 am on January 9, I saw a Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) boat approaching us. For an hour, I tried to escape by speeding towards the Indian coast but the PMSA caught up with us. They kicked and punched us, and forced us to sail to Karachi. In Karachi, we were put in Landhi jail.”
Life in jail: “There were around 150 other Indian fishermen with me in prison. Haresh Chavda (a fisherman from Kotda) was my constant companion. The jail authorities would blow a whistle to wake us up at 6.30 am. We would sit in pairs for a headcount before breakfast, which was tea and a chapati. I would sweep the premises with the other prisoners. Kamlesh (another fisherman) taught me beadwork. I earned (Pakistani) Rs 50 daily for that work.”
What he kept: “Two pairs of clothes and the bedding.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “A beaded fish for my son and a keychain with his name.”
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Tapu Vaghela, 49
From Velan village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since May 5, 2019
The day he left home: “I left home early in April 2019 for a fishing expedition. The previous evening, my wife Rasila cooked dry fish and brinjal curry. I gave Rs 10 each to my three children and around Rs 6,000 to my wife before taking a bus to Porbandar.”
What happened at sea: “We were fishing in a group of around 150 boats. At 8 am on May 5, 2019, I spotted a PMSA boat. While the other boats sped away, five boats, including mine, were caught. We surrendered after the PMSA fired warning shots. They beat us severely before taking us to Karachi.”
Life in jail: “I was caught by the PMSA in 2013, 2007, 2003, and 2000 too. I spent 33 months in a Pakistani jail in 2007 but on other occasions, I was released within a year. When I was captured in 2019, I hoped to be sent home within a few months. I was assigned sweeping and mopping duties. I wrote letters from jail and received replies twice but they stopped after Covid-19. We were accused of espionage but were later released. To keep homesickness at bay, I would keep myself busy with beadwork. Fellow fishermen Ramsing Sosa and Mansing Sosa kept me company. Our jailer was a kind man and allowed us poor mahigir (fishermen) to add spices to dal and vegetable curry to make them palatable.”
What he kept: “They seized my wristwatch and mobile phone. I was not allowed to carry anything.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “A beaded purse for daughter, a beaded fishing trawler with the names of my sons, a beaded replica of an Indian Coast Guard vessel and clothes gifted to me by Edhi Foundation (an NGO with headquarters in Karachi).”
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Mansing Sosa, 50
From Nanavada village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since February 14, 2020
The day he left home: “I left home on February 9, 2020. Since I had no money to give my five daughters and son as a parting gift, I just said goodbye to them and left for Okha port in Devbhumi Dwarka district.”
What happened at sea: “After I got caught in 2014 and spent 9 months in Pakistan’s jail, I stopped venturing near the IMBL. During my last trip, the boat’s engine failed and I started drifting towards the Pakistan side of the IMBL. We were a crew of six. The boats nearby did not help us as they were scared of being arrested by the PMSA. I contacted the boat owner and he promised help but we were caught by the PMSA at 2.30 pm off the Jakhau coast.”
Life in jail: “My duties involved fetching and serving meals to my fellow Indian prisoners. But I missed my children, especially my son Deep. I became weak and lost two teeth. Though I sent letters with two batches of fishermen who were released earlier, I didn’t receive any reply. I found solace in the company of my cousin and prison inmate Ramsing Sosa and in doing beadwork. When I returned home, I learned that my daughter Hiral got married in May 2021.”
What he kept: “Two pairs of clothes.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “Three saris ansd children’s clothes gifted by Edhi Foundation. I accepted the gifts since not taking them would have been discourteous.”
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Nilesh Bambhaniya, 32
From Nanavada village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since February 14, 2020
The day he left home: “Late in January 2020, I had a meal with my wife Kanchan, whom I had married just six months ago, and other family members. I left for Okha port and set sail on a trawler named Al Madina from there.”
What happened at sea: “We fell asleep after dropping anchor off the Jakhau coast. Strong currents pushed my boat towards the Pakistan side of IMBL. When we woke up, we realised we were on the wrong side. We pushed the boat at full throttle towards the Indian side but the engine overheated and failed. The PMSA caught us at 3.30 pm.”
Life in jail: “I was caught by the PMSA in 2011, 2013 and 2017 too, but released within a year each time. This time, I lost sleep as I was worried about my wife completing her B.Ed. When Covid-19 happened, all communication froze. I wrote 35 letters from jail but received a reply from my wife only after 11 months. In March 2021, Ramesh Sosa, a fisherman from my village and a distant relative, died in jail from a heart attack. He had been imprisoned since 2019. His death nearly broke me but Viha Sosa (another Indian fisherman in prison) took care of me. Gradually, I started keeping myself busy with gardening (the job assigned in jail).”
What he kept: “Save for the clothes I was wearing, I was not allowed to carry anything else.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “I distributed the clothes and footwear given to me by the Edhi Foundation among the poor at a railway station in Pakistan. I incurred a debt of Rs 1.5 lakh while in jail for purchasing items of daily use.”
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Vinu Sosa, 42
From Nanavada village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since May 8, 2019
The day he left home: “My sons Bhautik (now 20) and Uttam (now 18) were at boarding school then. My wife Manju cooked fish for dinner. As I left home the next morning, I told her that I would be back after two months.”
What happened at sea: “We were on our last fishing trip of the season, off the Jakhau coast. At 7 am on May 7, 2019, we woke up due to an announcement made over a loudspeaker by a PMSA boat. We didn’t even have time to lift the anchor. I was slapped in the face and kicked.”
Life in jail: “I missed my family, especially my parents who were quite old, but I did not receive any letters from them. Mansing Sosa from my village was sent to the same jail a few months later. We busied ourselves with beadwork and washing the clothes of aged prisoners. After I returned home, I learned that my parents had died of Covid-19 within a span of three days in May 2021.”
What he kept: “Photos of my sons and wife.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “Beaded purse for my elder brother’s wife, a beaded rose for my wife and beaded fish for the children.”
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Karshan Sosa, 65
From Nanavada village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since May 5, 2019
The day he left home: “I visited home 1.5 months before I was caught. I played with my grandsons Shivji and Ved before leaving home.”
What happened at sea: “I was a crew member on the fishing trawler named Sadhana in Porbandar. At 6 am, we spotted a PMSA boat and tried unsuccessfully to return to the Indian coast.”
Life in jail: “I received letters but they stopped during the pandemic. Around 1.5 years later, Hari, the youngest of my three sons, joined me in jail. He had gotten married just nine months earlier. Ramesh Sosa (a fellow crew member) died in jail. I was worried about my family since my eldest son Kanti is also a fisherman and away from home most of the time. Only the women were at home. I could not do beadwork since I am old and have poor eyesight. I would fetch rice from the prison kitchen and serve it to the Indian fishermen in jail, and brew tea. Whenever I would feel stressed over my release from jail, Mansing Sosa would keep me calm. Being a fisherman, I can’t live without eating fish but they didn’t serve it in Landhi jail.”
What he kept: “Photos of my grandchildren that I received in a letter.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “A sari and a pair of men’s clothes gifted by Edhi Foundation.”
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Nanji alias Jayanti Bamania, 57
From Saudwadi village, Diu district | In Pakistan jail since November 9, 2018
The day he left home: “I had been away from home for four months because the fishing season started in August. I remember waving to my wife Mamta before leaving home.”
What happened at sea: “We were fishing in a group of around 200 boats off the Jakhau coast. We tried to escape but surrendered after the PMSA started firing. That day, the PMSA detained two boats with 11 crew members.”
Life in jail: “I was caught 20 years earlier too, but released within four months. I lived like a king in my village, but became a sweeper in jail. I missed my wife and five children. To distract myself, I played cards in jail, watched entertainment programmes and made beaded purses. My wife and daughters wrote letters before the pandemic. I learned later that I had become a grandfather of four grandchildren and that one of my sons, Jitesh, had sold the family’s motor garage since the family had fallen on hard times financially.”
What he kept: “The clothes that I wore the day I was caught.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “Five beaded purses.”
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Ramji Bamania, 60
From Saudwadi village, Diu district | In Pakistan jail since November 9, 2018
The day he left home: “I had been fishing for around four months before I was caught. I remember eating vegetable curry and chapati at home before departing for Porbandar, from where we set sail. My only son Harshad had gotten married just before the fishing season started.”
What happened at sea: “I was a crew member on a trawler named Rajkamal-1. It was captained by my nephew, Nanji alias Jayanti. We were fishing in a group of 200 boats off the Jakhau coast when we were caught. We tried to escape but the PMSA started firing, so we surrendered. Two boats with 11 crew members were detained by the PMSA that day.”
Life in jail: “I was assigned the job of sweeping the jail premises. I was caught in 2016 too, but was released within four months. This time, there didn’t seem to be an end to my imprisonment. Letters from my wife ceased after Covid-19. (Fellow fishermen) Mavji from Diu and Lakha from Gir Somnath in Gujarat kept me company. We watched entertainment programmes on television in the evening. When I reached home, I learned that I had become a grandfather to Harshad’s newborn son, Devansh.”
What he kept: “The clothes that I was wearing at the time of arrest.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “Children’s footwear gifted by Edhi Foundation.”
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Kanti Solanki, 41
From Tad village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since February 13, 2020
The day he left home: “My wife Meena cooked fish that evening. I hugged my daughter Nishita and left for Porbandar.”
What happened at sea: “I set sail on a trawler named Om Ganesh. Four days later, on February 13, 2020, I saw a patrol boat at 9 am. I thought it was an Indian Coast Guard boat, but it turned out to be a PMSA boat. We sent an SOS to the Indian Coast Guard but before help could arrive, the PMSA opened fire on our boat, injuring crew member Kanji Solanki. He received treatment in a Karachi hospital, while the remaining fishermen were taken to jail. Kanji too was sent to jail later.”
Life in jail: “I was made mansabdar and supervised 150 fellow Indian prisoners. I did beadwork and earned up to (Pakistani) Rs 50 daily. I missed my wife and daughter, and kept worrying about them the entire time. Pancha Damaniya (another fisherman from my village), who was caught the same day as me, kept me calm. On returning home, I learned that my mother had died three months after my arrest and that two of my children had gotten married.”
What he kept: “I had photos of my wife and children, but threw them in the sea when it was certain that the PMSA would detain us. I couldn’t carry anything else except my clothes.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “Beaded items like flowers, bangles, necklaces and keychains.”
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Pancha Damaniya, 52
From Tad village, Gir Somnath district | In Pakistan jail since February 13, 2020
The day he left home: “My 11-year-old son Rohit was crying and pleading with me to take him along. As he cried, my wife Dudhi waved goodbye and I boarded a bus to Porbandar.”
What happened at sea: “I set sail on a trawler named Keshav Sagar from Porbandar. We were fishing near the IMBL when we were detained by the PMSA on February 13, 2020.”
Life in jail: “I wrote eight letters from jail but did not receive any reply. I kept myself busy with beadwork and cleaning duties. Fisherman Kanti Solanki, who is married to my distant niece, kept me company. We had to retire to bed compulsorily at 11 pm after the 9 pm headcount. When I returned, I learned that my father had died of a heart attack on October 25, 2020. My wife suffered a paralysis attack and lost control of her limbs on the right side. My family incurred huge debts while I was in jail.”
What he kept: “The clothes I was wearing.”
What he brought from Pakistan: “Beaded fish for my sons and a bracelet for my wife.”
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