Pak repatriates Gujarat fisherman’s body; family awaits son’s release
Meanwhile, Bhaliya died on August 27 and was one of the 178 Indian fishermen currently in custody of Pakistani authorities for allegedly venturing into Pakistan waters while fishing, whose jail terms had been completed.
When 48-year-old fisherman Bejal Bhaliya’s mortal remains reached his village Kob in Una tehsil, there was hardly any sense of closure. The Pakistan security agencies had arrested Bhaliya and his son Ashvin for allegedly crossing into their waters in 2022. They had been languishing in jail since March 16, 2022, when they completed their sentences.
Meanwhile, Bhaliya died on August 27 and was one of the 178 Indian fishermen currently in custody of Pakistani authorities for allegedly venturing into Pakistan waters while fishing, whose jail terms had been completed.
One of Bhaliya’s four sons, Mansingh, who was in their village in the coastal Gir Somnath district, received the body but says their rites won’t be complete without Ashvin. “My father’s body arrived on September 18-19 around 12:15 am. I appeal that my brother should also be released immediately. We have performed the last rites of my father, but there are some rituals which we hope are done in the presence of my brother Ashvin”, Mansingh told The Indian Express on Wednesday.
According to Mansingh, Ashvin is the third brother, married, and has two minor children, a son and a daughter.
“We are a fishing family. My father and all four of us brothers are into fishing. We do not have any other profession. We have 2-3 bigha land, but it is saline and not very productive. We give it to others for sharecropping,” Mansingh said.
In August, five fisherfolk women from Gir Somnath district and the Union Territory of Diu, whose husbands or sons are languishing in Pakistan jails after completing their sentences, had come to Gandhinagar to meet deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi to urge the government to push for their repatriation.
In a media interaction organised by Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace & Democracy (PIPFPD), a group working for peace between India and Pakistan and National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) the women urged both countries to use the occasion of their respective Independence Days on August 14 and 15 to free the fishermen.
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Mumbai-based peace activist and journalist Jatin Desai, who has been taking up their cause, said in a statement, “Shockingly, Pakistan didn’t send his son Ashvin, who is also in jail. Both father and son were arrested in early 2022 when their boat inadvertently entered Pakistani waters. Their sentences was completed on 16 March 2022. The family was expecting Ashvin to be released and repatriated along with his father’s mortal remains. In such a case, some goodwill gesture and humanity is expected.”
On January 1 and July 1 every year, India and Pakistan share lists of prisoners in their respective custodies. This July India has shared lists of 386 civil prisoners and 53 fishermen in its custody, who are “Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani”, according to a Ministry of External Affairs statement. Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists of 52 civil prisoners and 198 fishermen in its custody, who are Indian or believed-to-be-Indian.
According to the statement, the Indian government has “consistently called for early release and repatriation of civil prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody”.
However, activists say even if they release the fishermen they hardly return their boats. “Without their boats, they have to start afresh”, says a leader from Mangrol, Junagadh district.
Since 2023, 500 Indian fishermen and 20 Indian civil prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan.
Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.
Expertise & Authority
Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:
Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.
Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.
Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:
State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.
Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More
