After months of uncertainty, Rubin Jeeva was excited that her husband Marie Cletus (39) was finally coming home. The 31-year-old mother of two young boys, was wondering if she should plan a nice lunch or dinner as a welcome home feast for her husband. Or should she wait for his call and then decide, after all he  would have to spend the mandatory quarantine period away from home after he returns from Iran with the hundreds of other fishworkers. Yes, planning a meal can wait for a while, decided Jeeva, she was just grateful that the Indian navy had sent a ship to Iran to bring the menfolk back after so many stressful months. The Covid-19 lockdown may have cost them the loss of months of earnings, but their lives were more precious anyday. A homecoming was a celebration in itself. “I was just happy that we will get to see him. My boys are missing their father, I am so worried about his health too and just want him home,” she said.

According to sources, each fishworker had to pay 100 US Dollars for ‘local expenses’, this included food and the travel to port Abbas from the different areas they were staying in. The ‘ship charge’ was to be paid by the Tamil Nadu government. Those who reached the port, were allowed to board after the mandatory checks. 

The Indian Navy ship Jalashwa had docked at Tuticorin port on July 1. Jeeva heard the news and waited for her husband’s call. He called. However, the phone call was from Iran. Cletus told Jeeva that he could not reach Iran’s port Bandar Abbas, to board the Indian Navy ship as he did not have the 100 US dollars to pay the ‘fee’ asked from each for the local ‘expenses’ and the journey to the port. Cletus was now forced to stay on in Iran, for another month at least. The news has broken Jeeva’s heart all over again, though her husband has assured her he is trying his best to come back and asked her to pray that the government of India sends a rescue flight soon to bring them home.

“What can I do but wait, and pray. I am only a housewife,” Jeeva told SabrangIndia over the phone from her village Ramanthurai, in KanyaKumari, Tamil Nadu. “You know only 687 fishworkers have come back from Iran on July 1. There are still 44 men stranded there because they have no no money to pay for the trip,” added another  fishworker from Tamil Nadu.

On July 1, the Union Government announced that INS Jalashwa, deployed by the Indian Navy for ‘Operation Samudra Setu’ had arrived at the Tuticorin harbour. It stated that the ship had on board, “687 Indian nationals” who had embarked from Bandar Abbas, Iran. According to the government’s own figures so far the Indian Navy ships have brought back 920 Indian citizens from Iran. 

This “embarkation of Indian nationals” had been “facilitated by the Indian Mission in Iran” stated that the “evacuees were received by local authorities at Tuticorin and arrangements were in place for speedy disembarkation, health screening, immigration and transportation of the evacuees.” According to the official statement, with this evacuation, the Indian Navy has now “repatriated 3992 Indian nationals from Maldives, Sri Lanka and Iran during the ongoing pandemic.” However, there has been no word on the Indians left behind. The families of the stranded fishermen say all they can do is wait, and console each other over the phone.

When he called from Iran, Cletus too told his wife Jeeva that he needs “almost 40,000 rupees to come back. He has not asked me to arrange it yet. I am waiting for his next call,” she said. 

Meanwhile, some of the fishermen have been sharing a message over whatsapp that they hope will reach the authorities, or anyone else who can reach out and help.

They have said that they are “living in the middle of the street without any support.” They have appealed to the Indian Embassy of India to “take full responsibility for all our life.” They wrote “ We currently have 43 people without food and we are all staying in two rooms. With our money in our hands from Rs 2000 to 4,000, we are meeting our essential needs. So we have no coin (sic). We are making various efforts to return to the Indian homeland.”

“This is how they treat migrant fishworkers. It is a pandemic, the situation is bad all over the world and the Indian government must look after the Indian citizens and rescue these men,” said T Peter of the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF), who is keeping a close eye on the situation. Though he too says that there is no information yet on the plans to rescue these men. It is unlikely that another ship will be sent for only 44 fishermen, keeping in mind that this sea passage itself took months to materialise after India’s Covid-19 lockdown was announced in March. 

“The schedule is not known. It was a Indian Navy ship that had brought the men back, the future decision is also theirs,” said Peter, adding that the fishworker community will continue to petition the political leadership in India to help… navy decision… They may not give one whole ship. However, the fishworkers say that the leaders often reply that “they are trying”, mere words that do not help them in any real way.

“My husband called again on Sunday, July 4, to reassure me. He said he may return by the month’s end. You know he said the 44 men are staying in two rooms. Imagine the condition. But he assured me he had food that was given by the local people,” said Jeeva, who lives with her 10, and 8 year old sons in her parents home, “My old parents have been feeding us. This was only the second time my husband had gone to Iran. We need the money. But now i don’t care. I will not let him leave India ever again,” said Jeeva as she disconnects. She wants to keep her phone line free, in case her husband calls again.

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Imprisoned on their boats along the Guj coast

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The post I don’t have 100 dollars to reach the port: Indian fisherman in Iran appeared first on SabrangIndia.

If all goes according to plan an Indian naval ship will soon bring back hundreds of stranded fishermen from Iran, as a part of its repatriation mission. The fishermen had sent multiple ‘SOS video clips’ in late March, when they were suddenly stranded due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and suspension of all travel and transport globally. By then, India too had been put under a national lockdown and the hardships, especially for migrant workers including fishworkers and their families, begame grim. The families of these nearly 800 stranded fishermen, who had seen their distress video clips, had also appealed to the authorities to help rescue the men. It has taken nearly three months, but it now seems that their prayers have been finally heard.

According to sources, the Indian navy ship INS Jalashwa is soon leaving the shores of Iran with around 700 indian fishermen on board. They are likely to reach Tuticorin on July 1. Officials at the Tamil Nadu government are said to have confirmed this to the Ministry of External affairs. Sources say that the Indian Ambassador to Iran had confirmed the “necessary approvals had been received” and  had recommended that the Indian Navy’s ship reach Bandar Abbar on June 21, and leave with the fisherman on board on June 22.

The dates have been postponed for unknown reasons, say sources. Now it seems the first ship will leave on June 25 and reach Tamil Nadu on July 1. “We know that there are around  350 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and another 350 are from other states,” said a community leader who wished to remain anonymous at the moment.

Another 100 fishermen are expected to come in a second ship that will leave a few days later. According to the sources in Tamil Nadu fishing communities the families of the fishermen already know of the repatriation plan but are not celebrating yet. They want to see their husbands, sons and brothers with their own eyes first, said a community leader. The fishworkers will have to undergo mandatory screening and mandatory quarantine in accordance with the Covid-19 protocol. According to the community leader the men were eventually helped with food and water after the Indian authorities requested their Iran counterparts to help the fish workers. “We will only know their exact health conditions once they come back home,” said the community leader.

Sabrang had reported the fishermen’s plight as soon as the distress videos were confirmed and shared by the community.  “We have no water, we are boiling sea water to drink, we have no food, we are going to die,” the young man had appealed for help in Tamil. They had said they also did not have medication for emergencies. The only people who seemed to have heard the fishermen’s pleas then, were their families who too had begun to fear the worse for their boys and recorded video appeals for help. 

“I sent my son to Iran around nine months ago. He went there to earn a living, so he could marry his sisters off. Only now we learnt about the coronavirus situation in Iran. Our boys hope that helicopters rescue them,” said  Vijayalakshmi, in her video message from Samba Thottam in Tamil Nadu.

According to Dr Kumarvelu, vice chairperson of the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF), the priority now is that all the fishermen are brought back home safe from Iran. The fishing community, farmers of the sea, are one of the most vulnerable. When out at sea they are vulnerable to natural disasters such as cyclones, or are caught in the crossfires of Naval forces, when on land they do not have much financial, or health security either.

In March they had sent over 20 SOS videos when they were stranded and had no way to return home to India. Dr Kumarvelu had then said the Indian government must remember that the fishermen were Indian citizens. “Indian government must think of its citizens as its own children, and do all it takes to bring our boys back home. The state government must also apply the required pressure on the Union government to ensure this happens.” The NFF has reached out to many MPs, and MLAs to help take up this issue with the authorities.

In fact, March onwards the Government of India had in fact brought back hundreds of Indians from the Iranian cities of Tehran and Shiraz. They were all back in India by March 16 and were quarantined in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, according to news reports.

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If fish dies it is GDP, if fisherman dies it is ex-gratia

Gov’t risking lives of fishermen by letting them venture rough seas

The post Hundreds of Indian fishermen trapped in Iran for months, may be coming home soon appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“We have no water, we are boiling sea water to drink, we have no food, we are going to die,” says the young man in Tamil, in a desperate tone that you can sense, coming from a parched throat. He looks like he has not had a proper meal in days, his friend sitting beside him looks the same. The young fisherman is now stuck on his boat, on the coast of Iran. He is just one of the 820 Tamil fishermen now sending SOS videos to India, hoping that someone in the government takes notice and rescues them. 

With each passing day, they run low on food, medication, and will power. The SOS videos sent by these overseas Indians do not seem to have moved the authorities yet. After all they are not the typical NRIs often feted at various Pravasi Bharatiya events, nor are they from families who can afford to send chartered flights to rescue and bring them home in the face of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe. The coronavirus has not made any exceptions and has so far infected thousands irrespective of age, gender, immunity level, or the amount of money in their pockets. 

The only people who seem to have heard the fishermen’s pleas are their families waiting back home in various parts of Tamil Nadu. Understandably the families have seen and have begun to fear the worse for their boys. They too, have begun appealing to the governments, hoping someone takes notice of their cries before it is too late.

“I sent my son to Iran around nine months ago. He went there to earn a living, so he could marry his sisters off. Only now we learnt about the coronavirus situation in Iran. Our boys hope that helicopters  rescue them,” said Vijayalakshmi, sending a video message from Samba Thottam in Nagore. She fears that her son, and the other fishermen are also vulnerable to Coronavirus as they do not have shelter or access to proper medical care. “If these boys get infected with a virus in Iran, can the government bring back their life? Will they be able to give our sons back to us? They do not have food, water and proper shelter. They cry everyday, are dying, and are losing hope,” she added. 

According to Dr Kumarvelu, vice chairperson of the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF), there may be more than 820 Tamil fishermen now stuck in Iran and all of them are facing a life-or-death situation with little access to food and water, and no health facilities. “They are almost imprisoned in the very boats they went fishing in.” The locals, including the contractors and middle men have also left the fishermen to their fate. “They’re not being allowed to even step out of the boats. This is nothing but a violation of basic human rights,” said Dr Kumarvelu. 

“What wrong have we done? We are ordinary fisherfolk, where else can we go?,” said a brother of one of the fishermen still in Iran, “how can our boys survive on eating just once a day?” According to him fishermen are always vulnerable when at sea and many have lost their lives when natural disasters such as cyclones, or are caught in the crossfires of Naval forces. The coronavirus pandemic has now made the fishermen even more aware of their fragile existence. “We are losing our people almost on a daily basis. We should not lose anymore of our youth. Our boys in Iran are in mortal fear with the virus all around them there. They are facing acute food shortage, and with no help from anyone. They don’t even have a room, and are trapped in the fishing boats, and eating whatever fish they can find. We plead with the central and state governments to take action. The government may be acting, but we must act faster since lives are at stake.”

“We have sent over 20 videos to our homes to save us from this,” said the fisherman in his video, adding that he feared that the situation was unlikely to improve now that all flight services have been stopped. He and his colleagues are now desperate, and are, “urging the Indian government to rescue” them. According to the fishermen it has been over 25 days since they have been asking for help but they have not heard anything from the Union Government of India, nor the state government of  Tamil Nadu. “Seeing our plight, the government is only being a spectator, and not feeling our pain. Our families in Kanyakumari are crying. What answers can you give to those tears? We are 1500 of us here in dire conditions,” said the fisherman trapped in Iran.

Dr Kumarvelu said the Indian government must remember that the fishermen were Indian citizens. “Indian government must think of its citizens as its own children, and do all it takes to bring our boys back home. The state government must also apply the required pressure on the Union government to ensure this happens.” The NFF has reached out to the Indian authorities at all levels. “We shall continue speaking to all MPs, MLAs to place this demand, and also urge the district collector to take up this issue with the authorities. On behalf of the National Fishworkers Forum, we urge the government to save our people and bring them back as soon as possible,” he said. 

The fishermen say that they have not got any humanitarian help or support from the locals.  “If we ask the locals here for food, they dismiss us saying food is only if we go to sea and catch fish. These humiliations are being borne by us,” said the fishermen. According to him his family assured him that officials from the Indian Embassy would get in touch. But no one has met them yet. They also have been hearing about Indian nationals being rescued from Tehran, “we heard that a C-17 military flight was used to evacuate 50 Indian tourists and pilgrims from Tehran. If they can send a military aircraft for 50 people, why did they not consider us as worthy of rescuing?” he asked. 

In fact, he is right, 53 Indians were the fourth batch to be rescued by the Government of India in March 2020. According to news reports the Government of India had rescued a total of around 389 Indians from the Iranian cities of Tehran and Shiraz. They were all back in India by March 16 and were quarantined in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. 

Two weeks have passed and the Tamil fishermen continue to wait to be contacted, “it is us fishermen to contribute over Rs 60,000 crore to India’s earnings. It seems like the government only wants our earnings, and not our people. We urge with folded hands that we be rescued and brought back to our homeland,” said the fisherman. So far those cries have failed to move those in power. The NFF office bearers say they were made to wait an entire day at the collectors office but will not give up till all the fishermen are back. When that will happen is not known.

The fishermen’s mothers fear the worst. They say that the fishermen will not survive the ordeal and will die at sea because the authorities do not care enough to rescue them and bring them safely home to India, to their waiting families. “We never anticipated this when they decided to go to Iran, but our boys now think we’ll only get to see their dead bodies!”

Perhaps the mother felt this when she heard the son say, “It has been almost 4 days since we ate properly. Can you not feel the pain of our hunger?”

The post EXCLUSIVE: 820 Tamil fishermen trapped in Iran, send SOS videos begging GOI to rescue them appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) will be agitating at sea with their boats parked in defiance on Oct 30 against the September notification by the Government of India which has proposed a designated corridor for merchant ships to avoid ship-boat collisions in mid sea.

The national level protest will have fishermen joining from Kutch, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The Director General of Shipping (DGS) is in the process of notifying a designated corridor for merchant ships to avoid ships and fishing boats collision in mid sea, the current move from the DGS can be seen as unilateral to protect the interests of commercial shipping companies by completely sidelining the livelihood interests of fishermen in India.

The DGS is planning for a corridor which is 15 nautical miles away from the coastline with 20 nautical miles width. This is the main fishing ground for the traditional and mechanized sector. The fisherfolk argue that territorial waters can only be up to 12 miles approx. 22 kms, beyond which the International maritime borderline begins. If the corridor is kept between 15 miles with a width of 20 miles, fishermen will be left with nothing. About four million people are dependent on the current coastal economy.

If fishermen cross the international waters, they are vulnerable to capture by other nations or at risk of dying from natural calamities. If they fish in the corridor, the govt will arrest them for trespassing. The NFF argues that how can any man claim sovereignty of the sea? About 500 Gujarati fishermen are languishing in Pakistani jails due to the pressure of deep sea fishing. About 79 Kerala fishermen involved with deep sea fishing died in cyclone Ockhi and hundreds are still missing.

“The present move from the side of DGS is to completely stop fishing operations. Though the DGS is saying that the corridor will not be uniform along the coast, this cannot be acceptable to the fishermen who are solely dependent on it for their livelihoods. The fishermen will not only lose their fishing ground but may become liable and punishable for trespassing in the corridor,” the NFF said.

In this context, National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) executive committee and fishermen leaders meeting was held on October 7, 2018 at Velsao Panchayat hall, Goa and decided that National wide protest campaign against the proposed shipping corridor will be held on 30th October in all the coastal states. All fishermen will protest with their country boats and mechanized boats in the sea, wherever possible.

Speaking to Sabrang India, Thomas Peter, the General Secretary of NFF from Kerala said that the govt was acting on corporate interest to implement their SagarMala project which connects all the ports in India. “We are trying to meet the minister for shipping and the govt but they haven’t spoken to us. How can they take such a decision without knowing how will it affect the fishermen community and people dependent on the coast for livelihood? If we go deep sea fishing beyond 15 nautical miles, we won’t be able to find proper fish, consumers won’t get what they need and we will lose our livelihoods. If we trespass the corridor, we get arrested. If we go into international waters, we get arrested. The ministers sitting in Delhi don’t understand what they are doing in the name of development,” he said.

The SagarMala project consists of 415 projects worth 8 lakh crores. The project was a move to enter the blue economy which is a development strategy that uses sea transport for economic gain. The SagarMala project aims to develop ports, coastal economic zones, inland waterways and other infrastructure projects. The govt predicted that the project will become a $10 trillion economy by 2032.

Nitin Gadkari, the minister for shipping and water resources had said, “Our port-led development program will create opportunities for investors and employment for the youth,” with regards to SagarMala project. He also said recently that BJP made a number of tall claims which they knew they couldn’t execute just to grab power at the Centre.

Video Courtesy: Scroll.in

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कराची, 25 दिसम्बर :भाषा: पाकिस्तान ने आज 220 भारतीय मछुआरों को रिहा कर दिया। हाल के समय में सीमा पार आतंकवादी घटनाओं के मद्देनजर संबंधों में आए तनाव के बीच यह एक सद्भावना की पहल है।

जेल अधीक्षक हसन सेहतो ने पीटीआई को बताया कि यहां मालिर जेल से रिहा किए गए 220 मछुआरों को अवैध रूप से पाकिस्तानी जल सीमा में प्रवेश करने के आरोप में गिरफ्तार किया गया था।

मछुआरे लाहौर जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी में सवार हुए जहां से उन्हें वाघा सीमा पर भारतीय अधिकारियों के सुपुर्द कर दिया जाएगा।

सेहतो ने कहा, ‘‘गृह मंत्रालय ने 220 मछुआरों को रिहा कर दिया जबकि 219 अब भी हमारी हिरासत में हैं।’’ उरी में सितम्बर में भारतीय सेना पर पाकिस्तान आतंकवादियों के हमले के बाद दोनों देशों के संबंध में आए तनाव के बीच सद्भावना की यह पहल सामने आई है।
 

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