Our ‘Nations’ - are they only ‘Territories’? Or are they also ‘People’?

…………I wondered when I met Zaahira at the Pakistan Fisher folk Forum’s (PFF) office in Ibrahim Hyderi in Pakistan. “My son is in prison for the last 14 years – in India!” she told me in desperation with tears in her eyes, hoping that we as Indians would do something about it. Pointing out the two letters that she had just received, she informed me that her son, a fisherman, was caught because he had supposedly crossed /entered Indian waters. He had been charged for trafficking narcotic drugs. Whatever be the nature of the charge, he had faced ‘life imprisonment’ because he had already spent 14 years of his youthful life in Sabarmati jail in India! Zaahira’s revelation was an eye opener for me as I probed into the reasons for such injustice.

There are hundreds of such innocent fishermen languishing in Indian and Pakistani jails awaiting trial; there are some who have even finished their trials and completed their conviction periods, such a Zaahir’a son. Then why were they in custody? And why for 14 years? I probed. My PFF friends told me that this is firstly because there is a delay in submitting lists of prisoners to each other’s countries. Secondly, what is worse is getting their nationality status verified/ confirmed from their own countries, which takes a much longer time!

Fishermen, whose daily bread depends on the daily catch, are used as objects by our respective governments who negotiate ‘exchanges’ for them. Rather than releasing them for their innocence or releasing them for having completed their sentences, they are released on an ‘exchange’ basis! This has become a number game! These fisher folk who work so hard for their catch are reduced to mere objects. Our governments/ military use them to show their power by arresting them for having crossed territories. They hold very little priority for getting their own citizens released and seem to be absolutely unconcerned! Our Governments are more concerned about their territory than they are about their people.

Fisher folk and peace activists in both India and Pakistan have taken up this issue and there have been positive negotiations. The peace network Aman ki Asha (http://www.amankiasha.com/detail_news.asp?id=261) reports that in July 2010, the number of Pakistani fishermen in Indian custody was 167, along with nearly 200 Pakistani fishing boats. At the same time, Pakistan had in its custody 547 Indian fishermen and 350 Indian fishing boats.

In response to a petition filed by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) and the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), and following the Supreme Court order, the Sindh government ordered the release and repatriation of 442 arrested Indian fishermen in Pakistani prisons who had completed their sentences.

In 2010, Pakistan released 454 Indian prisoners and detained another 100; and India released 163 Pakistani prisoners and detained another 85. In 2011 (until March), Pakistan did not release any of the prisoners but arrested 32 prisoners; while India released 20 Pakistani prisoners and arrested another 56. (http://newstkr.com/2011/03/2310/ )

In spite of UN conventions such as - The UN convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), 1983, the harassment and detention continues. Tahira Ali, Senior Vice Chairperson of PFF says that it is only because of the constant protests of the mobilised fisher folk that the two governments started acknowledging arrests. 

From 11^th to 25^th March 2011, a 12 member peace delegation led by veteran journalist Mr. Kuldip Nayar that included Mr. Mahesh Bhatt (Film Personality), Mr. Bhalchandra Mungekar (Member, of Parliament) Mr. Shahid Siddiqui (Editor, Nai Duniya), Mr. Jatin Desai (FOCUS), Dr. Mazher Hussain (COVA), Ms. Kamla Bhasin (SANGAT), Mr. Ramesh Yadav (FRI), Mr.Sanjay Nahar (SARHAD), Mr. Haris Kidwai (Peace Activist), Mr. Y. Laxmi Prasad (Former MP) and Mr. A. Krishna Rao (Journalist), visited Pakistan and held a dialogue with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Yusuf Reza Gilani, Sindh Chief Minister Mr. Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Senators of various political parties, civil society activists, journalists, members of business community, and students amongst others. The issue of releasing the fishermen from prison in each other’s countries, and the revival of the India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners were among the themes that were discussed. An India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners consisting of four retired judges from each side has been set up to recommend steps for humane treatment and expeditious release of prisoners of the respective countries in each other’s jails.

Both India and Pakistan agreed that issues of inadvertent border crossing would be viewed sympathetically and in a focused and sensitive manner. It was agreed that by April 15, 2011 both countries would release all civilian prisoners and fishermen who have completed their sentences, whose nationality status has been confirmed by the respective governments and whose travel documents have been received. A complete list of prisoners in each others' custody will be exchanged by both sides on July 1, 2011, it was agreed.


It is time now for the governments to change their policies and resolve their tensions for which the poor fishermen on both sides continue to pay such a heavy price. Both countries must show more concern for their people rather than territories.

Questioning Blind Loyalty

One evening, I witnessed a dramatic scene in which a four-time elected and current Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly (MLA) was holding an umbrella above the head of a powerful political leader. The submissive body language of that particular MLA in a public rally was quite conspicuous. The leader appeared happy at this public demonstration of his power and the MLA was not embarrassed to appear subservient, probably there was some self-interest to protect and promote. Against this backdrop one could appreciate Sonia Gandhi’s request to her party leaders not to touch her feet. In Sanskrit, there is a saying “ati bhakti chorara lakhyanm” that means “extreme loyalty is a sign of a thief”. Leaders, for their self-interest and bloated egos, permit (and sometimes encourage) public demonstrations of loyalty. By allowing these actions, these leaders not only disgrace themselves and their followers, but also threaten the process of democracy taking roots in the region. This behavior of these leaders percolates down to all governmental levels strengthening social and political hierarchies.

This phenomenon is widely prevalent in entire South Asia. Rather, it is manifested in even more subservient ways at various levels in the political fraternity seeping into the entire administrative. The South Asian society inherited a deeply caste ridden, orthodox, feudal and patriarchal mindset which got further lease of life under colonialism. Now, what is most disturbing is the reinforcement of this mindset in the public sphere.

In a feudal society, there were people who always flattered the king and the king in return rewarded these flatterers with positions of power and thus enabling incapable persons to hold high-level positions who used it to gain personal wealth. That was the basic feature of a feudal society. Contemporary democratic values, however, make it difficult to swallow this kind of social behaviour.

Today all of south Asia has democratic aspirations and people desire to be represented by elected leaders. These leaders however, retain the feudal mindset and aspire to acquire thrones. The irony is that within today’s democracy the same tactic of using flattery for personal gain is employed that characterized feudal societies. Even bureaucrats and police officers aspire to maintain a band of loyalists. This relationship is only based on showing blind loyalty to the bosses and expecting the same from subordinates. This is not limited to the field of politics and bureaucracy; it sadly exists even in the fields of literature, art, music, sports etc. Society is carrying forward a feudal attitude that emphasizes loyalty to power. As a result, deserving people are neglected.

The necessary concomitant of this hierarchical and undemocratic attitude is the disrespect shown to the worth and capability of deserving, talented people by centralizing decision making power in political parties in the hands of a few. These leaders make capricious decisions based solely on their likes and dislikes. There is no accountability or transparency in their decision making, the end result is the marginalization of the common citizen. Our leaders utter themantra of empowerment but simultaneously promote a social order that disfranchises the common people.

In today’s politics, the incapable and the unqualified flaunt blind faithfulness to their leaders. This consequently generates intense competition between all those incapable to capture positions of high power. They deceive others by showing extreme loyalty, accompanied by lying, cheating, blaming others, indulging in cheap self- projection. This is not healthy for any society.

Certainly, those who are capable are always present in every field and in all times. There are several enlightened people whose hearts and minds are clear and honest, those who will never sell themselves money, power and positions. There is always the hope that in the course of time, capable people will overcome hurdles and show the light of knowledge in this sea of darkness and those who achieve position and power by flattery and showing despicable servility will retain it only a short period of time.

The question is to whom will all this be said and who will listen if all are from the same nest?