Sunday, May 23, 2010
By PFF correspondent
Karachi
Hundreds of fishermen in Karachi coastal areas, different towns in Thatta and Badin districts and fresh waters of Sindh staged protest rallies to condemn the military operation and brutality of police against law abiding fishermen of Chashma Goth and neighbourhood, said a Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) spokesman.
The community people addressed the rallies to condemn the brutal action in which six poor women and children were injured by police force, while the people also came out to protest against the building of wall around the old graveyard.
Hundreds of fishermen, PFF activists and civil society leaders staged rallies in Sehwan, Dadu, Sanghar, Thatta, Badin, Jatti, Kashmore, Qambar, Sukkur, Kandhkot and other areas in protest. The protestors called the operation a brutal action which should be condemned widely and urged the government to take notice of this and stop occupation of graveyard. The community activists said that their lives and livelihoods were already at stake due to various problems and now government agencies are grabbing the land, playgrounds and graveyards.
They also condemned the FIR against the poor villagers and arrest of few people from the victim community. They demanded to lodge FIR against the real culprits, who were involved in cruel actions.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum leaders announced to observe complete shutter down strike in the entire coastal areas and other fresh water bodies, Sanghar, Dadu, Sehwan, Qambar and Kashmore to condemn military action against the poor fishermen.
PFF Chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the illegal action to grab the old graveyard, which the community people of eight villages have been using since the time of their forefathers.
Earlier, the Military officials held meetings with the community people and realising the plea allowed them to visit their graveyard. But recently, when the army tried to build wall around the land, the community took stand and opposed the action. In result, under the tutelage of army personnel, police resorted to baton charge and firing on the community
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Police Occupied Graveyard at Pakistan
Police firing and batten charge on the fishermen community mob, injuring six women and children near Chashma Village, Bin Qasim Town on Thursday infuriated further the people, who were protesting against the occupation on the land of old graveyard. Residents of eight coastal villages, including Chashma Goth use the land for burying their loved ones through their forefathers. For the last few years the government’s agency (Military) occupied the graveyard, forbidden the people to refrain from burying their people there. Despite complaints the government authorities left the people at the mercy of certain agency personnel and the police, the statement added.
It is the only graveyard for the eight villages, comprising 100,000 people. On Thursday, a large number of the villagers, including women gathered to oppose the wall the agency tried to cover up the 300 acre area enraged the people by force. In result at least six women were injured by police. The police later registered FIR against the 42 protesting community activists, including Mohammed Ali Shah, chairperson of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), instead of the people occupying the land. PFF statement said Mohammed Ali Shah, being community representative went to the spot for moral support to the neglected community, whose graveyards are not safe and being occupied.
When villagers tried to lodge FIR against the influential agency, the police refused and threatened people to leave the area. The fishermen of neighbouring localities after this action are feared and decided to take the issue at higher authorities to get the graveyard land back. The community people are designing petition against the police action and grabbing precious land, which they will file in the court and also sent the same to international human rights groups.
The PFF statement further said the police have arrested eight activists and conducting raids to hunt others to create fear and anxiety in Rehri and surrounding villages. PFF condemned the indicting name of Mohammed Ali Shah in the FIR and said it may cause uncertainty among the already deprived poor fishermen.
Police and military personnel besieged 15 neighbouring villages to arrest more people and harass them to withdraw their stands of taking the land.
The PFF has demanded the government to save the graveyard and ensure security to their properties and natural resources. PFF also appealed to civil society organizations, human rights groups and political activists to come forward for the community help.
Earlier, the Military officials held meetings with the community people and realizing the plea allowed them to visit frequently their graveyard. But recently, when the army tried to build wall around the land, the community took stand and opposed the action. In result, under the tutelage of army personnel, police resorted to batten charge and firing.
Protest against occupation of graveyard land: Five hurt as police baton-charge villagers
By Amar Guriro
KARACHI: At least five people including two women and a child were injured on Friday when police baton-charged hundreds of residents of coastal villages protesting against the occupation of a historical graveyard in Chasma Goth by Pakistan Army Malir Cantonment personnel.
The protesting villagers had gathered to demolish the recently constructed boundary wall around the graveyard by the army personnel. However, a large number of Ibrahim Hyderi policemen reached the spot and baton-charged the protesters.
Later, the police registered an FIR no 164/2010 against 42 villagers of Chasma Goth, Goth Ilyas Jat, Ali Brohi Goth and other small fishermen settlements. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) Chairman Mohammed Ali Shah was nominated as the main accused in the FIR.
The villagers told this scribe that the graveyard held immense importance for them as 100,000 people living in fishermen settlements have been burying their deceased loved ones there for the last several decades, but now army personnel had occupied it.
“They [Pakistan Army personnel] have occupied the graveyard, and are not allowing villagers to bury their departed ones in it,” said PFF office-bearer Sami Memon. “We tried to register a case against those who occupied the graveyard, but instead, the police refused to do so,” Memon added.
Home | Karachi
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\05\22\story_22-5-2010_pg12_2
Friday, May 21, 2010
Chhattisgarh Peace March-India
Started at Raipur on May 5, ended at Dantewada on May 8.
Some of the of the following participants, Gandhians, scientists, jurists, journalists, writers, social activists, who believe in peace and non-violence and who are known in the country for their integrity, participated in the peace march in violent-torn Chhattisgarh. They were joined by other concerned citizens and local people in this peace mission.
There was one public meeting in Raipur, there were three press conferences, met the CRPF jawans, Adivasi Victims of Violence. We were blocked by the supporters of the Government who are active with Green Hunt.
In a civil war prone are it was a peace message not to have violence but settle matter through a Dialogue.
Attached are the News paper cuttings a few of them.
The following were some of the participants.
Some distinguished members of the march were- Narayan Desai (Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapeeth), Prof. Yash Pal (Chancellor of JNU, Ex chairman UGC), Thomas Kocherry (Ex President World Forum of Fishar People, Kerala), Swami Agnivesh (Arya Samaj leader and President Bandhua Mukti Morcha), Radha Bhatt (President of Gandhi Peace Foundation), Amarnath Bhai (Ex President of Sarva Seva Sangh), Prof. Navdeep Mathur (IIM Ahmadabad, Gujarat) Prof. Ramjee Singh (Ex. M.P. and Vice-chancellor), Rajiv Lochan Shah (Editor of Nainital Samachar), Shyam Bahadur Namra (Author and Social Activist), Dr. V.N. Sharma (Secretary of Akhil Bhartyia Right to Education, Ranchi), Prof. Banwari Lal Sharma (convener of Azadi Bachao Andolan, Allahabad), Dr. Surendra Gadaikar (Nuclear Scientist, Gujarat) U.K. Sharda (Editor, Ludhiyana), V.B. Chandrashakhar (Sarvodya activist A.P.) Vivekanand Mathne (Sarva Seva Sangh, Amravati), Janaklal Thakur (Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha), Neeraj Jain (Lokayat, Pune), Shail Bahan (Gandhian, Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh), Kailash Srivastava (Gandhi Bhawan, Bhopal), Dr. Mithilesh Dangi (Azadi Bachao Andolan, Jharkhand), Prof. S.D. Bharati (Social Activist, Raipur), Jayant Verma (Editor Jan, Jabalpur), Yashvir Arya (Azadi Bachao Andolan, Haryana), Prof. Shriballabh (Soslist Front, Allahabad, U.P.), Manoj Tyagi (Azadi Bachao Andolan, Allahabad), Sister Reshmi (Social Activist, Ghaziabad), Devashish Prasoon (Research Scholar, Wardha), Keyur Bhushan (Ex. M.P. Raipur), Dr. Laakhan Singh (Nadi Ghati Morcha, Raipur).
Dr. Banwarilal Sharma was the Organiser of the March. Congratulations to him on his tiring efforts to make the March a reality.
Thomas kocherry
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Draft Small Scale Fisheries Policy for South Africa
REPORT
Department Agriculture Forestry & Fisheries.
Small-Scale Fisheries Workshop Ritz Hotel 7th -8th May Sea Point
Agenda---- Draft Small Scale Fisheries Policy.
After years of where we have become the victims of suffering through an uncaring fishing policy of marginalization and non-recognition that resulted in our human rights and values have been trampled upon it was gratifying to be presented with a draft policy that leans towards rectifying these injustices. The workshop was basically had four sticky points to decide.
!. Individual Rights vs. Communal Rights.
After a Power Point presentation by myself and lots of emotional debate, Communal Rights was by consensus accepted as the only option. This must be seen as an important victory in our struggle for recognition and freedom. The declared good intentions to enforce the principles of our deliberations from the make-happeners [policy-makers] were admirable to note. Whether this is a guarantee or mere camouflage as it was on previous occasions has to be seen in the context that market forces and money and those who control it can easily erode democracy. Those who want to introduce sustainable development for the poorer communities now need to think hard about on how to end the decimation of equity, the corrupt practices and the exploitation of the farm and fish workers, all which now fall under the auspice of the new Agriculture and Fisheries Department. Those “marketeers” or opportunists who so much wanted to retain the status quo of the Individual Quota System should really educate themselves on International Law, trends, human values and on the gospel of our struggle against apartheid. The belief that wealth accumulation by an individual can rectify the ills of our society is absurd especially with advancement that “the poor will become less poor only if the rich become much richer”. The small-scale fishing communities and farmers can only truly acquire freedom if their traditional rights are replaced with effective rights where they are allowed to harvest the resources for a livelihood, food security is ensured, integrated participatory management replaces “unrepresented” patronizing management and communal development precedes possessive individualism. What was clear from the debate beside that shared principles that was not readily accepted is that the institution of a co-operative [legal entities] was poorly understood or deliberately misunderstood. It is an actuality that these community structures are now accepted as vital to achieving the Millennium Development goals of alleviating poverty and for sustainable growth.
E.g. In Europe there is 235,000 co-operative enterprises with 5.4 million employees and 140 million members in 33 countries.
The promotion of the values of; equality, solidarity, democracy plus the ethics of honesty, openness and shared social responsibility can be an asset to the State. They have emerged as democratic social and economic movements that have led to much confidence in these value led business bodies. It produces larger wage payments than in the first economy, allows for access to credit and financial institutions and puts fair trade practices into perspective thus having improved the living standards of many in the country were it exists. They act as a safety net against volatile monetary markets, protects the vulnerable from exploitation by unscrupulous “marketeers” and provide a huge supply of food to the local market, a major factor in contributing to food security. Self-reliance and self ownership gives a sense of dignity within the members and contributes tremendously to further economic development amongst the broader people within that community.
2. I WANT TO BE RICH.
Those who have tasted the poison of quota wealth displayed a resentment to the vision of the Artisanal Fishers Association of “we don’t want to be rich we just want access” [our second banner]. What it actually means to us is;
“GIVE US NEITHER RICHES NOR POVERTY, BUT ENOUGH FOR OUR SUSTENANCE,
We challenge the merit of this argument on how can the wisdom of getting rich be promoted if those who have been privileged can suddenly understand the meaning of poverty. The levels of poverty within the fishing communities can be gauged from absolute to micro and here we have to distinguish between the two and fully understand what our vision {A.F.A.] actually means. A person that cannot provide for his family’s basic needs; where the mother scavenging scraps of food from dirt bins, a women who sells her body, a father who commits a criminal act [rob, steal], children who resort to begging on the street in order to put food on the table is in absolute poverty [deprivation]. These are the vulnerable people who are in a constant survival mode that bear physical abuse through economic oppression, inequality and the I.T.Q. system, who have nothing and where getting out of the environment of hunger is there only desire. Then there are those few who have received a fishing quota who now want to pursue richness and desire more and wish to chase for more attachments to materialistic gains who no longer know the meaning of enough. They falsely claim the status of micro poverty who see inequality as poverty and not the other way around and believe that “I’m alright Jack and to hell with anybody else”, and believe wealth will reduce poverty, this can destroy our dream of self-sufficiency along with our culture of help-mekaar [helping each other] - this wonderful tradition of a co-operative spirit, is sabotaged by their lack of accepting the fact that they will also become an exploiter and a destroyer. Ignoring human values and social responsibility, this selfish behavior compels them into an activity for more beyond sufficiency and instead of the quest for contentment, they begin to desire to be “better” by having the biggest and best within the “designer” cult of global consumerism, This is what I meant when I ended my presentation with the saying;
“I am content with what I have,
Little be it or much,
And contentment shall I crave
Because thou givers much.”
A langgaaner {merchant] should be acknowledged as such and should be allowed to maneuver in his own environment but the economic promotion of putting fishers and merchants in the same basket has led to the fisher folk being exploited and becoming slave labor to unscrupulous opportunists.
“Those who have all the money have no morals,
Those who all the morals have no money”
When small-scale farmers and fishers can harvest their own food through having unimpeded access to the land and ocean then and only then can they be truly free. Meager hand-outs or limited availability of access to the land and oceans deliberately inflicts on the fishers and farmers conditions calculated to bring about their physical destruction and community impoverishment.
3. WHERE IS THE FISH FOR THE ALLOCATION TO SMALL-SCALE FISHERS?
It must come from the four “R’s” - RESTITUTION – RESTRUCTURING – REVIEWING – and REALLOCATING.
The allocations seen by many as unfair and corrupt have been given to some privileged professional groups of the new elites consisting of public servants, lawyers, politicians and other non bona-fide fish harvesters and this must be reviewed and reallocated. One family has a quota worth several millions of Rands [$] while many traditional fishing families have nothing and has to irk a living out of begging and other casual work. The rich and connected were able to afford to apply for the expensive allocation form and get rights while the poverty-stricken regular fisher was left out to dry. The Quota system was not put in place on the basis of the promise of all shall share in the wealth of the country or restoring the rights of the deprived fisher folk but designed to reward advantaged few.
If the marine scientists were to put away their computers and battery of mathematical dictatorial models and understand that fish populations are not static but chaotic and is governed by environmental changes and weather conditions brought about by El Nino and la Nino they will surely have a rethink on the inshore Total Allowable Catch statistics. [Please note that I am not mentioning Global Warming]. If the aloofness and arrogance of the scientists and the prejudice between two groups were to be put aside and traditional knowledge is taken into account then this marriage will make for a wonderful fish management tool for improved allocations.
Sustainability of our resource can not be achieved unless we first establish a stable just society that focuses on building equal opportunity of access that benefits the present disenfranchised fishing communities where they take joint responsibility of protecting the environment and marine life.
4. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PRESENT QUOTA HOLDERS?
They have the option of being integrated into the new small-scale policy vision, principles and implementation plan in some legitimate way or working outside of the dedicated area. It is obvious that the two systems cannot work together in order to obtain the objectives for meaningful community development.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fishing communities wish to be recognized not marginalized, to lead a life of dignity to taste the fruits of democracy, we wish to be bestowed the right to pursue our traditional livelihoods.
Andrew W. Johnston. Artisanal Fishers Association. [chairperson.]-South Africa
Department Agriculture Forestry & Fisheries.
Small-Scale Fisheries Workshop Ritz Hotel 7th -8th May Sea Point
Agenda---- Draft Small Scale Fisheries Policy.
After years of where we have become the victims of suffering through an uncaring fishing policy of marginalization and non-recognition that resulted in our human rights and values have been trampled upon it was gratifying to be presented with a draft policy that leans towards rectifying these injustices. The workshop was basically had four sticky points to decide.
!. Individual Rights vs. Communal Rights.
After a Power Point presentation by myself and lots of emotional debate, Communal Rights was by consensus accepted as the only option. This must be seen as an important victory in our struggle for recognition and freedom. The declared good intentions to enforce the principles of our deliberations from the make-happeners [policy-makers] were admirable to note. Whether this is a guarantee or mere camouflage as it was on previous occasions has to be seen in the context that market forces and money and those who control it can easily erode democracy. Those who want to introduce sustainable development for the poorer communities now need to think hard about on how to end the decimation of equity, the corrupt practices and the exploitation of the farm and fish workers, all which now fall under the auspice of the new Agriculture and Fisheries Department. Those “marketeers” or opportunists who so much wanted to retain the status quo of the Individual Quota System should really educate themselves on International Law, trends, human values and on the gospel of our struggle against apartheid. The belief that wealth accumulation by an individual can rectify the ills of our society is absurd especially with advancement that “the poor will become less poor only if the rich become much richer”. The small-scale fishing communities and farmers can only truly acquire freedom if their traditional rights are replaced with effective rights where they are allowed to harvest the resources for a livelihood, food security is ensured, integrated participatory management replaces “unrepresented” patronizing management and communal development precedes possessive individualism. What was clear from the debate beside that shared principles that was not readily accepted is that the institution of a co-operative [legal entities] was poorly understood or deliberately misunderstood. It is an actuality that these community structures are now accepted as vital to achieving the Millennium Development goals of alleviating poverty and for sustainable growth.
E.g. In Europe there is 235,000 co-operative enterprises with 5.4 million employees and 140 million members in 33 countries.
The promotion of the values of; equality, solidarity, democracy plus the ethics of honesty, openness and shared social responsibility can be an asset to the State. They have emerged as democratic social and economic movements that have led to much confidence in these value led business bodies. It produces larger wage payments than in the first economy, allows for access to credit and financial institutions and puts fair trade practices into perspective thus having improved the living standards of many in the country were it exists. They act as a safety net against volatile monetary markets, protects the vulnerable from exploitation by unscrupulous “marketeers” and provide a huge supply of food to the local market, a major factor in contributing to food security. Self-reliance and self ownership gives a sense of dignity within the members and contributes tremendously to further economic development amongst the broader people within that community.
2. I WANT TO BE RICH.
Those who have tasted the poison of quota wealth displayed a resentment to the vision of the Artisanal Fishers Association of “we don’t want to be rich we just want access” [our second banner]. What it actually means to us is;
“GIVE US NEITHER RICHES NOR POVERTY, BUT ENOUGH FOR OUR SUSTENANCE,
We challenge the merit of this argument on how can the wisdom of getting rich be promoted if those who have been privileged can suddenly understand the meaning of poverty. The levels of poverty within the fishing communities can be gauged from absolute to micro and here we have to distinguish between the two and fully understand what our vision {A.F.A.] actually means. A person that cannot provide for his family’s basic needs; where the mother scavenging scraps of food from dirt bins, a women who sells her body, a father who commits a criminal act [rob, steal], children who resort to begging on the street in order to put food on the table is in absolute poverty [deprivation]. These are the vulnerable people who are in a constant survival mode that bear physical abuse through economic oppression, inequality and the I.T.Q. system, who have nothing and where getting out of the environment of hunger is there only desire. Then there are those few who have received a fishing quota who now want to pursue richness and desire more and wish to chase for more attachments to materialistic gains who no longer know the meaning of enough. They falsely claim the status of micro poverty who see inequality as poverty and not the other way around and believe that “I’m alright Jack and to hell with anybody else”, and believe wealth will reduce poverty, this can destroy our dream of self-sufficiency along with our culture of help-mekaar [helping each other] - this wonderful tradition of a co-operative spirit, is sabotaged by their lack of accepting the fact that they will also become an exploiter and a destroyer. Ignoring human values and social responsibility, this selfish behavior compels them into an activity for more beyond sufficiency and instead of the quest for contentment, they begin to desire to be “better” by having the biggest and best within the “designer” cult of global consumerism, This is what I meant when I ended my presentation with the saying;
“I am content with what I have,
Little be it or much,
And contentment shall I crave
Because thou givers much.”
A langgaaner {merchant] should be acknowledged as such and should be allowed to maneuver in his own environment but the economic promotion of putting fishers and merchants in the same basket has led to the fisher folk being exploited and becoming slave labor to unscrupulous opportunists.
“Those who have all the money have no morals,
Those who all the morals have no money”
When small-scale farmers and fishers can harvest their own food through having unimpeded access to the land and ocean then and only then can they be truly free. Meager hand-outs or limited availability of access to the land and oceans deliberately inflicts on the fishers and farmers conditions calculated to bring about their physical destruction and community impoverishment.
3. WHERE IS THE FISH FOR THE ALLOCATION TO SMALL-SCALE FISHERS?
It must come from the four “R’s” - RESTITUTION – RESTRUCTURING – REVIEWING – and REALLOCATING.
The allocations seen by many as unfair and corrupt have been given to some privileged professional groups of the new elites consisting of public servants, lawyers, politicians and other non bona-fide fish harvesters and this must be reviewed and reallocated. One family has a quota worth several millions of Rands [$] while many traditional fishing families have nothing and has to irk a living out of begging and other casual work. The rich and connected were able to afford to apply for the expensive allocation form and get rights while the poverty-stricken regular fisher was left out to dry. The Quota system was not put in place on the basis of the promise of all shall share in the wealth of the country or restoring the rights of the deprived fisher folk but designed to reward advantaged few.
If the marine scientists were to put away their computers and battery of mathematical dictatorial models and understand that fish populations are not static but chaotic and is governed by environmental changes and weather conditions brought about by El Nino and la Nino they will surely have a rethink on the inshore Total Allowable Catch statistics. [Please note that I am not mentioning Global Warming]. If the aloofness and arrogance of the scientists and the prejudice between two groups were to be put aside and traditional knowledge is taken into account then this marriage will make for a wonderful fish management tool for improved allocations.
Sustainability of our resource can not be achieved unless we first establish a stable just society that focuses on building equal opportunity of access that benefits the present disenfranchised fishing communities where they take joint responsibility of protecting the environment and marine life.
4. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PRESENT QUOTA HOLDERS?
They have the option of being integrated into the new small-scale policy vision, principles and implementation plan in some legitimate way or working outside of the dedicated area. It is obvious that the two systems cannot work together in order to obtain the objectives for meaningful community development.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fishing communities wish to be recognized not marginalized, to lead a life of dignity to taste the fruits of democracy, we wish to be bestowed the right to pursue our traditional livelihoods.
Andrew W. Johnston. Artisanal Fishers Association. [chairperson.]-South Africa
Monday, May 17, 2010
Mangalore: Buses exclusively for fisherwomen
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=180470
Mangalore May 16: The Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation
(KFDC) has decided to launch Matsyavahini, an exclusive bus service
for fisherwomen in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi
and Uttara Kannada, to facilitate them to transport their baskets of
fish in comfort to the markets and also to the ports to fetch fish.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, KFDC Chairman Ramachandra
Baikampady said fisherwomen who depend on rickshaws and local buses to
carry the fish to village markets, will now be able to use the
specially-designed buses, which will have seating arrangements on one
side and a place to keep baskets to store their fish in, on the other.
Normally, fisherwomen catch the first bus to State Bank region in
Mangalore and then go to the wharf by walking. However, this bus will
take them directly to the wharf. Minimum charges will be collected
from women, Baikampady said. Two buses will serve the fisherwomen of
Karwar, Tadadi, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Gangolli Ankola, Gangolli and
Mangalore while Malpe which has more fisherwomen will have three buses.
Definite route
Each bus will run on a definite route, covering all the major
villages. In Dakshina Kannada district, the bus will run from Ullal to
Wharf and Sasihithlu to Wharf (Old Port). The bus will start between 4
am and 4.30 am. There will be two trips, ie., one in the early morning
and another in the afternoon. He said this is an attempt to provide
social justice to these fisherwomen.
The Chief Minister is likely to formally inaugurate the service of
two buses in the second week of June, said Baikampady. But the
service will actually take off in August as the fishing season comes
to an end in June, he added.
The corporation hopes the buses will come to the rescue of the
hundreds of fisherwomen who have a difficult time convincing the local
bus services to allow them to carry their fish baskets on board
everyday from the fishing port to the markets.
International Collective in Support of Fishworkers(ICSF)
27 College Road
Chennai 600 006
India
Mangalore May 16: The Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation
(KFDC) has decided to launch Matsyavahini, an exclusive bus service
for fisherwomen in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi
and Uttara Kannada, to facilitate them to transport their baskets of
fish in comfort to the markets and also to the ports to fetch fish.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, KFDC Chairman Ramachandra
Baikampady said fisherwomen who depend on rickshaws and local buses to
carry the fish to village markets, will now be able to use the
specially-designed buses, which will have seating arrangements on one
side and a place to keep baskets to store their fish in, on the other.
Normally, fisherwomen catch the first bus to State Bank region in
Mangalore and then go to the wharf by walking. However, this bus will
take them directly to the wharf. Minimum charges will be collected
from women, Baikampady said. Two buses will serve the fisherwomen of
Karwar, Tadadi, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Gangolli Ankola, Gangolli and
Mangalore while Malpe which has more fisherwomen will have three buses.
Definite route
Each bus will run on a definite route, covering all the major
villages. In Dakshina Kannada district, the bus will run from Ullal to
Wharf and Sasihithlu to Wharf (Old Port). The bus will start between 4
am and 4.30 am. There will be two trips, ie., one in the early morning
and another in the afternoon. He said this is an attempt to provide
social justice to these fisherwomen.
The Chief Minister is likely to formally inaugurate the service of
two buses in the second week of June, said Baikampady. But the
service will actually take off in August as the fishing season comes
to an end in June, he added.
The corporation hopes the buses will come to the rescue of the
hundreds of fisherwomen who have a difficult time convincing the local
bus services to allow them to carry their fish baskets on board
everyday from the fishing port to the markets.
International Collective in Support of Fishworkers(ICSF)
27 College Road
Chennai 600 006
India
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Felicitation to Fisher Leader of Kerala, India
My dear Friends,
Joyachan Antony Died of Accident 20 years ago during fishing. He was the first Secretary of Anchuthengu boat workers union, he was the second president of the Kerala Swathathra Malsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF). He was a champion of fish workers fighting and agitating for the rights of traditional fisher people.
He is challenging us to do the same today.
thomas kocherry
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Fishing and Fisherfolk on the India-Pakistan Nautical Border
Report of the Round Table on the issue of
Fishing and Fisherfolk on the India-Pakistan Nautical Border
19th April 2010
India International Centre
New Delhi
Co-organized – Boat Owner’s Association, Porbunder; Focus on the Global South, National Fishworkers Forum, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Peace Mumbai, Pakistan Institute for Labour Education & Research (PILER),
The fish worker activists from both India and Pakistan along with members of India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners and members of other civil society organizations met in New Delhi on April 19, 2010. They, during a day long meeting, discussed the issue of arrested Indian and Pakistani fishermen in detail. They decided to work together towards getting innocent and poor fishermen released. Kuldip Nayar introduced the subject and spoke on the current status of India-Pakistan Relations.
The following issues were discussed and decided upon -
1. Justice (Retd.) Nasir Aslam Zahid gave details about the 580 Indian fishermen who are languishing in the Pakistani prisons and around 460 of these imprisoned fishermen have completed their sentences.
2. Similarly, about 247 Pakistani prisoners including Fishermen have been granted Consular access to High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi and to whose travel documents have also been issued by the High Commission. A large number of these Pakistani prisoners have completed their sentences or are minors. The group decided that all such Pakistani prisoners should be released without any further delay.
Recently, in the case of 17 Pakistani prisoners who had completed their sentence, the Indian Supreme Court bench of Justices Markandey Katju and R. M. Lodha in a recent judgment observed “How can the government keep them in detention in violation of the fundamental rights of a person for years together without resorting to the procedure of law?” “The right to life and liberty was not dependent on another country’s action.”
On the basis of this judgement, it was decided in the meeting that all those who have competed their sentences should be released with immediate effect. Failing which, a petition will be filed in the Supreme Court of India as a contempt of Court. Justice ®Rajinder Sachar has agreed to file the same on behalf of People’s Union for Civil Liberties.
Also it was decided in the meeting that a petition will be filed in the Apex Court of Pakistan demanding the release of all those Indian prisoners who have completed their sentences. Former Attorney General and Law Minister Iqbal Haider has taken the responsibility for the same.
3. Clear and unambiguous orders to the concerned departments of the two countries may also be issued to ensure compliance with the unanimous recommendations of the official India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners.
4. The recommendations of the India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners, which inter alia recommended release of all Indian and Pakistani fishermen in custody, should be implemented immediately and the next meeting of the official committee should be held as soon as possible. Since August 2008 this official committee is inactive and it was decided to request the two Governments to activate this committee so that the committee comprising 8 retired High Court and Supreme Court Judges (4 from each country) can restart its working and make regular visits to the jails of the two countries and help in early release of prisoners. The committee was set up January 2007 by the Foreign Ministers of both the countries to recommend steps for humane treatment and expeditious release of their nationals from the respective prisons.
5. The proceedings of the round table also decided that Consular Access must be given within the stipulated (90 days) time as required by the Agreement on Consular Access (May 2008).
6. It was reported in the meeting by the Boat Owners Association that 444 Indian trawlers seized by the Pakistani authorities are lying in and around Karachi. A delegation of Boat Owners of Gujarat visited Pakistan in 2008 and found many trawlers are in good conditions and can be reused. Each trawler costs around 20-25 lakh rupees. We also demand that these trawlers, too, should be released immediately.
In the day long deliberations amongst this gathering it was also discussed -
• This problem of fisherfolk prisoners started only in 1989 and before that there was no issue.
• The common fisherfolk of both the countries still have no problem with each other and would happily allow communities to fish in each other’s nautical borders.
• It was also suggested that as a solution 25 nautical miles of the area should designated as a free zone, to be used by the fisherfolk of either country.
• It was suggested that all boats and trawlers should have GPS in order to track their direction and the border.
• It is necessary to resolve the Sir Creek issue.
• It was decided that in order to strengthen this movement it is important that there is a people-to-people contact between Indian and Pakistani fisherfolk.
• The issue needs to be more publicised in both the government and the media and also at the level of common people and civil society.
Some of the people who participated in the meeting were Kuldip Nayar, Justice ® Nasir Aslam Zahid, Iqbal Haider, Justice ® Rajinder Sachar, Karamat Ali, Jatin Desai, Bharat Modi, Jivan Jungi, Advocate M K Paul, Matanhy Saldanha, Varsha Rajan Berry, Gopal Tandel, Premabhai S Prabhaker, Budhiabhai Tandel, Dilip Sharaoji, Ashwin Jungi, Ravi Hemadri, Michael Koeberlein etc.
Fishing and Fisherfolk on the India-Pakistan Nautical Border
19th April 2010
India International Centre
New Delhi
Co-organized – Boat Owner’s Association, Porbunder; Focus on the Global South, National Fishworkers Forum, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Peace Mumbai, Pakistan Institute for Labour Education & Research (PILER),
The fish worker activists from both India and Pakistan along with members of India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners and members of other civil society organizations met in New Delhi on April 19, 2010. They, during a day long meeting, discussed the issue of arrested Indian and Pakistani fishermen in detail. They decided to work together towards getting innocent and poor fishermen released. Kuldip Nayar introduced the subject and spoke on the current status of India-Pakistan Relations.
The following issues were discussed and decided upon -
1. Justice (Retd.) Nasir Aslam Zahid gave details about the 580 Indian fishermen who are languishing in the Pakistani prisons and around 460 of these imprisoned fishermen have completed their sentences.
2. Similarly, about 247 Pakistani prisoners including Fishermen have been granted Consular access to High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi and to whose travel documents have also been issued by the High Commission. A large number of these Pakistani prisoners have completed their sentences or are minors. The group decided that all such Pakistani prisoners should be released without any further delay.
Recently, in the case of 17 Pakistani prisoners who had completed their sentence, the Indian Supreme Court bench of Justices Markandey Katju and R. M. Lodha in a recent judgment observed “How can the government keep them in detention in violation of the fundamental rights of a person for years together without resorting to the procedure of law?” “The right to life and liberty was not dependent on another country’s action.”
On the basis of this judgement, it was decided in the meeting that all those who have competed their sentences should be released with immediate effect. Failing which, a petition will be filed in the Supreme Court of India as a contempt of Court. Justice ®Rajinder Sachar has agreed to file the same on behalf of People’s Union for Civil Liberties.
Also it was decided in the meeting that a petition will be filed in the Apex Court of Pakistan demanding the release of all those Indian prisoners who have completed their sentences. Former Attorney General and Law Minister Iqbal Haider has taken the responsibility for the same.
3. Clear and unambiguous orders to the concerned departments of the two countries may also be issued to ensure compliance with the unanimous recommendations of the official India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners.
4. The recommendations of the India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners, which inter alia recommended release of all Indian and Pakistani fishermen in custody, should be implemented immediately and the next meeting of the official committee should be held as soon as possible. Since August 2008 this official committee is inactive and it was decided to request the two Governments to activate this committee so that the committee comprising 8 retired High Court and Supreme Court Judges (4 from each country) can restart its working and make regular visits to the jails of the two countries and help in early release of prisoners. The committee was set up January 2007 by the Foreign Ministers of both the countries to recommend steps for humane treatment and expeditious release of their nationals from the respective prisons.
5. The proceedings of the round table also decided that Consular Access must be given within the stipulated (90 days) time as required by the Agreement on Consular Access (May 2008).
6. It was reported in the meeting by the Boat Owners Association that 444 Indian trawlers seized by the Pakistani authorities are lying in and around Karachi. A delegation of Boat Owners of Gujarat visited Pakistan in 2008 and found many trawlers are in good conditions and can be reused. Each trawler costs around 20-25 lakh rupees. We also demand that these trawlers, too, should be released immediately.
In the day long deliberations amongst this gathering it was also discussed -
• This problem of fisherfolk prisoners started only in 1989 and before that there was no issue.
• The common fisherfolk of both the countries still have no problem with each other and would happily allow communities to fish in each other’s nautical borders.
• It was also suggested that as a solution 25 nautical miles of the area should designated as a free zone, to be used by the fisherfolk of either country.
• It was suggested that all boats and trawlers should have GPS in order to track their direction and the border.
• It is necessary to resolve the Sir Creek issue.
• It was decided that in order to strengthen this movement it is important that there is a people-to-people contact between Indian and Pakistani fisherfolk.
• The issue needs to be more publicised in both the government and the media and also at the level of common people and civil society.
Some of the people who participated in the meeting were Kuldip Nayar, Justice ® Nasir Aslam Zahid, Iqbal Haider, Justice ® Rajinder Sachar, Karamat Ali, Jatin Desai, Bharat Modi, Jivan Jungi, Advocate M K Paul, Matanhy Saldanha, Varsha Rajan Berry, Gopal Tandel, Premabhai S Prabhaker, Budhiabhai Tandel, Dilip Sharaoji, Ashwin Jungi, Ravi Hemadri, Michael Koeberlein etc.
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