Centre pro-active for Tamil Nadu fishermen release, but not doing enough for Gujarat fishermen

Within two days of arrest of 136 Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan forces, the Prime Minister of India sent Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to Colombo, while External Affairs Minister S M Krishna took up the matter with his counterpart in Sri Lanka and managed their release, but when it comes to Gujarat fishermen the centre doesn’t work pro-actively for securing the release of fishermen kidnapped by Pakistan, Gujarat Fishermen Association Vice President Veljibhai Masani said today in Veraval.

Masani was addressing a grand gathering of fishermen from all over Gujarat here. “Members of the fishing community from Gujarat and Union Territory of Diu, Daman and Dadra Nagar Haveli are agitated over the attitude of the Centre on issues like releasing of fishermen and their 476 boats from Pakistan”s custody,” said Masani.

Pakistan has not released fishermen from Gujarat who were taken into custody after straying into their waters couple of years ago while 476 boats belonging to state”s fishermen worth Rs 300 crore seized by that country have not been released since 2003 but the government has not done anything about it, he said.

He demanded that the Centre should act immediately in the matter.

The grand gathering of fishing community was organized by Akhil Gujarat Macchimar Mahamandal. It discussed various problems that the community is facing including the issues related to Diesel, Kerosene, VET refund, kidnapping of fishing boats by Pakistan, dragging at the ports, pollution related troubles etc.