Version imprimableIn the run up to the Gujarat state legislative elections, the Congress party has promised Rs. 3 lakh as one-time financial assistance to the families of the arrested fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails. A daily allowance of Rs. 400 has also been promised and a compensation of Rs. 50 lakh for every boat seized by the Pakistani authorities.
Compensating the fishermen and their families for loss of livelihood is a welcome move, even if it is prompted by the electoral compulsions. There are over five lakh fishermen in Gujarat who along with their families constitute an important voting population. However, throwing money at the problem is unlikely to permanently resolve the issue, Bharat Bhushan writes.
There were 630 Indian fishermen from Gujarat in Pakistani jails on July 1 this year. The number of Pakistani fishermen in Indian custody was 95. The arrest of fishermen is a low priority issue for the Indian political class. Imagine what the national outcry would be, asks Jatin Desai a social activist and journalist working with the fishermen in Gujarat, if it were 630 IT professionals who had been kidnapped and jailed by Pakistani authorities.
Fishermen from both sides are accused of
