The small Aswali village in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district, was filled with grief and anguish on Wednesday. The arrival of fisherman Vijay Kol’s body, who passed away in a Karachi jail last month, brought tears to some, while others mourned the delayed release of their loved ones, imprisoned in Pakistan since Sept 2022 for violating territorial waters.
Kol (45) reportedly died on Mar 17 after a fall in the prison. He was part of the crew of ‘Matsyaganda 9’ boat, with eight others, arrested by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency two days after setting sail from Okha, Gujarat on Sept 25, 2022. Despite completing his term in Nov 2022, his release was delayed. Kol’s death is the first reported case of an Indian fisherman dying in a Pakistan jail this year.
The arrival of Kol’s body provided closure to his family – wife and five children. A team led by R V Shingala, superintendent of Fisheries from Gujarat’s fisheries department, received the body at Wagah border on Apr 30. The subsequent journey brought the body to Veraval, Gujarat, the same day. As the sealed coffin reached Aswali village in an ambulance on Wednesday, Kol’s family hoped to see him one last time. However, due to the body being embalmed and sealed, district officials persuaded the family to proceed with the final rites as soon as possible.
Sakhu, Kol’s wife, lamented that her husband had sought work in Gujarat to provide a better life for their family.
Five of Kol’s companions who were on the same boat – Navshya Bhimra, Sarit Umbarsada, Krushna Bhujad, Vijay Nagvasi, and Jayram Salkar – have also completed their three-month jail term. They were among the 35 fishermen in Pakistan jail, expected to be released on Apr 30. Relatives of the other fishermen appealed for expedited effort to secure the release of their men, whose crime was inadvertently crossing an invisible line at sea.
Peace activist Jatin Desai expressed the families’ anticipation and disappointment as release of their loved ones seems to be postponed without clear reason. He called upon the state government to take steps to receive remains of deceased fishermen.
Local authorities, represented by Dahanu tehsildar Abhijeet Deshmukh, suggested that gram panchayats keep records of villagers working on boats in Gujarat to facilitate quicker responses in such situations. Also, the state has been urged to provide compensation to Kol’s family.