Veraval has some 80 fish factories, where the catch is processed and dispatched for export, to be sold in European and other markets. The domestic market includes most of central and north India. The catch from fishing ports like Okha, Jakhau, Mangrol and Porbandar, is also processed in Veraval and exported. In the 2015 local body elections, Congress won 12 of the 22 seats on the Veraval taluka panchayat.
Jasha Barad is the sitting MLA from Somnath and the BJP candidate. He has been elected MLA four times, thrice from Somnath and once from Talala. Barad says, "The Somnath seat has close to 2.3 lakh voters which includes 28,000 Karadia Rajputs, 32,000 Kolis, 25,000 Kharvas, 25,000 Ahirs, 40,000 Muslims, 10,000 Rabaris and other smaller castes." Barad is a Karadia Rajput.
He says under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, Rs 1,800 crore has been approved for fishing-related works on the coast from Porbandar to Mahuva, of which works worth Rs 290 crore are for Verawal. Besises, Rs 4,528 crore has been approved for the coastal highway.
Vimal Chudasama, the president of Chorwad nagarpalika and the Congress candidate from Somnath, says "No new jetties or harbours have been made for several years. Fishermen are not being paid the diesel subsidy and farmers don't get crop insurance claims. The state of internal roads and gutters is terrible." Chudasama belongs to the Koli caste.
"Veraval badly needs a new jetty but nothing is happening. The nagarpalika, taluka and district panchayats are all controlled by the BJP but no works for fishermen come to fruition. Since 2003, the registration of new boats in Veraval has been halted," says Gopal Fofandi, who owns two fishing boats and is president of the Akhil Gujarat Machimar Mahamandal (the all Gujarat association of fishermen).
"A large fishing boat, with one tandel (captain) and seven-eight khalasis (deckhands) uses about 3,000 litres of diesel on a single trip. There are some 8,000 fishing boats of varying sizes in Veraval alone. Then comes the cost of ice, the crew's pay and other expenses. Besides, the catch is decreasing alarmingly. The government had stopped paying the Rs-6-per-litre of diesel subsidy since 2005. It paid 50% of the subsidy last year and the full amount this year because of the elections," says Fofandi.
"A new jetty at Sutrapada has been in the pipeline for 21 years. There are large numbers of fishermen in 42 assembly constituencies, but we do not get tickets or political representation. Our numbers range between 12,000 and 70,000 on these seats, yet we have no one to raise our issues," says Jitendra Kuhada, the Patel or leader of the Kharva caste in Veraval.
He owns 13 fishing boats. The Kharvas are fisherfolk, who live under strict caste rules. The caste enforces its own brand of justice on its members and even runs its own jails. In the business of fish and its ancilliary industries - transport, ice factories, processing - a caste-enforced boycott of business and social relations, called 'kasyo bandh', can be devastating.
Fishermen say effluents released in the sea from industrial units is causing catch to fall steadily near the coast. This means boats have to venture out further and make longer trips.
Boat owners and tandels take the risk of fishing close to Pakistan waters because it is less polluted and the estuary of the Indus is richer in fish, because of the fresh water mixing with sea water. They can catch a full load much quicker there.
Bharat Ukarda of Kotda village in Kodinar taluka has been going to sea for three years as a khalasi. On December 28, 2016, he was caught by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, allegedly in Pakistan waters. "We don't realize when we have crossed the boundary because we're busy fishing. I was in a jail there for ten months and was released only on October 19 this year. We are thoroughly questioned on being caught but are generally not ill-treated."
Bharat Raja, 35, was also caught by the PMSA. "Ours was one of 13 boats from Gujarat caught on the same day, when 67 sailors were arrested. Our families learned about our detention through the Indian government. The delay in getting paperwork together from our government extends our stay in Pakistani jails," saya Raja, who also spent 10 months in a Pakistan jail.
by Peter Nazareth via Surat News, Latest Surat News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India
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