The Gujarat Fishermen Association (GFA)has come down heavily on the officials of Northern Railway for not allotting sleeper coaches to fishermen freed from Pakistan, creating in a safety concern, after several passengers entered the general coach they were travelling at Jalandhar station. “Several passengers forcefully entered the general coach of Amritsar-Kochuveli weekly superfast train during its halt at Jalandhar. Their entry was a cause of worry for officials of the fisheries department accompanying the fishermen,” S Anjani one of the six officials on board the train told PTI. The Pakistani authorities had handed over these fishermen to Border Security Force at Wagah early yesterday after releasing them from jails in Karachi on January 5. “These fishermen were travelling in two general coaches from Amritsar to reach Vadodara. Several passengers forcibly entered into this locked coach by removing it’s bolt and nut. They argued that it was a general coach and it is their right to sit here,” said Anjani. He added, “They continued to travel in this coach till the next halt at Ludhiana, thereafter a Gujarat police team accompanying these fishermen, asked them to get down as the coaches were reserved only for freed fishermen.” The police team was sent to Amritsar for safety and security of these freed fishermen. Veljibhai Masani, senior vice-president of Gujarat Fishermen Association (GFA) came down heavily on the concerned authorities of Northern Railway for this “ugly” incident. “This ugly incident would not have taken place had the Railway authorities allotted two sleeper coaches instead of general coaches. Forceful entry of passengers could have led to safety concern of fishermen as their security is the responsibility of the government.” “There was no fault of passenger waiting at station as they are not aware of general coaches being reserved only for fishermen,” said Masani. In the last 12 days, a total of 438 Indian fishermen have been freed from Pakistani jails as a “goodwill gesture”.
2017 Business Standard Private Ltd.