Porbandar: Gujarat has the longest coastline in India. With 1,625 kilometers hugging the Arabian Sea, a large number of Gujaratis earn their living from fishing. And yet, fishermen and their concerns had been largely absent from the campaign for the Assembly elections in the state. That, however, changed on November 24, after a brief visit from Rahul Gandhi to the port city of Porbandar.
After a local BJP leader shared stage with the Congress Vice President, leading to his suspension from the BJP, the Kharva community was up in arms against the party. While the suspension was later revoked under pressure, doubts have entered the minds of some voters in Porbandar.
Perched on the edge of the Kathiawar Peninsula, Porbandar is most famous as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. But a few kilometers from the house where Mahatma Gandhi was born is Porbandar Port where Bharatbhai Modi, a BJP leader, explains why he shared the stage with Rahul Gandhi.
"I am a loyal BJP worker and have been associated with the Sangh Parivar since the days of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. But I am also responsible for the fishermen in Porbandar. As the President of the Porbandar Machhimaar Boat Owners Association, it is my duty to raise their issues on any platform I can get," Modi told News 18.
Recalling the events of the day, which led to his suspension, he said, "Rahul Gandhi came to Porbandar on a very short visit on Friday. He was not addressing any rallies, he just came to visit Kirti Mandir, where Mahatma Gandhi was born, and listen to the concerns of fishermen at the port. I was also present at the meeting. I got up on the stage and listed some of the grievances that fishermen in Porbandar have. Some sections of the media misreported the facts and said I had praised Rahul Gandhi. That was not the case. These reports reached the party leadership and I was suspended. But once I explained all the facts to the party, they understood and revoked my suspension."
But matters were hardly that simple. After news of Modi's suspension reached Porbandar, hundreds of fishermen from the Kharva community came out in protest of the BJP. They threatened the party that they would switch their vote to the Congress if Modi’s suspension was not revoked. Under pressure, the party had to oblige. While that has soothed tempers in the small coastal town to an extent, some in the Kharva community believe the damage may have already been done.
"We face a lot of problems in our daily lives and so far, nobody from the BJP has addressed them. The local MLA, Babubhai Bokhariya, is not very popular here anyway. He has not got any work done for us. And when Bharatbhai tried to raise our concerns, he was shut down. It makes us feel like nobody will even let us speak," said one fisherman.
But what are these concerns that got Bharatbhai Modi suspended from his party? "Firstly, we want fishermen to be treated on a par with farmers. They should be given subsidies, minimum support price and loans so that they can buy their own boats. Secondly, a dedicated fishing dock should be constructed at Porbandar. Currently, our dock doesn’t ever have drinking water for fishermen. And the most important issue for us is Gujarati fishing boats being apprehended by Pakistani authorities. The waters near the coast are getting polluted and there are no fish to catch here. So many fishermen are forced to go to the deep seas. Often, they don’t realise that they have crossed Indian waters and entered Pakistan."
According to Modi, there are over 1,000 Gujarati fishing boats in possession of Pakistani authorities and over 500 Gujarati fishermen lodged in Pakistani jails.
He added, "Pakistani authorities apprehend Indian fishermen and Indian authorities apprehend Pakistani fishermen who come to this side. Clearly, this is a problem for both sides. Our demand is that the government should work out an agreement with Pakistan and ensure Common Fishing Zones for fishermen of both countries. I am not saying that the government has not done anything for fishermen. In fact, BJP has done more than any other party. But a lot more needs to be done. I am certain Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take care of small-scale fishermen here."
Many believe that the battle for the Porbandar, which was expected to be an easy victory for the BJP, has turned into an exciting contest. According to Bharatbhai Modi, there are around 1 lakh registered voters in the Porbandar city constituency and 40,000 of them are Kharvas, a community listed under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
In 2012, BJP wrested this seat from the Congress with Babubhai Bokhariya becoming the city's MLA. The BJP received another shot in the arm when Vitthalbhai Radadiya, a veteran Patidar leader and Member of Parliament from Porbandar, came back to the party in 2013. The Kharvas in 2012, and again in 2014, stood firmly with the BJP. But the political fracas after Rahul Gandhi's visit has thrown doubt over which way they will lean come December 9.
For some, however, the Prime Minister remains as popular as ever. Dhanjibabu Lodhari, a Kharva fisherman, recalls the day he was arrested by the Pakistan Coast Guards. He spent 10 months in a Karachi jail and said he owes his freedom to PM Modi.
"In December 2016, I and five others were asleep on our boat. The anchor broke and we didn't realise that our boat had started to drift away into the sea. When we woke up, I was surrounded by the Pakistani Coast Guards. That day the six of us, along with 62 others from India, were arrested and taken to jail. I spent 10 months in jail. When the orders for our release came, we were taken to the Wagah border. When I finally crossed over into India, I found out that Modi Saheb had negotiated our release. How can I not vote for him?"
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