DJ Venkatesh
Nabagram, Diglipur, Sept 20: A fisherman from remote Diglipur Island, who went missing since 31st July 2018, miraculously survived and reached Myanmar. Sadly even after surviving the deadly sea for so many days, his miseries have not ended. The fisherman, who already suffered a brief detention, is now again facing arrest, as nothing concrete has been done yet for the repatriation of the fisherman ,it is alleged. Poor family members of the fisherman are now requesting the Administration to take up the matter with the concerned Ministry.
As per details, the fisherman, from Nabagram village, Mr. Biswanath Roy had gone for fishing with two dinghies (IND-AN-MN-MO/358 and IND-AN-MN-NM-1006) from Kalighat Jetty on July 31st, 2018, among which the big dinghy was equipped with engine and smaller dinghy, used for fishing in creek areas, had 2 days ration items.
When after 4 days he didn’t return his wife Mrs. Rekha Roy intimated the matter to PS Kalighat and filed a complaint. Meanwhile the remains of the small dinghy found at Imli Tikry by few fishermen after that they intimated the matter to PS Kalighat and FIR was filed on 5th Aug and also the matter was communicated to the Coast Guard, Asst Commissioner at Diglipur.
On 4th September a neighbor of the missing fisherman, Mr. Mohan Sikder received a call from Myanmar number 0959444754117. On the other side Mr. Biswanath Roy was present, who narrated his survival story to his wife and also told how he reached Myanmar.
Missing Mr. Biswanath Roy said that during fishing in sea his small dinghy got damaged after hitting the rocks and big dinghy developed snags, because of which is started drifting towards deep sea.
After drifting for seven days, on 8th day he found 4 Myanmarese, who caught him along with his dinghy and also removed his engine and other machineries and provided food and used him for fishing till 17th day.
Finally the four Myanmarese people and the fisherman reached Myanmar on 18th day.
Before reaching shore, four Myanmarese people, who had already removed engine from Mr. Biswanath Roy’s dinghy asked him to go back to sea without engine.
When he refused they allegedly pushed him into the sea, anyhow he swam about two kilometers and reached the shore.
In Myanmar he was intercepted and detained by Myanmarese police and detained at Kali temple at Myanmar. After talks, two days later the Trustee of Board of Kali Temple filed for his bail and the police let him to stay there in Kali Temple as the fisherman having original documents of Islander card, FIC card, Fisheries license with him.
In the temple, local Bengali people gave him Rs. 2000 rupees, cloths, bed sheets and food.
Meanwhile, the neighbor received several calls from Myanmarese authorities asking the family to contact Indian authority and ask them to contact them or else the fisherman will be put in jail.
The family of Mr. Biswanath Roy has already intimated the matter to the Chief Secretary’s office but till now nothing concrete has happened from the side of Indian authorities it seems as the family got such calls even on 18 September 2018.
The helpless family is now in deep dilemma, they don’t know how to contact top officers of Indian Embassy in Myanmar. The family is only hoping that the Administration will take up this matter as top priority to save Biswanath Roy from getting arrested and also to bring him back safety to Andamans.
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