Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Caught in the crossfire: On Indian fisherman death in Pakistan firing

Caught in the crossfire: On Indian fisherman death in Pakistan firing

India and Pakistan must ensure that fishermen are not victims of a deterioration (कमी, पतन, विफलता) in ties (संबंधों, जुड़ाव)

An Indian fisherman was killed in firing by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) off Gujarat on November 7. This is the first such killing by the PMSA in the last six years though conflicts over fishing rights are not infrequent (rare, uncommon, unusual, irregular, exceptional, few and far between) along the International Maritime Boundary Line (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय समुद्री सीमा रेखा) between the two countries. Six other fishermen have reportedly (खबर के अनुसार, माना जाता है, प्रतीत होता है) been detained (हिरासत में लेना, गिरफ़्तार करना, क़ैद करना), while one injured person managed to return to Indian shores (समुद्र तट, किनारा). India has termed Pakistan’s action deplorable (निंदनीय, लज्जाजनक, खेदजनक) and “in contravention (उल्लंघन, खण्डन, विरोध) to all established international practices (अभ्यास करना, प्रक्रिया) and bilateral (द्विपक्षीय, दुतरफा) understandings (समझ, सहमति)”. On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned (बुलाना, माँगना) a Pakistani diplomat (राजनयिक, राजदूत) who was asked to investigate the incident and instruct its forces to refrain from (बचना चाहिए) unprovoked (अकारण, अनुत्तेजित) firing. According to the Gujarat government, a total of 345 fishermen from the State were lodged (put up, take in) in Pakistan jails as on December 2020. In April 2020, Pakistani forces opened fire on two boats off the Gujarat coast injuring one person, and in 2019 they sunk an Indian boat in which six of seven fishermen onboard (on or in an aircraft, train, ship or boat) were rescued (save). One person went missing. Fishermen often get caught in the fluctuating (unsteady, mercurial, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, variable, volatile) fate of the bilateral relations between the two countries, which is currently at a low.

According to the National Fishworkers Forum (The National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), registered under the Trade Union Act of India, is the only national federation of state level small and traditional fish workers’ unions of India. NFF has affiliated organizations in all the coastal states and union territories of the Indian mainland. NFF fights to protect the life and livelihood of the fishing communities and its basic source - fisheries resources, biodiversity and natural environment), there are 558 Indian fishermen in Pakistani jails, and 74 from Pakistan in Indian prisons. The Forum calculates that 1,200 Indian fishing vessels (ship, yacht, boat) are in Pakistan’s custody. The families of these imprisoned (incarcerated, jailed, locked up, in custody, confined, detained, held captive) people are in penury (extreme poverty, destitution, privation/hardship). Consular (diplomatic) access to those in prison is difficult. Only 295 of the 558 prisoners in Pakistan could have their nationality verified. In 2007, both countries formed a joint judicial committee comprising eight retired judges — four each from India and Pakistan — to facilitate (make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help; expedite, speed up, accelerate) the exchange of civilian prisoners. The mechanism (procedure, process, method, technique) has been defunct (disused, no longer in use, unused, inoperative, non-functioning) since 2013, and attempts to revive (bring back, re-establish, restore) it in 2018 did not bear fruit (yield/get results, succeed, be effective). Civilians (non-military person, ordinary citizen) along international borders often get caught in disputes between countries, and India has several such hotspots (a place of significant activity), on land and in sea. Even fishermen venturing (travel, set out, go, move) near the India-Sri Lanka maritime (of or related to the sea) border often fall victim (be hurt by, be damaged by; become affected with) though both countries maintain cordial (friendly, warm, affable, amiable, pleasant, affectionate, warm-hearted, good-natured) bilateral ties. Many Indian villages along the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh also become theatres (place of action, arena) of conflict, as communities often find it difficult to reconcile (make compatible, harmonize, cause to be in agreement; adjust, balance, attune) with international borders that divide their traditional spheres of economic and social activities. Pakistan has aggressively (vigorously, strongly, powerfully, intensely) sponsored violence in India, and terrorists trained by its agencies sailed (travel, navigate, steer; go by water, go by sea) in a hijacked Indian fishing boat in 2008 to Mumbai. It is a tragedy that ordinary people could end up in a foreign prison while trying to earn their livelihood (means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income). India and Pakistan must consider this as a humanitarian crisis (it is also called as humanitarian disaster; a situation with high levels of human suffering in which basic human welfare is in danger on a large scale) and work towards resolving it. And, both countries must avoid any escalation in tensions (strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease) on account of (because of, owing to, due to) the latest incident.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.deterioration (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कमी, पतन, विफलता
English Meaning - decline, collapse, failure, degradation, degeneration, breakdown.

2.ties (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबंधों, जुड़ाव
English Meaning - relationship, association, connection.

3.International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर्राष्ट्रीय समुद्री सीमा रेखा
English Meaning - it usually bounds areas of exclusive national rights over mineral and biological resources, encompassing maritime features, limits and zones (such as the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24 nautical miles), exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles), and the continental shelf within and beyond 200 nautical miles). Generally, a maritime boundary is delineated at a particular distance from a jurisdiction’s coastline under the United Nations Convention on Law of Sea (UNCLOS).

4.reportedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - खबर के अनुसार, माना जाता है, प्रतीत होता है
English Meaning - supposedly, seemingly, apparently, allegedly.

5.detain (verb)

Hindi Meaning - हिरासत में लेना, गिरफ़्तार करना, क़ैद करना
English Meaning - take into custody, arrest, imprison, incarcerate.

6.shore (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समुद्र तट, किनारा
English Meaning - seashore, seaside, coast.

7.deplorable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निंदनीय, लज्जाजनक, खेदजनक
English Meaning - disgraceful, shameful, unpardonable, unacceptable.

8.contravention (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, खण्डन, विरोध
English Meaning - breach, violation, infringement, breaking, transgression.

9.practice (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभ्यास करना, प्रक्रिया
English Meaning - custom, procedure, convention, rule.

10.bilateral (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - द्विपक्षीय, दुतरफा
English Meaning - involving two groups or countries.

11.understanding (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समझ, सहमति
English Meaning - agreement, deal, settlement, pact.

12.summon (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बुलाना, माँगना
English Meaning - call for, ask for, request/demand the presence of, demand the presence of; demand urgently.

13.diplomat (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राजनयिक, राजदूत
English Meaning - ambassador, envoy, emissary, consul.

14.refrain from (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बचना चाहिए
English Meaning - stop from doing something; abstain, desist, hold back.

15.unprovoked (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अकारण, अनुत्तेजित
English Meaning - unjustified, without reason, uncalled for, unwarranted.

16.Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) (noun)

English Meaning - a coast guard branch of the Pakistan Navy.

17.off (adverb)

English Meaning - away from the place.

18.infrequent (adjective)

English Meaning - rare, uncommon, unusual, irregular, exceptional, few and far between.

19.caught in a crossfire (phrase)

English Meaning - get involved in an (argumentative &)unpleasant/difficult situation.

20.lodge (verb)

English Meaning - put up, take in.

21.sunk past tense of sink (verb)

English Meaning - founder, go under, submerge, capsize; cause (a ship/boat)to sink.

22.onboard (adverb)

English Meaning - on or in an aircraft, train, ship or boat.

23.rescue (verb)

English Meaning - save.

24.go missing (phrase)

English Meaning - to become lost; to disappear.

25.be get caught (up)in (phrase)

English Meaning - to become involved in (a situation).

26.fluctuating (adjective)

English Meaning - unsteady, mercurial, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, variable, volatile.

27.National Fishworkers Forum (NFF)(noun)

English Meaning - The National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), registered under the Trade Union Act of India, is the only national federation of state level small and traditional fish workers’ unions of India. NFF has affiliated organizations in all the coastal states and union territories of the Indian mainland. NFF fights to protect the life and livelihood of the fishing communities and its basic source - fisheries resources, biodiversity and natural environment.

28.vessel (noun)

English Meaning - ship, yacht, boat.

29.imprisoned (adjective)

English Meaning - incarcerated, jailed, locked up, in custody, confined, detained, held captive.

30.penury (noun)

English Meaning - extreme poverty, destitution, privation/hardship.

31.consular (adjective)

English Meaning - diplomatic.

32.the Indo-Pak joint judicial committee (the Indo-Pak JJC)(noun)

English Meaning - it is composed of eight retired judges - four each from India and Pakistan - charged with investigating the situation of civilians imprisoned in the jails of the other country and to obtain and facilitate their release, especially that of fishermen imprisoned for straying across territorial waters. The Committee was formed in January 2007.

33.facilitate (verb)

English Meaning - make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help; expedite, speed up, accelerate.

34.mechanism (noun)

English Meaning - procedure, process, method, technique.

35.defunct (adjective)

English Meaning - disused, no longer in use, unused, inoperative, non-functioning.

36.revive (verb)

English Meaning - bring back, re-establish, restore.

37.bear fruit (phrase)

English Meaning - yield/get results, succeed, be effective.

38.civilian (noun)

English Meaning - non-military person, ordinary citizen.

39.hotspot (noun)

English Meaning - a place of significant activity.

40.venture (verb)

English Meaning - travel, set out, go, move.

41.maritime (adjective)

English Meaning - of or related to the sea.

42.fall victim to (phrase)

English Meaning - be hurt by, be damaged by; become affected with.

43.cordial (adjective)

English Meaning - friendly, warm, affable, amiable, pleasant, affectionate, warm-hearted, good-natured.

44.theatre (noun)

English Meaning - place of action, arena.

45.reconcile (verb)

English Meaning - make compatible, harmonize, cause to be in agreement; adjust, balance, attune.

46.sphere (noun)

English Meaning - an area of activity; a field of activity; domain, realm.

47.aggressively (adverb)

English Meaning - vigorously, strongly, powerfully, intensely.

48.sponsor (verb)

English Meaning - support, back, promote (with finance/fund).

49.sail (verb)

English Meaning - travel, navigate, steer; go by water, go by sea.

50.end up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - arrive, find oneself, turn up, come, go, appear.

51.livelihood (noun)

English Meaning - means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income.

52.humanitarian crisis (noun)

English Meaning - it is also called as humanitarian disaster; a situation with high levels of human suffering in which basic human welfare is in danger on a large scale.

53.escalation (noun)

English Meaning - intensification, aggravation, exacerbation.

54.tension (noun)

English Meaning - strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease.

55.on account of (phrase)

English Meaning - because of, owing to, due to.