Families ofKin of fishermen killed by Pak terrorists yet to get compensation

Surat: It is unimaginable that 10 years have passed yet the families of the first victims of Pakistan trained LeT terrorists, who held Mumbai to ransom, are yet to receive any compensation from the government.
Ten Pakistani terrorists had landed in Mumbai from the Arabian Sea on November 26, 2008 in a fishing boat Kuber and unleashed a reign of terror, killing and injuring several innocent people. The terrorists after hijacking Kuber in the sea had killed fishermen Balvant Tandel, Natwar alias Natu Nanu Rathod, Mukesh Rathod of Vasi and Machhiwad villages in Navsari and Ramesh Solanki of Junagadh. Body of Amarsinh Solanki, captain of Kuber and a resident of Valsad, also killed by the terrorists, was found in a dinghy on Mumbai coast but those of others could never be located. The families of these fishermen, who expect a compensation of around Rs11 lakh each as paid to the kin of other victims by the government, approached a court in Navsari which declared Balvant, Natwar and Mukesh dead in 2016.

Balvant’s only son Umesh, 29, could not complete his studies after his father’s death. “We should also receive compensation of Rs11 lakh which was given to Amarsinh’s family,” Umesh said.

“We feel ashamed to approach the officers again and again for compensation which we have been doing for the past 10 years. We had to fight a court case to prove that my husband was dead. Despite having been declared dead, there is no end to our ordeal,” said Damyanti, wife of Balvant.

Lakshmiben Rathod, 86, grandmother of Mukesh, depends upon her relatives for food. Natwar’s wife, Dharmishtha, 33, works as a daily wage labourer to provide for the needs of her two children.

“I am not aware about the case, but will take up the matter with the concerned authorities. They should get the compensation,” said C R Paatil, MP, Navsari.

Navsari district collector M D Modiya told TOI, “The collectorate has completed the process, but the families are yet to receive the compensation. We will inquire about the present status of the cases and ensure that they get the compensation soon.”