Voices echoing beyond the prison walls
Amir Murtaza shares his poem on the plight of Pakistani and Indian fishermen languishing in the prisons after being caught by the security agencies
Across borders and nations, a wave of empathy grew
Uniting souls in their search for justice, anew.
Every year dozens of Pakistani and Indian fishermen are caught by security agencies in the Arabian Sea after straying across maritime borders. These poor fishermen often spend time in prison even after serving their sentences. The “Voices echoing beyond the prison walls” stresses that a more humane approach is required to see the cases of fishermen from both sides of the border.
Amir Murtaza
Based in Karachi, Amir Murtaza is a Consultant and Writer. He is a published writer of two poetry books, “Khizan Main Rang Dhoondta Hoon” & “The Last Clouds”. Amir can be contacted at amirmurtaza1@hotmail.com
Voices echoing beyond the prison walls
In a coastal village, adjacent to the sea
Lived a modest community, fishermen were they
Bound by their business, they cast their nets with care
Ignorant of the borders that lay hidden there.
With each new sunrise, they sailed into the deep
Their spirits buoyant, the look forward to reap
But destiny, with a cruel twist, did intervene
As their simple journey became a tragic scene.
Unknowingly, they drifted across a line
Drawn on maps, a division so defined
The sea, impartial, paid no heed to this divide
But the hands of politics had other plans in stride.
On foreign shores, they found themselves confined
A mistake in navigation, a fate unkind
They, who had sought the bounties of the sea
Now faced the shadows of ambiguity.
In unknown cells, they languished day and night
Their only comfort, memories of homes’ warm light
Their relatives, torn apart, wept in despair
Praying for the return of those lost out there.
Days turned to months, and months to years,
But the fishermen’s courage remained steadfast, not in tears
They forged a brotherhood, bound by their plight
In the darkest moments, they found strength to fight.
Their voices echoed beyond the prison walls
Their tale reached the hearts of those who heard their calls
Across borders and nations, a wave of empathy grew
Uniting souls in their search for justice, anew.
Finally, the day arrived, long awaited and near
When the fishermen would be freed from their unjust fear
Through tears of joy, they returned to their kin
Reunited once more, a tale of redemption would begin.
Now, in that coastal village by the sea,
A lesson learned, forever etched in memory
Borders may separate, but humanity must prevail
To understand and forgive, and let compassion sail.
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