'Where Is My fish?'-  Kutch's Fishermen Struggle Amidst Border Uncertainty

Once upon a time, in the windswept salt plains of Kutch, Lakhpat, enclosed by seven km-long, 18th-century fort walls, stood as a crucial knot in the thread of trade that stitched Gujarat to Sindh. Back then, the Indus River flowed into Lakhpat, stretching to Desalpar Gunthli. The land once yielded rich harvests of rice and golden grains that fed its people and filled its coffers.

Then came the earthquake of 1819. A natural dam called the Allahbund was formed, shifting the course of the Indus River and leaving the creek to flow on, though the town is in peril again.

"The nets, the boats, everything is stuck in the water, and we're not allowed to go there," said Liyakat Ali, 30.

바카라�The war just happened, didn바카라�t it? But now our taluka has won, so everyone바카라�s happy. Everyone else was releafed, but our boat is still stuck,바카라� said Bath Salim Khaimisa, 55.

The creek remains open for fisherfolk, but it is fraught with complications. As they plunge their nets into the water, they know the trouble lies in the geography바카라�the creek falls exactly between the last Army post and the BSF post. After the Pahalgam attack, the area was sealed off. The town ached as the villagers sat and watched drones from two countries spar with each other.

"Nothing can happen to us as long as the BSF is here. We even give them intel whenever we see trouble approaching. But for our own lives, we have to be a little selfish. The fishing season is about to end, and our buckets are empty. We're not complaining, but something should be arranged for empty stomachs," said Hamir Ali, 70, sitting on the chabutra of Old Matam, a monument of the Khoja community, once used for Muharram festivities. Lakhpat is one of the few predominantly Muslim villages in Kutch.

Across the region, there is a visible divide among Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu communities. Even within the Hindu population, people tend to live in clusters based on caste. Many small hamlets in Kutch trace the path to Lakhpat when it's time to vote바카라�often without knowing who stands for what.

"Anyone who can solve our livelihood problem has the power to win. But the problem is, they only make promises when they stand for elections바카라�not after that," Liyakat said.

According to locals, the fisherfolk remained silent during recent skirmishes, requesting the Army to cover their boats at least so their equipment wouldn't rust in the open. During Operation Sindoor in Kutch, fishing activities in sensitive border areas like Sir Creek stopped. A BSF officer posted in Lakhpat Border Post Office told that Pakistani fishing boats were seized, and several Pakistani fishermen were apprehended for crossing into Indian waters. Indian fishermen, too, were barred from operating in these disputed zones.

The Border Security Force (BSF) increased patrols and discovered several abandoned Pakistani boats on the Indian side of the creeks as an officer deployed at Lakhpat Border told. Reports of drone debris in the area further escalated concerns. The administration advised coastal towns like Jakhau to suspend fishing operations until further notice.

"We have to wait years to buy a boat. If you ask me, I bought mine ten years ago바카라�it cost me five lakhs. Fishes can be caught, money can be earned, but if you snatch the medium from our hands, that's not right. We understand the risks, but then the Army or BSF should at least take care of our boats in our absence," Bath said.

The massive gate, often seen as the boiling point of the town, does little to reflect the standstill inside. The greasy eyes of fishermen wait for a solution as the fishing season nears its end. With the onset of the monsoon in August, the high tide will soon take over the Kori Creek, making it impossible for them to fish anytime soon.

What remains alive, or rather, what keeps people alive in this abandoned town, is the fish. But in the eye-for-an-eye conflict between two nations, the people here are often forced to hum the parody of survival.

"But why should we just survive? Shouldn't we live? We live in this country, and of course, we live on the border," Liyakat said.