Old Khadda falling prey to ‘development politics’

By Jan Khaskheli

Karachi

Karachi’s first fishing market, Khadda Market, was established much before the development of the Karachi Fish Harbour (KFH). Entering the now dilapidated streets of the old Khadda, one invariably encounters fisherfolk engaged in repairing tattered fishing nets along streets, open places and community centers. While seemingly engrossed in mundane activities, most fisherfolk families have much to contemplate as development politics have forced them to make a choice between their traditional life styles and the financial gains on offer if they cave in to ‘development politics’.

The ambivalence stems from the fact that the land mafia active in the area, who have created agents within the fisherfolk community, are trying to convince families through these agents that they should sell their little plots of land for the construction of apartment complexes of four to five storeys. As part of the negotiations, some families have also been offered apartments in the complexes that would be constructed on their ancestors’ plots.

Despite living amidst the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, most fisherfolk in the old Khadda have firmly adhered to the lifestyles of their forefathers. The communities residing in Khadda are now divided into several groups: the bigger Karachia jamaat, Lara jamaat, Wangora jamaat, Bundri jamaat, Noorani jamaat and Dhorai jamaat. Each group has its own leaders representing them at the local level.

As is the tradition, boys are sent to fish with their fathers instead of sending them to schools, as fisherfolk believe that their successors would otherwise waste their lives wandering in the streets or sitting idle at home. Most children work as apprentices when they start. After a few months, they receive a 25 per cent share in the earnings from the catch, which increases incrementally to 50 per cent.

An old fisherman, affectionately known as Chacha Ali, aged around 70, narrated blissful memories of the past, but added that the community is now facing a difficult situation. He said that he had witnessed prosperous days long ago, which he believes will never return.

Sitting at the Karachia jamaat office, another man named Haji Rashid reminisced about the past and said that about 25 or 30 years ago, there were only indigenous fisherfolk living together and deriving their livelihoods from the sea. They were happy with little catch, but ever since outsiders became involved in the sector, the local fisherfolk started facing problems as fish reservoirs became severely depleted due to over fishing, he said. “It is the so-called fisherfolk leaders who have divided us into groups. They do not want to unite the community to raise its voice effectively on a single platform,” said Rashid.

Not only is the area devoid of any affluent opportunities, but the Khadda vicinity is also run down. Being a low-lying area with a faulty sewerage system, the old Khadda is annually assaulted by monsoon rains which turn the streets into sewage ponds, creating problems for the residents for many days. Residents claimed that concerned authorities have no interest in resolving the problems of this area.

The offers of the agents are irresistible. A decline in fish catch has forced a majority of the community to stay idle at home, but eager contractors and their local agents are constructing high rise apartments. In such a situation, only a few small houses can be found in the locality, while huge apartments have cropped up and forced the remaining community to engage certain builders to establish their homes, because they themselves are unable to build in the current scenario.

This trend has forced a majority of fisherfolk to live in isolation and insecurity. After purchasing flats in the same building, locals often have to deal with harsh behaviour of those who have purchased or rented apartments. Some also claim that the recent development in the area may even push the fisherfolk to migrate to other places, as the families are accustomed to living care-free lives in open spaces – something they cannot enjoy in the growing congestion. Currently the open, small homes of the community have been almost completely hidden by high-rise buildings.

Activists in support of the fisherfolk say this form of “development politics” has forced hundreds of fisherfolk families to live by the seashore, depriving them of their traditional villages and landing sites. Long ago Native Jetty was the main landing site for the fisherfolk of Khadda and Lyari neighbourhood. According to activists, ‘well-dressed’ people within the community are involved in the business of exploiting the poor by inviting contractors. They build apartments on plots, offer a small house to the real owner and mint money by selling entire homes to willing people.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah claimed that this is a common phenomenon being witnessed across all communities living in coastal villages or on neighbouring islands. Shah added that the fisherfolk communities are all thinking and acting in a similar fashion. They are not getting involved in politics and are ignoring their children’s education. Instead, they are solely engaged in fishing, or meeting at their homes, tea stalls or street corners to discuss boats and the problems of the fishing season.

He said that previously, when the catch was sufficient to earn a living, the fisherfolk were restricting their children from getting an education, preferring that their offspring join a traditional occupation rather than becoming a clerk or taking up other low-grade jobs. Most fisherfolk believed that the share they were receiving through a catch was more than they could earn in the form of a monthly salary. The community is still sticking to this approach, rejecting job opportunities in factories or government departments.

Abuzer Mariwala, the advisor to Fisherfolk Cooperative Society (FCS) acknowledges the plight of the fisherfolk, and says it is happening because the poor people do not have any options. They have been living in the ramshackle homes built by their forefathers 70—80 years ago. Now after shifting to small flats, the fisherfolk face many problems such as where to keep their fishing nets and other tools.

Talking about the Dispensary and Maternity Home, a RS 6.4 million project launched in 2003, Mariwala said after the change in government the project has been in limbo. He said that he initiated a proposal to the Sindh government to establish a housing scheme for the Khadda fisherfolk families at another place because now the people are living in congestion. He claims that the government has assured him that they will look into the matter favourably. Source http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=150138