Gopal Das returns home after 27 years in Pak jail

Attari (Amritsar)/Lahore, Apr 7 (PTI) Gopal Das, who
spent 27 harrowing years in a Pakistani jail after being
convicted on charges of spying, returned home to an emotional
welcome by his family--happy to be back but angry and bitter
that efforts were not made for his early release.
52-year-old Das was set free from Lahore Central Jail
after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari remitted his
sentence on humanitarian grounds following an appeal by the
Indian Supreme Court.
Das crossed over to the Indian side of the border from
Pakistan at the Joint Check Post here after being released by
the authorities in the neighbouring country.
As soon as he entered India, he bowed his head on the
soil and kissed it as tears welled up in his eyes.
Das's brother Anand Vir, two sisters and niece besides
a dozen people from Bhaini Mian Khan village of Gurdaspur
district of Punjab received him with hugs.
Lamenting that he had lost the "golden period of youth
in jail in Pakistan," he asked the Indian government why it
was sitting silent for the last 27 years.
"I have a grudge against the Indian leadership which
has never bothered about Indian prisoners rotting in prisons
in Pakistan for the last many years.
"32 Indian nationals, who have completed their jail
terms, are still languishing due of lack of initiative on the
part of the Indian Government," he claimed.
Thanking the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan
for releasing him, Das said he was also thankful to the
Supreme Court of India for his release.
He claimed that seven Indian prisoners who had
already completed their sentence died due to ill health.
Moreover, nearly one dozen Indian nationals have almost lost
their senses.
Das, then 25-year-old and unmarried, had crossed over
to Pakistan in 1984 and was arrested by Pakistani Rangers on
charges of spying. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and
was set to be released by the end of this year.
Struggling hard to control his tears, Das's elder
brother Anand Vir, said, "It was the voice of the Supreme
Court judge which came out from the deepest core of his heart
and heard by Almighty, which ultimately fell on the ears of
Prime Minister and President of Pakistan and his brother's
release was realised".
His elder sister Krishna Devi, who is too weak to move
but still managed to reach Attari border to receive her
brother, said, "Gopal was young when he was arrested in
Pakistan and now there are lot of changes in his appearance.
I am enormously happy to see my brother alive here on Indian
soil.(

"At one time the entire family had lost all hope to
see Das again but God is great," said an emotional Devi.
She told her brother: "I know how I spent 27 years in
your absence, since in these years I missed you immensely
especially on the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Tikka.
Navjot, niece of Das, said, "My uncle was in
Pakistan's prison at the time of my birth. I think God has
answered all my prayers".
On March 27, Zardari had remitted the remaining jail
term of Das. The diplomatic gesture came ahead of Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to India at the
invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to watch the
Indo-Pak World Cup semi final at Mohali on March 30.
A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court had appealed to
Pakistan last month to remit the remaining period of Das'
sentence and release him on humanitarian grounds.