Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 25: Amidst continued hostilities between India and Pakistan along the International Border (IB), Army and BSF have strengthened their positions on the borders right from Lakhanpur to Akhnoor to meet with any eventuality as civil administration has directed the district and tehsil authorities to identify and keep ready all available Government accommodation including schools and community halls to accommodate the border migrants in view of very tense situation on the borders and ever increasing migration in RS Pura, Arnia and Ramgarh sectors.
Three civilians including a woman were injured in heavy shelling and firing by Pakistan Army and Rangers throughout the last night in RS Pura and Arnia sectors while another cattle died and many others sustained injuries as Pakistan Army, which has taken almost all forward positions from the Rangers continued to fire 82mm mortars and bullets from long range weapons targeting over 40 posts of the BSF and more than 35 villages in four sectors in Jammu and Samba districts.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government educational institutions identified for accommodation of border migrants have officially been closed down while private community halls and Panchayat Ghars have also been earmarked for lodging the migrants as the migrations from the border villages was increasing with every passing day.
Meanwhile, in an important development, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Western Command Lt Gen KJ Singh, under whose command Kathua, Samba and parts of Jammu districts fall, reached here this morning and had a high level review of security situation with GOC Yol Cantonment based Rising Star Corps Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Maj Gen Dushyant Singh, GOC Tiger Division apart from other senior Commanders of the Army deployed in forward areas.
Sources said Lt Gen Singh took assessment of the situation prevailing along the International Border, where though the Army was deployed in second line after the BSF but has crucial role to play in case the hostilities didn’t cease immediately. Though the Army hasn’t taken forward positions from the BSF, the Army Commanders have been put on high alert to meet with any eventuality and assist the civil and police administration, if required.
Sources said Lt Gen Bakshi and Maj Gen Dushyant Singh and other senior Commanders of the Army gave detailed briefing to the GOC-in-C Western Command on the situation prevailing on the International Border from Lakhanpur to Akhnoor sector, where Pakistan Army and Rangers had been indulging in unprovoked and indiscriminate shelling and firing for past several days causing loss of human lives and cattle stock and destruction of civilian property.
The GOC-in-C Western Command flew to RS Pura and Ramgarh sectors and interacted with the Commanders to review the situation on the borders. He was briefed by the local Commanders on the situation prevailing on the IB in view of heavy shelling from across the border.
Lt Gen KJ Singh left for Chandigarh this evening after detailed review of the situation along the borders.
His visit to Jammu assumed significance as there had been reports that Army has already taken control of some important strategic locations on the International Border including Ditch-cum-Bund. However, it was the BSF, which was responding to ceasefire violations by the Rangers while Army remained in the second line.
Sources said Pakistan has deployed 12 Mujahid Regiment opposite RS Pura Arnia sectors as the Rangers were unable to match the caliber of BSF.
A Pakistan media report claimed that a civilian was injured seriously and more than 65 houses were destroyed or badly damaged in retaliatory firing by the BSF in Charwah, Merajkey, Sucheetgarh, Harpal, Chaprar and Bajwat villages in Sialkot district of Lahore province
Dozens of animals were also killed in the shelling, the report said, adding the shelled villages on Pakistan side included Bajrah Garhi, Charwah, Jarwal, Kaseera, Anula, Nandipur, Rangpur Jattan, Sucheetgarh, Beeni, Merajkey, Khadraal, Meendarwal, Thathi Khurd, Thathi Kalan and Chaprar.
The Pakistan media report said Muhammad Sharif, 49, from Jarwal village was injured seriously in the shelling. He was sleeping at his home when some mortar shells fired by the BSF hit his house damaging it badly and injuring him seriously. He was shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Sialkot in critical condition. Local farmer Malik Akbar’s five goats were killed with mortar shells fired by the BSF in village Bajrah Garhi-Anula last night.
Indian shells also hit the electrical wires in Bajrah Garhi village due to which the supply of electricity remained suspended for several hours.
A local farmer Manzur Elahi’s 10 buffaloes (worth Rs 3 million) were killed as the mortar shells fired from across the border hit his cattle-shed in village Meendarwal killing the animals on the spot, the Pakistan report added. People in villages Bajrah Garhi, Anula, Bajrah Garhi, Khadraal and Beeni told Pakistani reporters that they were sleepless for the last three days due to the shelling. They said majority of the people had migrated to safer places with family members and cattle as well.
Meanwhile, there was no let up in heavy mortar shelling and firing by the Rangers throughout the last night in RS Pura, Arnia and Kanachak-Gajansoo in Jammu district and parts of Ramgarh sector in Samba district.
Sources said over 40 posts of the BSF and 35 border villages in entire RS Pura and Arnia sectors, Chambliyal and Narayanpur in Ramgarh sector and Kanachak-Gajansoo in Kanachak sector came under heavy shelling and firing from Pakistan Army and Rangers from 10 pm to 7 am. The BSF responded effectively and gave matching response to Pakistan. The shelling was intense in Arnia and RS Pura sectors as compared to Ramgarh and Kanachak.
Three civilians were injured-two in Floura village of RS Pura and one in Kathar village of Arnia as mortar shells fired from Pakistan fell inside or close to their houses. They have been identified as Roshan Lal, 52, son of Shankar Dass and Usha Rani, 35, wife of Jagdev Singh, both residents of village Floura in RS Pura sector and Onkar Chand, 35, son of Sham Lal Bhagat R/o Kathar, Arnia. They were evacuated from the houses and shifted to hospitals.
A cattle of Saudagar Ram son of Shankar Dass died at Floura, RS Pura after being hit by volley of shots while another cattle of Puran Chand son of Tej Ram R/o Treva, Arnia was seriously injured.
Sources said forward village of Treva in Arnia sector bore the brunt of last night’s shelling by the Pakistani troops with several houses damaged. However, there were no casualties as entire village had last night shifted to safer location. They added that almost entire population of Treva, Kaku-De-Kothe, Channa, Changia, Jabowal, Nikowal, Sei and adjoining villages have migrated and shifted to Government schools and Beas Satsang Ghar. Few villages in Arnia sector, where they people were still putting up, have decided to migrate tonight in view of heavy shelling last night even mortars, fired by Pakistan, even crossed Arnia town and fell in the fields.
SHO Arnia Inspector Kulbir Singh Choudhary led the police teams in shifting the injured civilian to the hospital.
People from some more villages in RS Pura sector including Floura, where two civilians were injured last night and a cattle perished, have also migrated.
SSP Samba Anil Magotra said after last night’s shelling in Chambliyal and Narayanpur forward areas in Ramgarh sector of Samba district, the people from SM Pura and some others areas have shifted to Avtaal Community Hall, where they have been accommodated. He added that there was no loss of life or cattle or damage to property in Ramgarh sector in Pakistan shelling and firing.
In Kanachak-Gajansoo sector, where half a dozen villages and forward BSF posts came under attack from Pakistan, the civilians, however, continued to stay put in their houses, SDPO Domana Sanjay Parihar said after a tour of forward villages today. He said there were no casualties or damage on the Indian side in the firing.
Panic prevailed among the border villagers right from Lakhanpur to Akhnoor sector along the International Border as, reports said, the people feared that Pakistan was slowly extending the shelling and firing to other sectors like they did in Ramgarh and Kanachak last night.
Reports said that the people in entire International Border were spending sleepless nights apprehending that shells and bullets could start raining anytime. “We are living on constant fear. Last year also, Pakistan had activated entire International Border in Jammu region. We want peace to prevail so that we can cultivate out crops right up to the border. But at the same time, we want our forces to five adequate response to Pakistan’s shelling,” the people said in most of the border villages.
The people in villages, where Government schools have been opened up to accommodate the border migrants, were worried about the future of their children.
“While some of the Governments schools were already occupied by the migrants and closed down for students, some others might also be opened if there was more migration from other areas,” the people said but admitted that there was no other option before the Government as the migrants had to be provided shelter from Pakistan’s shelling and firing.
The migrants putting up in different Government buildings like schools, Institutes, Panchayat Ghars etc, in RS Pura, Arnia and Ramgarh have different tales to tell. They were of the view that not only their cattle have been killed and injured and houses extensively damaged, the Government was completely invisible and they were being paid very meager compensation for the damaged houses and dead and injured cattle.
“Our houses have suffered massive destruction but the administration is offering very less compensation with which we can’t rebuild our houses. The Government should increase the compensation,” the border migrants putting up in different accommodation said.
They too were worried about the career of their children as it was not possible for all of them to send their wards to schools from the migrant accommodation. Moreover, they said, some of the schools in the borders villages, from where they had migrated, also fall within the firing range and have been closed down.
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