Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 25: After Brigade Commander level talks of India and Pakistan Armies and Director General level dialogue between Rangers and Border Security Force (BSF) recently, the troops of the two countries today met once again at cross-LoC points at four places-two each in Jammu and Kashmir regions and another point at International Border (IB) in Jammu sector as peace prevailed on both LoC and IB after the two high level talks as guns fall silent.
This was for the first time after more than a year that Indo-Pak troops met at the borders on the occasion of Eid festival to exchange greetings and talk peace. Both sides had suspended such meetings at the cross-LoC points and the IB following escalation of tensions between the two sides due to heavy mortar shelling and firing on civilian areas and forward posts of the troopers, leading to several casualties on both sides.
Official sources told the Excelsior that this was after about an year that Army officers of India and Pakistan met at four cross-LoC points including Chakan-Da-Bagh and Tata Pani in Poonch and Mendhar respectively in Poonch district of Jammu region and Kaman Post and Titwal at Uri (Baramulla) and Kupwara respectively in the Kashmir region.
“The Army officers and jawans of the two sides met at the four places for about half an hour each, discussed peace and exchanged sweets and fruits on the occasion of Eid festival, which was celebrated today in both the countries with zeal and fervor. The meetings were held in cordial atmosphere,” they said.
Sources said the Army officers met in free and frank atmosphere and there were no tensions between the two sides. The greetings and sweets were exchanged by both the sides after which the meetings concluded. The meetings at all four places lasted nearly half an hour.
The BSF and Rangers also met at Octroi Post along the International Border (IB) in RS Pura sector and exchanged boxes of sweets and fruits. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes.
Sources said the troops of the two countries also celebrated Eid together at some other meeting points on the LoC and IB.
Due to escalated tensions on the LoC and IB for past quite some time now, the troops of both the countries had refused to celebrate any festival together, both on LoC and IB. The two sides didn’t meet on any major occasion this year including Republic Day (January 26), Eid in July and Independence Day of the two countries on August 14 and 15.
India and Pakistan have fixed Independence Day of the two countries, Republic Day of India and other major festivals like Diwali and Eid for joint celebrations at cross-LoC and IB points in Jammu and Kashmir by exchanging sweets and fruits.
Of four points, where Indo-Pak troops met today, two were still active with movement of cross-LoC bus and trucks for civilians and trade while two others have been de-activated. Chakan-Da-Bagh on Poonch-Rawlakote route in Poonch and Kaman Post along Uri-Muzaffarabad route in Kashmir were being used by the two countries by transporting civilians into two parts of divided State (Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir) through cross-LoC bus service every Monday followed by trade on next four days. Titwal point of Kupwara, Kashmir and Tata Pani of Mendhar, Jammu, have since been de-activated and were used only on the occasion of exchange of greetings on major festivals.
This month, the Director Generals of BSF and Rangers had met in New Delhi for four days (from September 9 to 12) and decided to maintain ceasefire along the International Border, which was being frequently breached by the Rangers. This was followed by the Brigade Commander level meeting between the two Armies on September 21 at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch in which the two Armies also agreed to maintain peace and tranquility on the borders.
After the two meetings, the borders have become peaceful after several months long tensions due to heavy mortar shelling and firing.
In the month of August, six civilians were killed at Balakote sector in Poonch district in Pakistan shelling. Later, three civilians including two women were killed in shelling by the Rangers at Arnia and RS Pura sectors. Pakistan had also suffered heavy losses in retaliatory firing by the Indian Army and BSF.
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