Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 9: Even as Pakistan army and Rangers have stopped mortar shelling and firing on the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), Army has adopted a new strategy to protect and safeguard lives of civilians living on the LoC and IB by giving them training to survive during Pakistani misadventures in future and providing them advanced treatment for the injuries to help them survive the period between injuries to admission in the hospitals.
Defence sources told the Excelsior that the Army has put the strategy in place in worst affected RS Pura and Arnia sectors and would shortly cover entire International Border (IB) with the help of BSF, Village Defence Committees (VDCs), Panchayat members and local people. “The similar strategy will be used on the LoC,” they said.
As per the plan, the Army with the help of BSF, police and locals would give advanced training to the border dwellers, especially those living within the firing range of Pakistan army and Rangers on how to survive during sudden shelling and firing from across the border.
“Army authorities have taken an initiative to this effect. As per part of the strategy, the Army officers and jawans will visit forward areas of the LoC and IB and train the people living in the border areas,” sources said, adding the people were encouraged by the Army’s initiative and hoped that it would be extended to all the areas on IB and LoC. Army has already conducted two such drives in the border areas.
According to sources, the Army jawans were giving techniques to the people on how and where to take shelter and respond if trapped in sudden shelling and firing on the borders-whether in the houses or in the fields and other places.
“The techniques learnt by selected people from the Army will be taught to other people by the trained ones and this way, the people would learn the arts to survive during shelling and firing on the border,” sources said, adding the techniques and training could prove very useful to the people living right on the borders.
Sources said troops have several techniques, which can prove highly useful in protecting the people from sudden Pakistan shelling and firing and they have decided to share it with the people living on LoC and IB in the wake of spurt in shelling by Pakistan army and Rangers respectively in the past though the previous month was completely calm on both LoC and IB.
“The people have been voluntarily coming forward to learn the techniques and they will spread them further to other people living on the borders,” sources said and expressed hope that the people will also come forward and share the art with each other, which could help in saving some lives in the case of Pakistan shelling and firing in future as Army and BSF believed that Pakistan can’t be trusted for a long time.
Another major thing that the authorities had observed during shelling on LoC and IB was that some civilian lives could have been saved due to timely medical treatment but it consumed lot of time to evacuate injured civilians, take him to nearby hospital, give first aid, find and ambulance and then take the injured to main hospital, mostly the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.
The Army would now keep the Emergency kits readily available with the civilians to help them get first aid before shifting them to the hospital.
Sources said though the shelling and firing from Pakistan side has stopped after Director General level talks between BSF and Rangers for four days in New Delhi from September 9 to 12 followed by Brigade Commander level flag meeting between the two Armies at Chakan-Da-Bagh on LoC in Poonch on September 21, a complete peace has been prevailing on the border and the people have started working in their fields right up to the Zero Line.
However, according to sources, the Army would go ahead with its drive as it was of the view that Pakistan could resume its dirty tricks of targeting civilians anytime and the border dwellers should be well prepared to save themselves.
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