Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 25: Lakhs of people who live in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir deserve special attention and innovative initiatives from Government, said leaders of Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF), a main organization of Gujjars of J&K.
In a meeting held here today, the TRCF leaders also termed the decision of Union Government to provide ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to victims of cross-border firing as significant endeavour to trim down the pain of tribal and poor people who were facing brunt of border since 1947.
The meeting was presided over by reputed Gujjar scholar, Dr Javaid Rahi while a number of members of Gujjar community who live near border participated.
“It was a long awaited decision, said Dr Javaid Rahi in his presidential address and added that the decision will help the border people especially Gujjars-Bakerwals, who live near border as they were the main victim of border firing, IEDs and landmines.
The other speakers urged that Central and State Government to initiate special steps and provide timely and quick health and aid facilities to victims of cross-border firing, landmine explosions and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) explosions and built effective hospitals in border areas.
As per Government records, more than 50 civilians die every year due to shelling and cross border firing along the Indo-Pak order in Jammu and Kashmir and 13,921 civilians have lost their lives till last year.
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