Excelsior Correspondent
-Excelsior/Gautam
JAMMU, Jan 4: An eerie silence prevailed in more than two dozen villages falling along the International Border (IB) during the day today with residents reluctant to return until tensions were completely eased out on the borders and a flag meeting was held between BSF and Rangers.
The residents in some of the border villages, who had gone to their houses to feed cattle and those putting up in the relief camps, observed that every time there is firing from across the border they become the real targets as Pakistan Rangers directly fire at the civilians areas leading to their casualties and loss of houses, cattle sheds, other structures and even the valuable crops.
Since incidents of ceasefire violations from across the border have gone up, villagers in almost all areas along the International Border in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts have been forced to leave their houses and cattle behind to take shelter in safer locations whenever Pakistani Rangers start firing
“We had migrated in August and September and after peaceful Assembly elections, we had to migrate again. The Centre and State Governments should allot us 5 marla plots in safer areas, as per the promise held out earlier, so that we can live in permanent peace,’’ said Ravinder Kumar Singh, a resident of village Mangu Chak in Samba sector, who was putting up at Chichi Mata Ji temple, about two kilometers short of Samba.
Most of the villagers complained that they couldn’t cultivate their crops during most of the time last year due to frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan. They wanted the Government to compensate them for loss of the crops.
“We don’t sleep in the night as we fear that a shell fired by the Pakistani side might anytime land on our house and kill us. Our children suffer the most…Their education is hampered. They also become victims of psychological trauma,” Maninder Singh, a resident of Londi village in Hiranagar sector, putting up at a relief camp along with his family, said.
Shankar, a resident of Galard, Samba said: “people living in safe cities don’t know what we are going through. We literally die everyday.”
Shankar, who along with a handful of villagers returned early this morning to the village to give fodder to their cattle, said they were forced to move to safer locations.
“Even though we want that Pakistan must be taught a tough lesson for targeting innocent villagers, we also pray that peace must return so that villagers on both sides can lead a peaceful life,” said Vikram Mehra, a resident of Bobiya village of Hiranagar sector.
“Who does not want peace, but every now and then Pakistan starts targeting innocent people, in the past too several people of our village have lost their lives and again an innocent lady became the victim of Pakistani aggression,” said Keshav Khajuria of Mangu Chak, adding the villagers were fed up with the “cat and mouse” game and wanted India to settle the issue once and for all.
The residents of Mangu Chak, who have taken shelter in a relief camp, are mourning the death of 42 years old Toshi Devi, who was killed in Pakistan shelling yesterday while her son was injured.
“This is not the loss of one family, but a loss to the entire village as we all are connected with each other and personally know each other,” said Santo Devi, another resident of the village.
The border dwellers asserted that they too have the right to live a peaceful life. “The border residents too deserve a peaceful life. This cat and mouse game has been going on for the past many decades and now it’s time for India to settle the score once and for all and teach Pakistan a strong lesson,” said Dheeraj Kumar, another border dweller.
The border residents said that for the past few years they “reaped the fruits of the ceasefire” after both the countries agreed for it in 2003. However, the peace did not last long.
“We started to live peacefully again after both the countries agreed for a ceasefire. We worked in our fields without any fear, but for the past few years since the Pakistani side started violating the ceasefire we have again become the sitting ducks on fire,” said Karam Singh, another resident of Mangu Chak.
The villagers said civilians were not targeted earlier even when both the countries went for full scale wars. “Even when the countries fought several wars, the civilians were not targeted, at that time we were relocated by the authorities as a precautionary measure, but now we have become an easy target for the Pakistani side,” said Sunder Lal (77).
The residents here blamed successive State Governments of “abandoning them” as their demand for a small plot at a safer location has not been considered.
“We don’t demand bungalows, but just a small piece of land in safer areas where we can take shelter whenever the hostilities between the two nations increase,” said Sarabjeet Singh, adding “we feel like an abandoned lot… The State Government remembers us only when someone dies due to the Pakistani firing.”
It may be mentioned that a total of 562 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan occurred in 2014, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, along with the Indo-Pak border witnessing the worst such escalation during August to October which left 13 people, including two security personnel dead.
A total of 19 people, including 5 jawans, were killed and over 150 injured in such incidents last year.
Farming and cattle rearing is the mainstay profession of villagers living in areas along the IB in Samba district.
“This is the farming season and before Pakistani side resorted to firing on civilians, the agricultural fields were abuzz with activities,” said Premlal Mangotra, a resident of Galard.
Another villager, Balvinder Kumar said: “when everyone was busy welcoming the new year, the border residents were struggling to save their lives.”
“Many villagers are scared to return to feed their cattle. The cattle will eventually die of starvation. We cannot risk our lives to go close to the border to feed them,” he added.
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