Chetna Verma
Twenty-one year old Mohammad Hassan, sporting a leather jacket and denims, is deep in conversation with a group of village elders in more traditional attire, all squatting comfortably in the verandah of his mud-plastered house. He is oblivious to the fact that this seemingly ordinary scene represents an unusual milestone in the journey of change that this border village in India’s northern-most region is embarking on. For this dusty, non-descript village in the Himalayan Ranges has seen much over the centuries, from its role in the historical Silk Route, to families divided by the wars with Pakistan in this strategically-sensitive region and the more recent Kargil War. The conversation turns to the dismal state of education in the village, to the dreams and aspirations of its impatient youth, and development and rights – all matters not usually pondered over in the struggle for survival in this challenging high-altitude terrain. The transition from past to present and a hopeful future becomes evident when Hassan’s firm, young voice responds patiently to the elders’ raspy questions.
Village Hunderman Brok, where this animated chatter is being witnessed, is not alone. Nestled in one of the most picturesque regions, Hunderman Brok is merely ten kilometers uphill from the main Kargil town in Jammu and Kashmir, located near the international border that India shares with Gilgit-Baltistan (PoK). This village, like others in the Kargil region, remains cut-off from the rest of the world for almost six months a year due to extreme climatic conditions.
Located in close proximity with the town, the development scenario of this border village that was included in Indian Territory by the Army during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 still reflects a dismal picture.
“During 1947, Pakistan Army had their bunkers in Zanskar but soon they were pushed back by the Indian Army. During spring, a Pakistani officer came and took away his army members from Zanskar but before Losar (Buddhist New Year), Pakistani Army seized Hunderman and stayed in control for the next twenty five years. In 1971, Indian forces pushed back and regained control of the village. In this cross-border conflict, we suffered the most,” shared an octogenarian, also Hassan’s namesake, referring to the divided families across the borders.
“We haven’t come a very long way from the past. Then, we had only a single school in Brolmo Village (now in Gilgit-Baltistan). After the war in 1971, we remained deprived of education for three consecutive years. In 1974, after the visit of the local administration, the first primary school was constructed which was later upgraded to a middle school,” says forty eight years old Ahmad Hussain.
During those three years, when there was no education, a trend emerged across the village where youth sought out the livelihood option of being hired by the security forces as porters. The trend became popular and so lasted through the decades. The third generation, to which Hassan belongs, has managed to get some education. “In Class 6, I was shifted to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Leh. With a poor educational background, it was really difficult for me to keep up with the rest of my class. It is a problem I continue to grapple with, even in college,” says Hassan who is currently pursuing graduation from Government College, Chandigarh and wishes to come back and work for the development of his village after his post graduation.
Hassan was fortunate enough to find a way to garner an education. Not everyone else in the village was as fortunate. After middle school, which offers no quality education, children have to go to town but there is no no road leading there. The so called road that connects strategically-located Hunderman Brok to the rest of the world was conceived under the Central Government’s flagship programme ‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY’) during the tenure of the previous Government and was to be completed in 2011-12. But for reasons unknown, work on the road lies abandoned.
“We live on the border and yet are completely ignored by our government. In 1971, after the Indian Army took over, we had no identity for almost a year. Gradually, we tried to move on and adjusted with what we had. Today, children of Hunderman Brok are unable to get quality education and a major hindrance in achieving this is the absence of road and transport facilities,” rues Hussain.
Acknowledgement of the role of the Indian Army is all-pervasive: “Whatever we are today is because of the Army. They support us at each and every step,” is echoed by all.
The middle school is being looked after by the local administration and Army plays no role there. “As part of Operation Sadbhavana, the Army sponsors education of children from remote villages and also sends them to Pune. But I don’t know why none of our children have been given this kind of opportunity so far,” said Hussain.
In the absence of road and transport facilities to reach Kargil, children are forced to either leave the village and rent a room in Kargil or stay with their relatives in town. But only a few can afford this; the rest simply drop out of school.
Those living away from home to study are not happy either. “I stay with my relatives in town to attend school. But it’s difficult to study here as during study hours, I have to help them with their chores like filling water. Parents, back home, always cooperated during study hours,” says 22-year old Iliyas who has failed one of his Class 12 exams.
Villagers believe that if transport services were available then children from the village could have had better access to education after middle school. And better future perspectives!
The Planning Commission, in its plan for border area development, realizes the fact that people of Jammu and Kashmir living close to the international border have to deal with special problems arising out of their distinct geo-physical situation and concomitant socio-economic conditions. People face hardship because of inadequate and/or lack of basic infrastructural facilities. Also, due to adverse climatic conditions, the working season remains very short in the state, resulting in low levels of development. Therefore, it is necessary to meet the special needs of the people of the region.
On the other hand, villagers rue that border schemes hardly reach them and are utilized in the town only. “Our Numberdar is elected from Poyen Village which is not located near the border. I think that is the reason why despite being located near the border, we are unable to benefit from the schemes designed specially to cater our needs,” said Iliyas.
Children in Hunderman Brok, undoubtedly, belong to a lesser God. They will be the first to face the fall-outs of any war like situation arising at the border, yet they are the last to be taken care of by our government. They need a fair chance to live a dignified life; all they need is a road that leads to their dreams! Charkha Features
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