*BSF ASI injured, massive loss of property, cattle
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 26: Pakistan continued heavy mortar shelling and firing covering almost entire Arnia sector overnight along with RS Pura causing massive destruction of property, injuring an ASI of BSF and killing several cattle, leading to en masse migration from many forward villages of RS Pura sector.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Pakistan resorted to intense shelling overnight in RS Pura and Arnia sectors along the International Border (IB) using 120mm and 82mm mortar shells directly targeting civilian population and forward posts of the BSF. A BSF ASI AK Upadhyaya sustained minor injuries while manning forward post in Abdullian sector of RS Pura. He was evacuated from the village and admitted in the hospital.
Virtually declaring health emergency in the border areas, the State Government today deployed 32 ambulances along the IB from Kathua to Akhnoor and directed all three Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts to ensure that the Surgeons were available in the border area hospitals 24×7 including the night hours to treat the border firing victims.
Health and Medical Education Minister Bali Bhagat told the Excelsior that 32 ambulances have been equally distributed in the border areas and CMOs asked to immediately press them into service to rescue injured or ailing persons from the border areas. “The surgeons—general and Orthopedician will remain available round-the clock in all border hospitals to treat the injured,’’ he said, adding the CMOs of all three border districts have been asked to coordinate the rescue and treatment of the injured.
Bhagat said instructions have been issued for free treatment of the firing victims.
Sources said Abdullian, Chandu Chak, Suchetgarh, Korotana, Vidhipur Jattan and Joura Farm, which were worst hit by Pakistan shelling in RS Pura sector have virtually become ghost towns with entire population migrating en-masse from these villages to safer locations.
A Santro car bearing No. HR011 0459 and a trolley of Chamel Singh were hit by direct mortar shells and damaged. Several other vehicles were also damaged in the shelling and firing.
A Pakistan newspaper reported that a youth was killed and three others were injured in retaliatory shelling and firing at Bajwal, Harpal and Chaprar areas in Sialkot sector of Pakistan. It claimed massive loss of property on Pakistan side. Yesterday, 5-6 posts of Rangers were destroyed and four Rangers were injured on the IB while two to three jawans of Pakistan army were killed opposite Nowshera sector on the LoC in Rajouri district.
Sources said the live mortar shells have become another problem for the people.
A large number of live mortar shells were lying in Suchetgarh, Chandu Chak and other forward villages. The Bomb Disposal Squads would be pressed into service to defuse live shells once the shelling stops, sources said.
Majority of the people have taken shelter in the houses of their relatives while some others have shifted to Baaspur and Chakroi, which were comparatively safe. Some border dwellers have also taken shelter in Government Middle School and Industrial Training Institute (ITI), RS Pura.
“Most of the people have been accommodated in the villages, which were safe from shelling, by their relatives and friends while some of them have constructed their own houses. The left out people have taken shelter in the lodgment centres set up for them by the civil administration even as there was general complaint from such people that there was none from civil or police administration to guide them to shelter places.
Late tonight, Pakistan again resorted to shelling and firing in most parts of Arnia sector after a brief lull in the evening. BSF retaliated effectively, leading to heavy exchanges, which were going on when the report last came in.
The border dwellers were using trolleys, cart-pullers and other modes of their own transport to shift to safer locations along with their luggage. Most of the people were migrating with their cattle also.
“We can’t leave behind our cattle to die. Already many cattle have been killed and injured. We will keep them with us as they are part of our livelihood,’’ said a villager, Rattan Lal of Suchetgarh, who was shifting his cattle along with them to Baaspur.
A large number of Gujjar families have also migrated from Joura Farm in RS Pura sector and taken shelter in Baaspur along with their cattle.
Though the Government has announced compensation for the dead cattle invoking new norms, the people, who have lost their cattle in the shelling were yet to receive the relief. “We have heard that Government will compensate us but it was yet to reach,’’ said Parmanand, a villager of Suchetgarh, who had lost his three cattle. A total of 50 cattle were killed on the intervening night of October 23 and 24 while half a dozen cattle of Sama Ram were killed in Abdullian last night. Several cattle have been injured.
A visit to Abdullian, Chandu Chak, Suchetgarh, Korotana, Vidhipur Jattan and Joura Farm revealed that 95 per cent population from these villages had left the houses in view of continued shelling and firing. Shelling and firing in these villages continued intermittently evening during the day today.
Only some elderly civilians could be seen in these villages, who were voluntarily putting up to feed their cattle, who have been left behind by some villagers, and keep watch on the standing paddy crops.
People said that they can repair the damage caused to their houses once the situation improves, but if they lose their life in the firing they are not going to get it back.
“In the past too several people in this belt have lost their lives due to the firing from across the border. Houses can be rebuilt but life once lost cannot come back, so we have decided to move out”, Harbans Lal, a resident of Abdullian village, who along with his family was on his way to Jammu to stay with a relative, said.
“Several houses in the border belt here have been damaged due to the shelling from across the border.
“We were lucky that we had already left our house when last night a bomb exploded on the roof of our house, creating a big hole in it. Had we been inside we would have been harmed”, Lal said.
Yesterday, nine civilians including eight women, seven of them from one family were injured due to the ceasefire violations in Suchetgarh area of RS Pura sector. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College and RS Pura Hospital.
The district administration has instructed closure of educational institutions in the border areas and asked the people to remain cautious.
“People in the border villages have already left for safer locations. Whenever there is firing from across the border, they don’t wait for the instructions from the district administration.
“A large number of people have already taken shelter at safer places and some have shifted to the houses of their relatives”, sources said.
Several villagers, who have left their houses would only return when there is permanent peace on the border as they don’t want to risk their lives to the Pakistani fire.
The border residents also rue that they have not been given the plots promised by the State Government.
“Every time there is a ceasefire violation we have to migrate from our houses, if we were given the promised plots at safe places we would have constructed our houses. Now we will only return once there is permanent peace on the border”, Chuni Lal, a resident of Abdullian, said.
Last night, Pakistan also extended shelling and firing in Arnia sector, adjacent to RS Pura. The forward villages Nikowal, Nawa Pind, Sei Kalan, Bure Jaal, Devigarh, Treva and Suhagpur among others were hit by the shelling from 1.30 am onwards.
However, very few people have left forward villages in Arnia sector to the houses of their relatives while none has reached the Government accommodation set up by the authorities for the border dwellers of Arnia sector.
Two BSF jawans and a minor child have so far been killed and nearly 20 civilians injured in Pakistan shelling and firing on the International Border during past five days. Seven Pakistani Rangers, two terrorists and six civilians have been killed on Pakistan side and many others left injured.
Sources said the BSF was exercising maximum restraint and not targeting civilian areas of Pakistan but they had to retaliation to silence the Pakistani guns.
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