Colonel Shiv Choudhary (Retd)
It is still middle of 2018 and J&K has suffered more than 300 unprovoked firing from across the border while these were just 111 in 2017, 204 in 2016, 350 in 2015 and 127 in 2014. The data clearly shows that this year Pakistan has put in all its might to target Indian positions and civilian settlements which have resulted in 13 deaths and injury to scores of border residents besides loss of property, standing crops and livestock. More than 50,000 residents have migrated from their villages. Indeed these border people are living on the edge since firing can hit them anytime and anywhere without any pre warning. With constant threat of firing from across and consequent uncertainty, life of population on border is almost hell. Also placated as “sentinel” of border, they have already faced the brunt of three Indo-Pak wars and ironically they continue to suffer even today by border skirmishes, Govern-ment’s hyperbole commitments for their welfare notwithstanding.
In Indo-Pak wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, these border residents had lost their villages, property and belongings and were accordingly settled on the border stretching mainly from Kathua to Pallanwala. Most of their elders have seen bullets flying closely during these wars and border skirmishes. Many of the border population are ex-servicemen. These are war hardened people who don’t flee in panic but at times they strategically retreat for their safety when things become very hot. It is a tragedy that while they are regularly caught in the cross fire on the border but a permanent solution to end their decades of sufferings continue to elude them for which successive Governments are solely responsible.
Enough promises have been held out to them but only to be forgotten on cessation of border hostilities. Sadly, their pain, mental trauma, sufferings, sentiments and needs have never been felt by the State or the Central Government that could have facilitated action to end their woes. It is a saga of indifference and betrayal that have generated huge resentment among these “border sentinels. Chhamb refugees settled in villages like Rangoor, Keso Kamor and Barota areas in Ramgarh belt too had lost their land in the fury of flood in Basantar river during 2014, but nothing has been done to provide them compensation or reclamation of the land.
There are numerous reasons for such a sordid state of affairs. Their woes had become victim of usual bureaucratic lethargy and their concerns and issues were sidetracked through constitution of one after another committee to examine its reports. Then there are issues of financial constraints to implement the recommendations. Another factor for this state of affairs is lack of leadership of these people which too contribute to non-execution of any programme for their safe and permanent settlement away from border. In fact there is utter lack of common will, unity and willingness to cross party lines for common community cause as one strong lobby. In other words, it is either lack of collective leadership or plenty of individual talent. Either way, it serves no purpose.
During the recent spate of border skirmishes, numerous interaction have taken place with these people to get feel of their genuine problems and possible solution. The BJP Government during pre-election campaign and after coming to power at the centre in 2014 had beaten every one by promising grant of Rs 25 lakh and a 5 Marla (1360 Sq Ft) of land away from conflict zones for all families. This was repeatedly announced by no less than the union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Dr. Jatendra Singh. The aim was to provide a permanent safe place for the women and children to live in peaceful area away from the border and an uninterrupted education to children while the other folks continue to live at border.
Unfortunately, the said package was changed with grant reduced to Rs five lakh. Even this is mired in the complicated unrealistic documentation like ration cards of 1972 vintages, impractical verification process and avoidable procedural hassles. As a result, a large number of families have not got that. There is a lot of discontentment and anger brewing amongst refugees of different era especially of partition who have termed this Rs five lakh as “cruel joke”.
Most of the land allotted to Chhamb refugees by the Government is on the border fencing and not available to them for cultivation due to firing and other restrictions imposed by the Army and BSF. There is a justification for allotment of plots away from border. Towards this, Government of India set up a committee under the Additional Secretary MHA which rushed through ignoring many facts but half of its recommendations were considered. A sub- committee set up by the state thereafter under Finance Minister too ignored many deserving Chhamb people working outside.
On Jan 7, 2015 Dr.Jatindra Singh, publicly announced to the border residents at Chadwal and Chak Khtriana Relief camps that District Administration Kathua has identified 3100 kanal of land in Hiranagar for providing 5 marla plots to 5000 families living in 57 villages of border areas of the district at safer places. On Nov 28, 2015, Dr Jatendra Singh reinforced the commitment while taking strong exception to the delay in transfer of land in Kathua Distt. Now, on 25 May, 2018, he said the proposal to allocate five marla land has been shelved since it runs the risk of borders getting deserted. This is a betrayal to the affected people to garner their votes when needed and ditching them thereafter. Could be, this is yet another broken promises given a quick burial too. Back to square one, a plan is mooted now for 19000 individuals and 4700 community bunkers accommodating 8 and 40 people respectively. This work would be completed by the state PWD in next two years. How concerned is our Government and the leaders to the woes of the “sentinels” of our borders!
Now, these “sentinels” of our borders lament that like earlier Governments.
Modi Government too has betrayed them. People had favoured Modi Government in 2014 thinking that it would do differently to quickly address their concerns as promised but these hopes were dashed to the ground by their indifference, inaction and changed stance. They question the Government for its changing stance from providing a safe place away from the border to dump them in risky bunker. They have large population of ex-servicemen who understand that bunkers are no safe places for the likely changing caliber and range of weapons within 5 km on border in future. Pak rangers have graduated from small arm fire to mortars and no bunker would withstand heavy caliber shelling in future. Seeing the current allocation of Rs 415 cr, one needs to question the planners if it is worth this investment in view of promised MIS, monitoring and maintenance as related to the swampy bunkers and associated risk. Indeed one time giving plots looks more economical option.
With 740 km long boundary with Pak in J&K state, Pak army track record, and political instability, no let up in the border tension is expected. Indian leadership may feel over enthusiastic over bunkers, but Pak is building ‘Hate India Army’ rather than the nation or the economy.
Believing that if border belt is vacated by shifting the border population in the rear would result in a risk to the nation is also a bizarre. We live in an age of military dependence civilian population and not vice versa. Army has lived, performed and continue to operate irrespective of close or distanced proximity of the civil populace. There is an endless list of places in Sikkim, Arunchal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and even in J&K state, where army is successfully discharging its duties without the close presence of civil population.
One also needs to appreciate that modern weapon system unlike swords and wows of old era, which does not give reaction time to anyone to run and seek cover in the built bunkers. Maximum causalities happen during the first few bouts of shelling/ firing before people take cover. Are we expecting 40 people including infants, kids, pregnant women and animals from a mohalla to either run the risk of getting killed while seeking bunker or wait for the shelling to cease and then hide in the proposed bunkers? Bunkers are no safer than existing border villages as it evident from the nature of causalities occurred so far. There has to be rationale rather than quickly shifting the proposals, turning hopes of sufferers into hopelessness. Mere idea of construction of bunkers sans logic and application of security mind.
Life will continue to be threatened on border by Pak due to its war mongering DNA. There can be no justification in denying a stable, if not a permanent solution which lies in allotting land. If land can be made available for creating facilities and infrastructure, why not for saving human lives on the border. Any deviation or backing out would be a grave injustice to border population and their future generation. People from Chhamb and other areas were made refugees by GOI by its diplomatic and political follies. They did not opt for the status of refugees in their own country. It is a genuine and humanitarian issue that the Government must reconsider its decision on bunkers.
(Feedback- shivchoudhary2@gmail.com)
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