Second migration for people in last 34 days

Avtar Bhat

JAMMU, Oct 11: With continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan, total uncertainty prevailed on borders and LoC with thousands of people becoming homeless from Kathua to Pargwal sector of Jammu region.
Though the border denizens were forced to migrate many times during the Indo Pak War of 1965, 1971 and border skirmishes in 2000 Kargil war, in some areas of  R S Pura, Bishnah and  Suchetgarh it is the second migration for these hapless people just a month over.
The ill fated people in various border villages of these three Assembly segments have migrated on August 27 after Pak resorted to unprovoked shelling in border villages of these three Assembly segments and hardly 34 days had passed since then that they were forced to leave their homes and hearths again by Pak rangers who resorted to unprovoked shelling resulting into loss of many human lives, animals and property.
The border villagers said that last time they remained in camps for 10 days and after truce on borders they returned to their homes and hearths.
Panic has gripped all the border villages in these Assembly segments where from people have again migrated to their previous camps after the Pak shelling. To minimize increasing casualties the Government was planning to construct pacca bunkers in border belt as had been done during the 1965 and 1971 wars but there is no headway in this regard, said Kuldeep Sharma a resident of Arnia. By shifting the border villagers to these bunkers during the time of attack the number of casualties could be minimized, he added.
Arnia a densely populated border village in Bishnah Assembly segment wore a deserted look as all villagers have migrated to various camps in Deoli along with their cattle. One can’t see usual hustle and bustle in this border village which has a population of over 15,000 people as total uncertainty prevails in this border village due to unprovoked shelling from across the border.
Dead animals which were killed by Pak firing were lying at various places in the village, while some shops and houses which were also damaged in the shelling in this village were depicting devastation created by Pakistan. As 90 percent people from this border village had migrated to two camps in Deoli along with their cattle, the remaining were also in the process of same. Some of the people were seen ferrying their cattle in load carriers while others had towed them with block carts and were shifting them to near by camps for refuge.
Saini Sweet Shop and an ACC cement shop in the village were damaged beyond recognition in Pak shelling while a horse and a cow belonging to Chajju Ram Saini were lying dead in the compound of his house.
Besides, the house of Ram Paul was also damaged in the shelling in this village.
Hundreds of people from village Trewah who had taken refuge in Salehar Higher Secondary School have the same story to tell. “This is second migration for us in last 34 days”, said Som Raj, Panch. He said besides, one person many cattle were killed in shelling from across the border while many villagers were injured and crop was destroyed.
Raj said last time also six cattle were killed in the village due to Pak shelling. Totally concerned towards the studies of their children, the border people said that the education of their wards has been completely hit. The constant shelling and border skirmishes will tell upon the future of our children said Sohan Lal another camp inmate from Trewah.
One hundred Gujjar families of border village of Jodha who were rearing cattle and buffalos have also been forced to take refuge in Ch. Chuni Lal Memorial School Chakroi in Suchetgarh along with hundreds of their cows and buffalos. These people have also same story to tell and it was the second migration for them in last 34 days. Six people in the village were injured by Pak shelling on October 8 morning said Saraj-ud-Din a Gujjar who was also camping in the School along with hundreds members of his community.
Five villages in Kanachak area where from migration also took place during last two days and who were camping at Government Higher Secondary School Damana also face uncertainty.  The people of this border belt who are mostly dependent on agriculture land to make their both ends meet said that it was the season of harvesting. The crop is ready to harvest and the farmers had all expectations on it as it feeds their families for the entire year but our hopes have been dashed to ground due to shelling from across the border, says Ram Paul of Sui.
It is very difficult to harvest the crop if shelling continues from across the border said 83 year old Ram Dass of Kanachak.
Dass, whose house was also hit by Pak shelling yesterday is witness to 1965 and 1971 wars. He said that the people did not migrate at that time but this time people were left with no option but to run for the safety of their lives.
Majority of people in Kanachak, Lalyal, Lalyal  Camp and Sui had migrated to Government Higher Secondary School Damana as panic gripped in this entire border belt after Pak shelling hit many houses and paddy fields.
Lalyal Camp is only half kilometer away from border where one cow, one buffalo and one person was injured due to Pak shelling besides an Alto car was also damaged said, Pinky Devi who had returned to her village this afternoon along with her husband to feed their cow which they had left in the house.
The hundreds of border migrants of these villages camping in Damana School said that they are worried for their crops and career of their school going children.

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