As situation on borders between India and Pakistan continues to escalate, people living in the villages dotting the front line in Jammu division are living in fear amid troops’ build-up.
Residents of several border villages, from Kathua to Poonch,say they have “never faced such a scary situation.”
The deployment of anti-riots force – Rapid Action Force(RPC) – CRPF, BSF and CISF in these villages, both on LoC and Internationalborder is being seen by the villagers as a “sign of tough days ahead”.
A source said authorities have directed for emptying allconference and banquet halls in many areas along the borders to keep them readyfor shifting people from the border areas in case of need.
A Sarpanch, Mohammed Razak who lives near Line of Control inMendhar tehsil of Poonch district said ther were all kinds of rumors afloat intheir village. “This has scared everybody,” he said.
Razak said the rumors about scrapping of state’s specialstatus have deepened the tension in the entire tehsil. “The situation on theborders has now added to the panic,” said a local from Mendhar, Raiz Malik.
Malik said each time there is escalation in the situation onborders people living in the border villages suffer the most.
Former Sarpanch of Barota-Lagwal village along IB, Prem PalSingh said the fear of unknown was giving sleepless nights to people. “If thereis conflict between India and Pakistan, border residents remain at the receivingend. We have no bunkers in our village,” he said, demanding that Governmentshould construct bunkers for each family in the border villages.
Kali Dass, another Sarpanch from border village of Rangoorin Ramgarh sector of Samba district said, “The residents of their village areused to firing cross border shelling. We have grown up in this atmosphere. Wewill fight back with Army if any situation develops,” he said
He said government had proposed construction of 365 bunkersin their villages, but only 85 have been completed so far.