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| Residents of last village on Indo-Pak border vote for peace, security | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 11: They have lost their homes and belongings in cross-border firing and shelling, but not their faith in parliamentary democracy and hope for a peaceful and better future. For the 400-odd voters of Jorafarm, the last village on the Indian side of the International Border with Pakistan, the party of choice may vary but their expectations from the new government are same - lasting peace and development.
The village, just 400 metres from the border fence, is part of the Jammu parliamentary constituency where polling was held in the first of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls on Thursday.
It was a special day for the villagers, young and old alike, as it rekindled their hope. Early in the morning, most residents set out in horse-carts to reach the polling booth, set up in nearby Jajwal village, about one-and-a-half km away.
"We voted for peace and development…Peace is imperative because every time Pakistan targets forward posts and villages, we bear the brunt," 35-year-old Mohammad Shafi said.
Shafi, who was returning from the polling station along with his minor son after casting his vote, said the new government needs to pay more attention towards their problems and help improve their living standard.
"Look at the condition of our village…It lacks basic facilities such as drinking water supply and proper road, despite suffering immensely due to Pakistani shelling," he said.
More than 100 families reside in Jorafarm, about 35 km from Jammu. In 2018, most kullas (mud houses) in the village were burnt due to Pakistani shelling twice - in January and May. A large number of buffaloes and horses were also killed.
At least six people were injured and more than 30 mud houses were destroyed in another incident of cross-border firing in September 2017. Prior to that in 2014, Jorafarm-resident Mohammad Akram and his two-year-old son were killed in Pakistani shelling.
However, the village, popularly known as the "hamlet of Gujjar milkmen", has witnessed peace in the past few months as there was no incident of firing from the Pakistani side, even when tension mounted between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
After most houses were damaged last year, "we painstakingly rebuild our homes with a hope that peace will prevail," said 48-year-old Shah Wali, a father of eight children including three girls. |
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