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| Sandwiched between the Indian and Pakistan Fence line, people living as ‘Free slaves’ | | | Vaibhavi Chandel
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 2: A prestigious project of fencing the Line of Control and International Borders in Jammu and Kashmir was initiated after the ceasefire in 2003. The work of fencing was done with much enthusiasm but one thing which was not in the favour of the residents living close to the border was that they erected this fence about two or three kilometers before the actual Line Of Control. This lead to a major jerk to atleast 22 villages especially of the Poonch region which sandwiched all these villages.
Generally the villages which are facing major problems because of this fencing include Chaprian, Kerni, Chamber Kinari, Digwar, Solatri, and Shahpur. The l life of the people living in these villages has changes drastically after the erection of the fence as a major portion of the land of these villages lies behind the fencing line. This has led to much resentment among the villagers as they feel themselves locked in their own home place.
Not only has this fencing line raised a border in between the villagers. In case of marriage ceremony or death, the residents have to apply for special identity cards to visit heir relatives who have been fenced off.
Though feeling the sensitivity of this issue, some initiative has been taken by the army who has raised gates of the fence for the convenience of the villagers but even though the problem does not end as these gates are situated after a distance of atleast half a kilometer.
One issue of major concern is that the graveyard of the village Chaprian is situated outside the fence, though it is very close to the village but ecause of the fencing , the residents have to walk atleast a kilometer and then bury the body in the graveyard.Not only this have had the farmers who plough the fields also sometimes had to walk additional distance to plough their lands due to the erection of the fence line in between the fields.
This initiative of fencing the Line of Control was taken by the Ministry of Defense Government to India, actually to curb the infiltration bids, but the residents who have been fenced off are the real sufferers.
“This is really a bad phase for us. We feel as if we are locked in our own houses as there are lots of restrictions. In case that have to meet our relatives fenced off, we have to make provisions of the special identity card. So life is really tough”, says Mohammad Subhan, a resident of Chaprian area of Poonch.
“We can't deny the efforts of army which the am is putting to make the life of the residents happy. They have engaged the people of our area as porters but with so many restrictions we feel as if we are locked in our own home”, he adds.
As per the Sources in the home department of Jammu and Kashmir about 40267 acres of land is lying uncultivated between border fencing and zero line on the Indo-Pak Border and LoC in the state due to the restrictions in the area.
Even one more issue with the people of those areas is that they have not received any sort of compensation of the land.
Even the report submitted to an assembly panel recently by the Financial Commission Home department of the state has also confirmed that about 322142 kanals of land including agriculture fields are lying barren in between the border fencing and international border, Line Of Control.
“There are many farmers hose land had come in between the border fencing and international border, Line of Control. This vast stretch of land is inaccessible for the local population due t the border fencing. The indent for land acquisition has not been issues, so no compensation has been paid to the owners of the land. We are live like aliens in our own land”, says Mohammad Hanief, a resident of a border village of Poonch.
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“Though initiatives were taken by the former member of the legislative assembly, late Ghulam Mohammad Jan who had taken up the matter in the legislative assembly almost five years back as to provide compensation to all those farmers who are suffering because of this fencing, but government gave a deaf ear to his repeated requests. Even he had also requested the government to give special treatment to the border area people and to lift the restrictions on the movement of the residents, but nothing has come to fore till yet”, adds Hanief.
Where the fencing has been erected to curb the infiltration bids, the people living close to the fence or those who have been fenced off are doing every possible effort to bring their life back to normal. Because of the restrictions on movement, these people at times even could not meet their relatives in need. . Though the ceasefire agreement between both the countries came as a great relief to lakhs of people, but there are more than 20000 people who have been fenced off in their own lands, who are the real sufferers. These people are living their life between the Indian and Pakistan Fence Line.
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