Ferozepore, January 2
“Give us arms, every house in the border belt is a castle, every man will be a soldier”. This was stated by Mr Joga Singh, Sarpanch of Mohar Kheeva village which is surrounded by Pakistan from three sides. This village had suffered a colossal damage during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.

“We have moved our womenfolk and children to safer places. It is tactical move as Pakistan is geographically at an advantageous position in this area”. Mr Joga Singh said the “migration of women and children to safer areas should not be considered as a weakness since residents of these villages are prepared to give a crushing defeat to the enemy in case war breaks out”.

The District Magistrate, Mr S.R. Ladhar, who visited border villages near zero line along with Mr Hardip Dhillon, DIG, and Mr Harchand Singh, district police chief, promised the people that the district administration would provide them cartridges on demand. He, however, said licences of firearms could be issued to the youth who wished to fight the enemy if needed.

Meanwhile, the state government has sent a grant of Rs 3 crore to Ferozepore, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for providing immediate relief to those who have moved to safer places. Mr Ladhar confirmed that Ferozepore had received Rs 1 crore. He said relief camps were opened in schools and other available buildings.

Ferozepore has also received 20 Army boats from Jalandhar, Kapurthala and other districts, which could be used for evacuating the people living across the Sutlej. Rajoke, Gatti and Chandiwala villages, besides some others, which are surrounded by Pakistan from three sides fall near Hussainiwala. These strategically located villages could be trapped by Pakistan by blowing up one bridge. In such an eventuality the residents of these villages can only be evacuated with the help of Army boats.

The district administration has constituted village defence committees for “thikri pehra” (round-the-clock vigilance) in the villages close to zero line. The Army, the police and officials of the district administration, who toured the belt, held meetings with villagers to educate them about the nefarious designs of the enemy. “You must remain vigilant lest suspects should add poison to the drinking water. Keep watch on the entry of unidentified persons,” they were told by the officials.

Apart from bridges, force has been deployed in all vital government buildings, including the Telecommunications Department. Special vigil is also being kept on Harike barrage, Rajasthan and Sirhind feeders also. A visit to the areas close to fencing showed that villagers were busy working in the agricultural fields.