Tribune News ServiceURI, Dec 14 — Guns have silenced around this border town since the announcement of the unilateral ceasefire by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee followed by the Pakistan government’s instructions of ‘maximum restrain” to its troops along the borders. But this has not ended the travails of the people awaiting government assistance to victims of trans-border shelling and availability of basic facilities.
“The LoC has been much more peaceful since the ceasefire started we have had hardly any incidents of shelling and firing since the beginning of “Ramzan”, Mr Dilbagh Singh, DIG of Police, Baramula-Kupwara range, based at Baramula told TNS. This year at least 15 civilians were killed, 78 others injured, 91 houses, including a mosque and a store of the Food and Supplies Department, were totally damaged while over 200 other houses were partially damaged due to shelling from across the LoC in Baramula district.
In Kupwara district, 13 civilians were killed, 58 others injured, 80 houses got totally damaged while 150 other houses were partially damaged in the shelling this year, the DIG of police disclosed. Those killed included four members of the family of an Inspector in Karnah sector of Kupwara district. Five children were killed, four of them on the spot, and an SPO when a shell hit a school building at Boniyar in Baramula district. More than 12 children were also injured in the incident.
“There has been no firing after the announcement of the ceasefire.... we feel relaxed and free”, said Mohammed Sayeen, a resident of this border town. But he laments the way that locals are being forced by the securitymen for hard labour. “When it is dark, all of us are herded out for hard labour”, said another resident. The security forces have suspended their routine checking of bus passengers. No such checking was undertaken while we drove from Srinagar to this town, about 100 km away in the north. “We have suspended those routine checkings” but we continue to keep a vigil on the miscreants”, said a BSF official on the outskirts of the town.
Several shells have hit the town in recent months, damaging at least three houses in which one woman was killed and some others injured. Other villages like Nambla and Garkote, several miles away from the town in different directions, have been witness to frequent shelling and firing across the border over the years. Much damage has been caused to life and property in these areas recently. The residents allege apathy at the hands of the administration. “They have been visiting the spots but no measures have been taken for the uplift of the poor who are witness to frequent attacks,” said a villager of Nambla. “The assistance and relief only lies in office files, we have got nothing” said Lal Din of Uri town whose house was damaged causing heavy loss to his property when a shell hit the tin roof about two months ago. “We are finding it very difficult to survive. We are ready to sell our belongings and hutments to leave the area”, said another villager, Ghulam Mohiuddin.
The DIG of police, Mr Dilbagh Singh, held the number of militancy related incidents had also come down relatively with the beginning of Ramzan. The security forces observe ceasefire but “militants have violated it”, he claims. In this connection he referred to several militancy related incidents that took place in the twin districts of Kupwara and Baramula in North Kashmir after the ceasefire was implemented. The first attack was made at Sabzi Mandi in Baramula when two BSF jawans on patrol duty were shot dead by militants on the second day of Ramzan. Eleven pedestrians were injured in a grenade explosion at Pattan market. Five tonga passengers were injured in another grenade attack by militants at Sopore. A released militant was shot dead at Kreeri bus stand while the police station at Lalpora in Kupwara district was also attacked by the militants.
The residents around the villages here await an end to the border skirmishes and “restoration of peace” so that they do not have to suffer casualties and damage to their property repeatedly. “The ceasefire has brought some relief but it is not enough... we want peace”, say the residents unequivocally.
