Kargil better off after the war

Massive development has taken place in Kargil, thanks to the efforts of the Army. The 1999
conflict with Pakistan has brought about a transformation in the region. New roads
have been constructed. Schools and shopping centres have come up.
Plenty of projects are in the pipeline, reports Navreet Milton 

THE Kargil war was fought 10 years ago. Guns have now totally fallen silent. But both the nations had to pay a heavy price to gain nothing. There is absolutely no doubt that many of our brave soldiers laid down their lives defending their motherland. Their sacrifice did not go in vain. They brought back pride to the nation, and we will always be indebted to them.

If we look 10 years back, we see a change in the scenario in this region, particularly in the Kargil sector. Since 1999, massive development has taken place in all sectors— economic, education, infrastructure, roads and telecommunications. Mohammed Sadiq (53), a resident of the area, says that after the war immense development took place in this region. It was a cold desert earlier. There were no roads. It was extremely difficult to reach your destination. The Army took the initiative and built roads in almost all villages. Now Kargil is well connected with the rest of the country.

The local growers are selling their goods in the town. Women from adjoining villages come to the town and sell their products. Buses and taxis can be seen plying in Kargil. Before the conflict, the traffic was scarce.

Army personnel are there in large numbers. Most of the development that has taken place is due to the efforts of the armed forces, especially in the field of communication. The Army is hiring the services of private transporters to bring goods, men and machinery to Kargil from different parts of the country. This way the truck owners are earning good revenue.

State-run buses and private buses and cabs are plying between the remotest places and the important areas of Leh and Kargil. Children attend schools on a regular basis. After the introduction of domestic air services at Leh, the people of Kargil have benefited. They still have to travel seven hours to reach Leh but the road condition has improved tremendously.

This region, a picture of neglect earlier, now has mobile signals connecting people to their friends and relatives. BSNL has provided connectivity to this region. The younger generation has become techno savvy, connecting itself with the rest of the world through the Internet. Visitors are now able to make reservations online. The day is not far when travellers will be going to Leh from Kargil by train. Train services have already reached the Kashmir valley. A survey for this project is already on. Tunnels through Rohtang and Zoji La are already being planned.

The first rail link is proposed to be between Leh and Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh). The cost of construction of the almost 500-km-long stretch will be about Rs 22,000 crore. The remotest of all places will be having a community health centre, which will be a major source of relief to the people living in this part of the region, which remains cut off for almost eight months.

This mountainous region with its rugged terrain has not been lucky to have electricity round the clock. However, the Chutuk hydel project undertaken by the NHPC will be ready by 2011, and will generate enough power to illuminate the area. Kargil has witnessed a great change. There used to be single-storey shops, but now there are double-storey shops with the latest goods on display.

The Army has provided employment to several poor people. Abbas Ali, Merchants’ Association president, mentioned that before 1999 there were about 400 shops in Kargil. The Army has added another 250 shops, thus providing revenue to local people. Hotels and bakeries, too, have come up.

Under the Sadhbhavna project, the Army has set up many institutions for education and vocational training. School children, who used to walk miles, are now taken by Army vehicles. Special children are being admitted to Asha School, where they are given special care and attention, says Razia of Hardas village.

Women are taking training in vocational schools under the project. Today they have a say in the decision-making process, remarks Rehana Begum. Many girls have opened small units at home . Six years ago Kharun Nissa opened a beauty parlour. Though she was not appreciated by the community, today she is the only one to have this kind of business which has exposed the women of Kargil to the world of fashion. Many small hospitals have come up at the village level, thanks to the Army and the local administration. Grants have started pouring in from the Centre for providing a better infrastructure to medical centres.

After the war the authorities realised the need of mobile hospital vans, which now ply around Kargil. There is a sub district hospital coming up at Drass at the cost of Rs 8 crore. Bimbat (Drass) had a medical aid centre, which got upgraded to allopathic centre. Also, a trauma centre is coming up in Kargil at the cost of Rs 1.60 crore to give immediate treatment to accident victims. However, there is no theatre to show films to people. Kargil residents feel that the war has improved their financial condition and brought development to their area.

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