As border tourism flourishes, LoC village pushes for development

As border tourism gains momentum in Keran, a village situated along the Line of Control (LoC), the villagers are making their priorities clear to the candidates in the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls — development must be at the forefront of their agenda.

The village, which has a unique polling station located directly on the LoC, has more than 1,071 voters.

It is separated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by the Kishanganga river. With a population exceeding 4,000, the Keran valley, once notorious for cross-border shelling and infiltrations, was opened to tourists in 2021 and it rapidly emerged as a popular destination.

Once a place where residents were relocated in the early 1990s due to escalating violence, Keran is witnessing a steady influx of tourists, who must obtain a permission from the Kralpora police station in Kupwara to visit the village.

The residents of Keran are keen to support candidates who will advocate for transforming their region into a thriving tourist hotspot, especially as it currently lacks essential facilities, such as road connectivity, mobile networks and healthcare services.

“The government has initiated border tourism in Keran and we are thankful for it,” local politician Asgar Bhat said. He expressed joy over the arrival of visitors from different states, emphasising that “Keran should not be the last village, but the heart of the country”.

Despite the progress made in tourism, Bhat noted that there is significant room for improvement, especially regarding the road conditions.

“We have no access to the Internet and BSNL towers were installed only recently. Our youngsters struggle to apply for jobs outside the valley due to communication barriers,” he lamented.

Former government employee Mumtaz Ahmad Khan highlighted the long-neglected state of the region. “For more than 70 years, nobody paid attention to us. There were no roads. However, post August 5, 2019, we have seen changes in development,” he said.

Khan is hopeful about the election, the first after the abrogation of Article 370. He said even groups that have traditionally boycotted polls like the Jamaat-e-Islami are participating this time, leading to an increased voter turnout.

He also urged the government to establish a tourist corridor to the ancient Shardha temple, located just 25 kilometres away in PoK. Khan described the temple as an important cultural site.

Locals like Muneer Ahmad Bhat have begun to see the benefits of tourism — the opening of restaurants and hotels — but they stress the need for improved road connectivity.

Keran was a part of the Karnah Assembly seat earlier but after delimitation, it was shifted to the Tregham constituency in north Kashmir.