Jammu: The attack at the Pathankot Air Force Base has made residents of the border areas in Jammu region apprehensive, as the area is said to bear maximum brunt of any skirmishes between the guarding forces of India and Pakistan.
Every time there is hostility on the borders, the residents of several villages situated on the International Border (IB) get directly affected as they have to leave their houses and take shelter in makeshift arrangements in other parts of the region.
People in the borders areas of Jammu have become apprehensive and praying the Pathankot Air Force Station attack does not affect their lives, even as combing operations continued at the IAF Base in Punjab on Tuesday.
“We have kept our fingers crossed and are praying that the terror attack in Pathankot does not have any effect on the border areas in Jammu region, otherwise the common residents of these areas will have to bear the brunt of of the heightened tension between the two nations”, said Joginder Kumar, a resident of Abdullian village in R S Pura Sector.
As per Jammu and Kashmir Government’s record, 38 persons, including ten security personnel, lost their lives in border skirmishes in 2014-15 (upto September 2015). 162 civilians and 30 security force personnel were also injured in the incidents of border firing in the State during the period.
“Whenever there is firing from across the border, it is the common villager who is at the receiving end. In the past we had to leave our houses on several occasions and take shelter at safer locations. We have not only suffered damage to our houses, crops but also lost a large number of our cattle”, said Bishan Chand, another resident of R S Pura.
The border residents say that they have experienced the worst in the past and were expecting to harvest the fruits of renewed bonhomie between the two neighbouring countries after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a surprise visit to Pakistan in December last.
Even the Union Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh had said that the state of Jammu and Kashmir which has suffered due to 25 years of turmoil would be the biggest beneficiary of peace between the two nations.
The border residents say that they want an end to the fear that they have to face every day as with the renewed tension it becomes difficult for them to lead a normal life.
“We want a permanent solution for our everyday woes, we no longer want to be the sitting ducks on fire. We were the happiest lot after Prime Minister Modi visited Lahore as the renewed peace would have directly benefited us, but after the Pathankot terrorist attack we fear that things might turn from bad to worse for the border residents”, claims Babu Ram, a resident of Suchetgarh.
During the periods of heightened tension between the two nations, the border residents not only have to leave their houses but also their
farm land which is their source of livelihood.
During ‘Operation Vijay’ in 1999 and ‘Operation Parakram’ in 2001, a large portion of farm land was taken from the border residents to lay minefields, while after 14 years some of the land has been returned but still a large chunk remains under these minefields.
As per the Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Simrandeep Singh, more than 30,000 acres of farm land in Jammu District alone continues to be under the active minefield.
“We want peace to prevail as we also desire to lead a peaceful life like the residents of other parts of the country do”, said one Manjit Singh, a farmer in Suchetgarh.