As guns fall silent, J&K's border residents prepare to vote in hope they are not uprooted again

Suchetgarh, Jammu and kashmir: The guns have fallen silent and the people who were forced to flee their homes and hearth a couple of months ago in the aftermath of latest round of border skirmishes between the facing troops have returned and are preparing to vote in the fifth and last phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections at this weekend.

"There is no more firing on the border. Our lives are not put in danger again. We don't face any problems while working in our fields. There are no irrigation issues. Our village sees vikas (development) and, more importantly, we are not uprooted again. That is all we want and would be voting for," said Mohan Lal Choudhary, a farmer who lives at a stone's throw from India-Pakistan border here.

Indians call it International Border (IB) but it is known as 'working boundary' in Pakistan. Pakistani City Sialkot is only 11 km away and Lahore just 141 km. The first Pakistan military post 'Inayat' is located at a distance of 230 metres and is, at present, manned by 'A Coy-12 wing' of Chenab Rangers.

The two sides, in spite of the November 2003 ceasefire agreement, often trade fire here at slightest provocations, and sometimes for no reason at all, making the living difficult especially for border residents, and ironically each side each time blames the other for violations. The last time they clashed was in October this year, leaving more than two dozen people dead and forcing thousands of families to flee to safety on both sides.

It is for that reason that Mr. Choudhary wants them to decide it once for all. "Eikh hi bar aar ya paar hojaye" (Let they fight it to the finish), as he like other villagers on this last village on the Indian side of the border and neighbouring Nai Basti Gulab Garh does not want to live in fear of gun anymore.

His elderly neighbour, Charan Singh, is, however, fed up with promises and pledges that politicians do make in every election.

"It is not necessary that I will vote also. I did it a number of times in the past but nothing changed. We grew up while counting bodies and toiling in fear of gun. Whole life, justice was denied to us. We are all right and don't want any politicians to interfere anymore in whatever way we are dragging through life," he said.

The villagers said the recent border clashes or the difficult situation thrown up by these did not come in the way of campaigning by different political parties and candidates in the fray.

"They come and meet the people here to seek our votes after promising they will work towards addressing the problems we do face on daily basis and change our lives but we do tell them our major issue is firing from across the border," said Kuldeep Singh Chib. He then asked, "Will they be able to stop it for ever?"

A furlong away ASI Bhan Singh stands guard at the last Indian border out post manned by Border Security Force (BSF) which serves as the first line of defence here. "As of today, it is peaceful but don't know about tomorrow. Yet it hardly makes any difference as for us every single day of the year is the same," he said.

However, his senior, Havildar Ashok Kumar Bajore, is happy over the fact that cross-border firing has stopped. "At least, people of this area have heaved a sigh of relief. We allow them to work in the fields (along the zero line) between 10 am and 4 pm and they are happy with it." Suchetgarh and its neighbourhood including Ranbir Singh Pura segment produce one of the world's best basmati rice varieties.

While we were talking, the muezzin called the faithful to a mosque that stands at a couple of hundred yards inside the Pakistani territory to offer midday (zuhar) prayers. Havildar Bajore pointed to a huge banyan tree that stands right in the middle of zero line. "Half of it is on their side and the remaining half on our side. This is natural. We can't change it," he said.

The BSF official was posted in neighbouring Abdullian area when the two sides exchanged small arms and mortar fire for days together recently.

"It was painful not for us but to see the resultant plight of the civilian population . They had to run for safety, leaving everything behind. I hope and pray they are not made to go again through what must have been the nightmarish experience for them," he said.