From The Editor / The Legitimate
For many decades, the residents of border areas of Jammu and Kashmir have been living a horror full life. Whenever India and Pakistani soldiers exchange the fire, they are the first victims of hostilities. Lots of people have lost their lives amid the border standoffs. Hundreds have turned maims. They have been living on meagre reliefs provided by the successive regimes and there is no comprehensive policy even to rehabilitate those who fall victim to the hostilities.
Whenever the border standoff takes place alongside the Line of Control in Kashmir and on International Border in Jammu, these families are forced to run for safety, miles away leaving their property and cattle back abandoned. These families, when they return home, they are forced to restart their lives. Everything they have to start fresh and even sometimes require huge money to repair their houses and cowsheds which are being destroyed in the shelling.
In some cases, some meagre amount is being provided by the government. But overall, they have to face the brunt. If you talk to these families none are willing to leave their ancestral places and are hoping for the day when the peace will prevail and they will again fearlessly work in their fields and grow crops to sustain their livelihood. Despite the severe skirmishes in the past and the ongoing hostilities, almost all the families are living in their ancestral places.
Now again the Jammu and Kashmir government has taken up a project of building underground bunkers in the Jammu region on the borders for the safety and security of these families. As per the latest official figures, a total of 7134 bunkers have been completed so far in the division including 6281 individual bunkers and 853 community bunkers. The concerned divisional commissioner insisted on the early completion of all the bunkers set under target. This might give the residents a sigh of relief amid the prevailing situation.
However, the need of an hour is to ensure the permanent solution to their woes. Let them live a life without fear and with dignity. There is a need to work in that direction. The civilian population is not affected on this side only. However, on the other side situation must be the same. How the civilian areas can be spared of military targets from both sides that needs to be seen holistically? And this can in a long way ensure the sense of security among the frightened lot residing on the borders on both sides.
