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Sunday, Oct 02, 2005

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National

Promised relief yet to reach them

Luv Puri

The livelihood of Hill Kaka residents was affected during the days of militancy

HILL KAKA (SURANKOTE): Two summers have passed since this belt was freed from the control of militants, but the promised relief has yet to reach the families who suffered direct losses due to restrictions imposed on their movement. Though, after the 2003 operations, for the first time some families returned to this place this year, a self-sufficient community is being gradually being pushed to the brink of poverty in the absence of the promised relief.

The high altitude location and good pastures of Hill Kaka and neighbouring hills have always been a favourite summer time destination for the people of the border districts. Even the people living near the Line of Control come here along with their cattle to live during summers. Every family has been allotted grazing lands called chiragas (pastures) and has been duly registered in the State revenue records as was the practice even when the State was ruled by a monarch i.e. before 1947. In the summer families make Hill Kaka their abode and in the winter season they descend to low altitude areas. Despite obvious difficulties when this area was under the control of the militants, the people along with their cattle continued their movement during summers.

No access to grasslands

In April 2003, for the first time in the recent recorded history the families were prevented to reach the Hill Kaka tract and neighbouring hills. The reason was that security operations had started to vacate the area of the militants in which the locals played a major role. Due to the obvious risk to their lives, the people possessing chiragas in the highlands were prevented to go to their respective pastures in 2003. Even during the summer of 2004 the locals were prevented as the vast area, which for all practical reasons had remained under the control of militants, had to be completely sanitised of all the ammunition hidden by the militants in various hideouts in the hills. To provide relief to the families who could not go to their chiragas and for the economic losses the community suffered due to these restrictions, a relief of Rs. 7 crores was sanctioned by the Central government. The money was given only for 2003 though the movement was also restricted in the year 2004. According to the guidelines on every cattle a relief of about approx. Rs. 2,100 was to be given to every family. The local administrative machinery was asked to prepare a list of the families who had suffered losses. The list was prepared and in the records relief was shown to have been disbursed with the exception of Rs.1.70 crores, but on the ground a majority of the families failed to get the relief. After complaints to the local administration, a suo motu enquiry was ordered by the State government and it was has been found that the list was fudged by the relief dispensing administrative machinery. Orders were given by the State government not to disburse the remaining amount till the matter was sorted out.

Though for the first time after two years hundreds of families reached the Hill Kaka tract and other higher areas of the neighbouring belt, these families are finding it hard to sustain themselves. Faz Mohammad who has reached the Hill Kaka with his family says, "I am returning to this place after two years. Every thing from my dhok (shelter)to my basic necessities such as beds have been destroyed due to the operations. I do not have the money to construct shelter for my cattle. The officials told me months back relief had been distributed. Certainly not to us."

But the case of Marrah residents is worse because they cannot even claim relief as they do not possess the permits being given by the revenue department to visit chiragas during the year 2003. The issuing of permits became a necessity after the advent of militancy. The chairman of Panchayat adalat Marrah, Moulvi Fazal Din, says, "Let us be frank about some things. There was hardly any administrative machinery in this belt till the year 2003 and we needed permission of militants to enter these heights. Our records of chiragas are there with the revenue authorities and only by bona fide credentials that we are demanding relief. Officials refuse to listen to us. But look more than the relief I am worried about the message we are sending to 400 odd families from whom almost every member fought against the militants and also lost their loved ones in the operations." Many of the people who have not got the relief include those who have lost almost everyone in the militancy. Mohammad Sharief lost his parents in a militant attack and is awaiting relief of Rs.1.5 lakhs whereas Begum Noor who lost her husband is yet to get a relief of the same amount.

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