The Hindu : Border residents keen on participating in elections

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 08, 2002

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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Border residents keen on participating in elections

By Shujaat Bukhari

HIRANAGAR SEPt. 7. Despite the tense situation near the International Border and the Line of Control in Jammu region, around 21,000 residents of 51 villages have returned to their homes, very close to the zero line, and are getting ready to actively participate in the coming Assembly polls.

The area, which has 43 kilometres of International Border, is a contrast to the villages which fall near the LoC on the other side of Jammu. Notwithstanding a significant decline in the incidents of shelling and firing from across the border, the threat of heightened tension, as witnessed after the December 13 attack on Parliament, looms large. The villages of Sardachak, Bobian, Mangochak and Regaal are just 200 metres away from the zero line and four polling stations are being set up so that people can cast their votes.

Around 25 camps have been set up in Gagwal and Hiranagar areas of Kathua district as people had migrated from places such as Kota Kuna, Chama Chak, Paharpur, Pansa, Maniyari, Rathya, Gujjarchak, Chanduchak and Kandiyal. These villages were the worst-affected after the Kaluchak massacre in May and an incident in which seven persons were killed in the exchange of fire between India and Pakistan. Today, the damaged houses stand testimony to the wanton destruction caused by the heavy shelling but the people are in a mood to reconcile with the situation.

The apprehensions notwithstanding, the residents here feel they should teach Pakistan a lesson by "showing them what democracy is.''

"They want to disrupt our elections but we will foil their attempts at the cost of our lives,'' Harbajan Singh Manya, sarpanch of Kotpanu village, said. ``We will go to vote even if the shelling goes on.'' In fact people are enthusiastic in taking part in the campaigning as well and wait for the political parties to come which, however, have yet to enter the area. The authorities are hopeful of normality returning to the area as the Superintendent of Police, Amjad Mirza, says that 60 per cent of the shelling has decreased in the past three months. According to an assessment, all the 97 polling stations in this border belt have been declared "hyper-sensitive". Out of the 510 polling stations in Kathua district, 371 are in sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas and police say the threat-prone areas are being sanitised. For each hyper-sensitive polling station, two sections of para-military forces, besides six policemen headed by a sub-inspector are being deployed.

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