Why no one talks about the miserable lives of civilians on the LoC
Several Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have laid down their lives in the line of duty in the exchange of fire that continues along the border in the Jammu sector and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The probability of martyrdom of soldiers in such conflicts with the enemy cannot be ruled out. A grateful nation and the organisations to which they belong, do make the best efforts to look after the families of the martyred personnel. It is, however, the displacement of civilians living on the border, due to such internment firing and the casualities caused to them, that is worrisome and results in public outcry.
Reports indicate that three civilians have lost their lives in the latest exchange of fire along the LoC in Nowshera area of J&K. Normal life has been disrupted and authorities in the area have been compelled to shut schools.
Chief minister of J&K, Mehbooba Mufti has rightly highlighted this aspect in her statement and stated that cross-border firing affects the population on both sides and must stop so that civilians can lead normal lives.
The exchange of fire on the LoC is a daily affair. On the IB sector of Jammu, such exchange of fire was routine till a few months ago. This has been happening since the mid-nineties except for a period of relative calm from 2003 till July 2014 when ceasefire was generally being adhered to.
None of the adversaries gives any quarter to the other. If Pakistanis fire ten rounds, we match them with an equal number of shots if not more aggressive action. The upward spiral continues with even indirect firing, long-range mortars and at times artillery being used to punish each other since 2014-15.
After relative calm, the episode of aggressive stance was renewed after the Uri incident on September 19 with a retaliatory surgical strike by India. There has been no let-up in cross-border firing, with both sides alleging transgression by the other.
They allege that innocent civilians are being targeted and things have escalated quickly to the exchange of heavy shelling.
Security personnel are trained to react appropriately to enemy fire, and generally live in well-fortified bunkers at Border out Posts (BOPs) or Forward Defended Localities (FDLs). The troops are well-armed and trained to take concealed and protected positions while out on border-domination operations.
The civilians, however, do not have any such training or facility.
The travails of civilians living in the border area during frequent cross-border firing rarely get the attention they deserve. Civilians live in thatched huts or semi-pucca houses, which are mostly exposed to enemy fire.
Besides, most of them being farmers are easy targets for the enemy.
One can see many houses with bullet marks and giant holes created by enemy fire all along the border.
Casualities are often caused to those going about their daily routine within their homes, which are not strong enough to stop bullets, let alone rocket launcher projectiles that pierce their bodies, killing or injuring the occupants.
The number of civilians killed during 2002 was close to 80. In 2003, the toll was 59 whereas during the 10 years of ceasefire, the casualities came down to four.
The number of civilians killed and injured since July 2014 till date has touched the count of casualities of 2002 and 2003. Just as many Pakistani civilians are said to have lost their lives.
Heavy firing compels the residents inhabiting the areas near the LoC to vacate their houses and relocate to safer places. Some residents are even known to have constructed underground bunkers to save themselves from getting killed or injured.
While humans can relocate, it is not always possible to relocate cattle and many lose their lives to enemy bullets.
During the heavy exchange of fire, farming too is severely restricted, adversely affecting the livelihood and incomes of border residents. It's worse when the standing crop is ready to be harvested, but the farmers can't go to the fields they culitivated.
It is generally seen that the Pakistanis on the other side harvest as well as sow their crop about 15 days before the Indian farmers do.
So, Pakistani Army resorts to firing immediately after their farmers have harvested or sowed the crop. For the Indian farmers, this leads to heavy economic loss.
Schools in the border villages that are equally vulnerable can't function, severely stunting children's education. The roads and tracks are under observation of enemy; students cannot commute to schools and colleges because transport is affected.
Even though the government tries to compensate for the tangible loss of life/injury to humans, cattle and even the crop, it is never sufficient to cover for the entire loss suffered by the locals.
What is lost in terms of intangibles like education, displacement and peace of mind can, perhaps, never be compensated for.
More importantly, no one has even attempted to assess the intangibles in terms of adverse the psychological impact of death and injury on the residents, especially, on the young minds.
The enormous psychological scar that such episodes leave on children will, perhaps, remain etched in their memory.
The policymakers have to consider that we cannot afford to have a situation where the border population continues to suffer economically and psychologically.
Peace and tranquility are necessary to avoid the economic, physical and psychological ill-effects and it is therefore, pertinent that these are factored in while deciding our responses in such a scenario.