Ahead of festival of lights when people usually decorate their homes with bright lights, and if possible, also add a splash of colours on their four walls, hundreds of border residents living in forward villages of RS Pura sector are helplessly staring at battered walls of their houses. Telltale signs of destruction done by the continuous Pak shelling are visible all over the place.
In some cases even the roof tops have been pierced by 82 mm mortar shells and in other cases the habitants have been hit hard by the splinter injuries while resting in their courtyards. Even the water reservoirs, parked cars have been blown over in heavy exchange of firing between the Pakistani rangers and Indian border guards. More than 300 animals including large number of cattle have been perished after receiving bullet injuries.
As they come under the direct line of fire, the villagers have been taking shelter inside bunkers every night. Those who can afford to shift to safer locations are spending long nights at their relatives’ house and return home only in the morning just to perform routine house hold work. Whenever they have to step out they move cautiously to save themselves from the enemy fire. The local authorities have even restricted movement of outsiders to these villages.
Pointing towards a big hole on their roof top Nagarmal, a resident of village Abdulian told The Pioneer, “How can we even think of celebrating Diwali when our houses are being targeted by the Pak rangers. My son was barely saved as he was sleeping in the room when it was hit by a mortar shell. I thank god none of my family members were hurt in the mortar blast. But on Tuesday six women of a family were injured while they were stepping out of their house in Suchetgarh to attend a marriage function.”
Balvinder hailing from village Abdullian shifted his family to his relatives place on Wednesday evening as he feared Pak rangers would once again target the area with heavy calibre of weapons. He told The Pioneer, “We are going to celebrate dark diwali away from our homes”. He said people decorate their houses and switch on the lights seeking blessings of Goddess lakshmi and we lesser mortals have to step out of our own houses to ensure our safety”.
Another resident of the same village Kuldeep said, “How can we think of celebrating Diwali when tension is prevailing in the area. We have been directed by the BSF soldiers to shift to safer places and switch off the lights before stepping out.”
Meanwhile, the Arnia town in RS Pura sector, which bore the maximum brunt of Pak shelling on Tuesday, wore a deserted look despite peak festive season. Deputy Commissioner Simarandeep Singh said, “at least eight houses in Arnia tehsil suffered during Pak shelling late Tuesday night”.
local businessmen in the area while cursing their fate said, “instead of earning profits we have been earning losses for last three years. As Pak rangers open fire on forward villages in the area every festive season and we end up losers”. The owners of sweet shops in the area had not even prepared traditional sweets fearing they may incur losses due to poor sales.
The mood in the entire border belt was subdued and people wore tense looks anticipating cross border firing during Diwali. On the other hand the BSF and Indian army are maintaining a tight vigil along the International border across Jammu frontier and along the line of control in Rajouri and Poonch districts to prevent any infiltration bid ahead of Diwali.