Reaping under cloud of fear
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

SAMBA SECTOR, Nov 4 — Farmers on both sides of the international border appeared early this morning with scythes for reaping their paddy crop. By 10 a.m. sprawling paddy fields had been reaped. More areas had to be covered.

And as a group of newsmen and those connected with the electronic media neared the zero line red flags appeared on the border which was followed by loud whistling. The Pakistani farmers, including women, ran helter skelter. We too were asked to run for safety as the Pakistan Rangers were getting ready to open fire on the Indian pickets and villages. We ran fast. But there was no fire from across the border.

Possibly the Pakistan Rangers did not want media men to shoot any film on harvesting.

And farmers, including women and children, were seen racing against time to complete the harvesting.

The reaping had been started after the sector commanders of the BSF and the Rangers had a detailed meeting where the need for ceasefire was emphasised in the interest of the farmers of both sides of the IB.

Girdhari Lal, a farmer, said: "We do not get labour for carrying our instant reaping. The heavy Pak firing during the sowing time had scared away the labourers."

Om Prakash said: "We used to get labourers from Bihar and other states at the time of sowing and reaping of paddy. But for the last two years these labourers have shifted to safer places. We have to work round the clock. Even my two kids are with me to carry on reaping."

Girdhari Lal lamented the heavy loss Indian farmers suffered on this side of the IB because of intermittent but heavy firing. Official figures reveal that more than 20,000 kanals of land had remained without cropping practices during the past two years only owing to Pak firing.

The BSF commandant, Mr M.S. Malik, said his jawans had been keeping round the clock vigil on the border.

The Pak plan was to create conditions so that farmers on their side completed reaping early so that after harvesting the Rangers could shell Indian villages. Thus preventing the farmers from carrying out harvesting. The BSF persuaded the Rangers to create a situation in which farmers from both sides could complete reaping.

Farmers while harvesting keep on looking at the white flags pitched on the zero line. "We keep one eye on the white flags and the other on the paddy plants. Once the red flag appears we run for our lives," said Om Prakash.

The Pak farmers had started thrashing for sifting the grain from the plant. But on this side of the IB harvesting had begun right from today. Agriculture experts said the paddy seed sown in Pakistan matured earlier than "our seed."

The affected farmers complain of a raw deal from the government. "We have received only Rs 3,000 for maintaining our cattle and nothing beyond when we have to bank on money lenders. Some of us have sold portion of our land for a song to get money for meeting day to day expenses," said Girdhari Lal and his wife.

Farmers in the area said in more than 300 villages in Samba, Akhnoor, RS Pora, Bishna, Hiranagar and other areas the crop yield had witnessed a decline by 25 to 35 per cent because of late sowing and interrupted reaping. They said large tracts of fertile land had been left waste as "we have not been able to carry out sowing."

Girdhari Lal and Om Parkash wanted either the Government of India to pressurise Pakistan to stop firing on "our villages" or raise a barbed wire and set up other protection walls so that "our cropping practices are not hampered."

The usual merriment during harvesting was missing in Samba sector. Instead of excitement it was panic that gripped the farmers. They were depressed and some of them wanted the government help to allow them settle in safer places. Others were determined to face any challenge from across the border.