They have seen it all, but the pain persists

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, September 30

Evacuation is nothing new for these border villagers. It’s the loss of their belongings, livestock and crops that hurts.

“For us, it’s like one step forward and 10 steps backwards. Every time such a situation occurs, we tend to lose whatever little assets we have acquired,” said Resham Singh of Tindiwala village.

“We have seen it all in the 1965 and 1971 wars, besides the months after the Kargil conflict,” he added. However, despite the fear and uncertainty, these people do not intend to shift permanently.

“Neither do we have the resources nor any intention of leaving this place,” said Gurdev Singh, adding that they have lived here since ages and will die here too.

“Why doesn’t the government arrange a permanent shelter for us? Every time, we have to look out for safer places to shift or be at the mercy of officials in relief camps,” said Resham Singh.

In Tendiwala village, half of the 200-odd families have evacuated. The same is the case with the adjoining villages of Hajara Singh Wala, Jhugge, Chandiwala, Gatti Rajoke and others falling within a radius of 10 km from the border.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary R Venkatratnam and Bathinda Zone IG S Asthana, along with senior civil, police and military officers, held a meeting to take stock of the evacuation process and the arrangements being made for the residents. Venkatratnam instructed the officials to ensure the residents’ safety and provide them support for board and lodging. Later, Deputy Commissioner DPS Kharbanda and his staff conducted a tour of border villages.