As guns fall silent, enrolments up in Uri schools, hills abuzz with trekkers
Samaan Lateef
Srinagar, February 26
The year-long ceasefire between India and Pakistan has brought relief for the people living in the battle-worn villages along the LoC. On 25 February 2021, India and Pakistan reaffirmed the 2003 ceasefire agreement along the LoC, bringing calm along the borders.
In Uri, youth are going for uphill trekking without fear for the first time. “Now, we are attending schools and going for uphill trekking to Baba Fareed, Kandi, Gawasher and Kopra peak,” said Numaan Aftab, a Class XII student, of Gharkot village in Uri.
Shelling fear kept kids away from schools
We have enrolled 970 students in kindergarten. Earlier, parents didn’t send children to schools fearing shelling. Wali Muhammad Kakroo, Zonal education planning officer, Uri
Officials say the shelling had badly affected education as kids would prefer to stay in bunkers or at their homes over attending schools. Now, school enrollment has gone up.
“We have enrolled 970 students in kindergarten. Earlier, parents didn’t send children to schools because of the fear of shelling and landmines,” said Wali Muhammad Kakroo, Zonal Education Planning Officer, Uri. “We should give credit to the ceasefire that it is changing lives in border areas,” Kakroo said.
Earlier, shelling would kill and maim border residents, leaving their families devastated. There are widows, orphans, and people with amputated limbs in every second family living in villages along the zero line of the Line of Control.
In September 2000, Nazir Ahmad Masi, 42, of Churunda village received grievous injuries in his left leg after he was hit by a shell. Since then, he has been using crutches. “Life has become miserable,” Masi says. Manzoor Chechi of Tilliwara village near the zero line says, “The shelling would burn our crops..”
Pawan Anand, president of Cross-LoC Traders’ Association, hopes resumption of travel and trade.
People, whose families are separated by the LoC, want resumption of cross-border bus service (Karwaan-e-Aman) which was started on April 7, 2005 but suspended after abrogation of Article 370. Cross-LoC trade was also stopped.
