Fear, trepidation grip residents of border villages

Fear and trepidation have gripped hundreds of residents living near the International Border (IB) even as authorities fear a potential exodus of villagers to urban areas, which could further exacerbate the situation.

Advertisement

Old-timers say the ongoing conflict, fuelled by political and military pressures, is sure to leave psychological scars on a majority of the people. Residents of some villages located near the wire-fencing claim

the traumatic impact of war—missiles, bombs and bullets has already led to intense fear, helplessness and panic.

People woke up in the middle of the night to the deadly whistle of missiles and deafening high-decibel sounds of bombs.

“The night sky turned red. My father, who witnessed the 1971 war from close quarters, used to say it happens when smoke and fire from explosions light up the sky. This was enough for us to imagine the devastation and intensity of wartime events,” said Ranjit Singh Dhaliwal, a resident of Nadala village located right on the IB.

Last night’s incident may or may not snowball into a major war, but it is enough for border people to experience psychosomatic problems like insomnia and body aches. “The impact, like it had in the 1971 and 1965 wars, will lead to depression and the lingering prospect of a full-blown armed conflict.

An army veteran, Capt Dyal Singh, of the same village, said, “When a war breaks out, we suffer a lot of losses. Enough is enough. We have seen so much bloodshed that we do not want more. The government always says that it extends all help to border villages, but all that is a big farce.”

Meanwhile, mystery continues to surround a bomb found in the agriculture fields of Pandher village, located near the Tibri cantonment. Despite 18 hours having passed since the incident, there has been no official statement from authorities.

Gurdaspur SSP Aditya and a team of senior officers visited the site in the morning. A dog squad was also pressed into service. Police have remained tight-lipped, saying only that the matter is under investigation.”

Sarpanch Dilbagh Singh said that villagers raised an alarm last night about the bomb.

“Villagers reported a big fire from the place where the bomb had been found. Pieces of the bomb were found scattered across a 500-foot radius,” said the Sarpanch.

The village is separated from Tibri cantonment by the UBDC canal.