Heart of Punjab: Residents of border villages put up brave face amid hostilities with Pak

There was no large-scale dislocation of people in border villages during the India-Pakistan conflict between May 7 and 10, a first since the country got divided in 1947.The border residents were reminded of the 2016 evacuation when India had launched a “surgical strike” inside Pakistan — a first military strike inside the neighbouring after the 1971 War — to avenge the massacre of 19 soldiers in Uri.It was in October 2016 that the then SAD-BJP government in the state at the behest of the Centre had ordered evacuation of border villagers residing within 10 km of the International Border (IB).Before this, following the Partition of the country, the two nations went to full-blown wars in 1965 and 1971, and a border conflict in 1999 in Kargil.All these events caused large-scale dislocation of people along with their livestock and essentials.Along with it came untold accounts of suffering and trauma, reminding them of the agonising Partition their forefathers had lived with.India-Pakistan conflicts have invariably affected all Indians but not as directly as border villagers.However, it was different this time. People kept faith in the armed forces and did not leave their sweet homes.In a way, they kept the morale of the forces high.The four-day conflict that ended on May 10 after governments of two nuclear-armed nations reached an understanding saw cross-border exchange of missiles in Punjab for the first time.During the 1999 Kargil conflict, forces were deployed and people living along the border were evacuated but no exchange of fire took place anywhere near the IB.A Class 10 student, Sandeep Singh, said he saw drones flying over the sky with a motor visible beneath these. He said their distinct whirring sound left villages scared.Class 10 students Sumanpreet Kaur and Krishna, both residents of Hardo Rattan village, situated just 500 meters from the border, said hardly any person left the village during the conflict.BSF officials had exhorted them not to leave the village.“We believed in their assurance. Both villagers and the BSF remained stayed put,” said the girls.Gaganpreet Kaur said her village Mode is situated about 2 km from the IB and they did not leave the village after the BSF officials told them to stay put.Gurcharan Singh (92) said the conflict reminded him of the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.The nonagenarian said his house at Chak Allah Baksh village is less than 300 metres from the International Border.“Back then, we had to leave our homes, surviving on bare minimum. Those were the saddest days of my life,” he said, adding that the entire village had to be evacuated.He recalled that the Indian Army and the BSF jointly repulsed an attack by the Pakistan army and held control of the village in the face of severe battle.A few kilometres away natives of Pucca Dhanoan village were not fortunate enough as the Pakistan army gained control of the village. The residents had to flee, recalled Kuldeep Singh.After Indian forces withdrew from the post on December 4, 1971, Pakistan forces had overtaken the village.Days later, 40 valiant soldiers of the 2 Sikh Regiment, led by Major NS Koak, launched a fierce counter-attack and recaptured the village on December 17.During the battle of Pul Kanjari, as it is named in the war history, one junior commissioned officer (JCO) and nine others died fighting. The enemy had launched a four-cornered attack, which was successfully thwarted.The enemy sustained heavy casualties and its one officer and 10 others were captured as prisoners of war with a large quantity of arms and ammunition.Chola Sahib’s Shangara Singh was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and his sacrifice still inspires many.Akashdeep Singh (25) said a memorial was constructed in the memory of Shingara Singh, who had snatched a machine gun from a Pakistan gunner and killed many enemy soldiers with the same weapon.Naib Subedar Gian Singh of Nawan Shahar’s Punia village was also posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.

Heart of Punjab: Residents of border villages put up brave face amid hostilities with Pak

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Heart of Punjab: Residents of border villages put up brave face amid hostilities with Pak

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

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