On India-Pak Zero Line, villagers took the boat to vote

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, June 2

Living on the edge, residents of villages located on the Zero Line of the India-Pakistan border in Ferozepur constituency expect little change in their fortunes after the elections.

From not being allowed to grow their crops beyond a certain height, to being forced to work in their fields for limited hours, to the ignominy of daily frisking, the day is made up of 24 hours of unrelenting struggle for these border area residents

With the mighty Sutlej flowing on three sides and Pakistan on the fourth, these villagers have borne the brunt of the two Indo-Pakistan wars since Independence. They work in their fields that lie between the barbed wire fencing erected by the Indian government and the border with Pakistan under the hawk eyes of the BSF. They are forced to strictly follow the limited working hours.

“Nothing has changed here on ground since Independence. Nor do we think anything is going to change,” Jagtar Singh of Gatti Rajo Ke village told The Tribune, adding that leaders of all colours, shapes and sizes come to ask for their votes during the polling season, make tall promises, only to forget them as soon as the polls are over.

“We are not asking for the moon, only a decent life. However, our pleas continue to go unheard. We feel as if we are not part of this country,” said Balbir Singh of Khunder Gatti, adding that “even after 77 years of Independence, we are still to taste the fruits of freedom”.

Villagers from each of these border villages — Gatti Rajo Ke, Chandiwala, Habibwala, Khunder Gatti, Kasso Ke, Kamalewala, Rahim Wala – are struggling to survive. From very limited road access to lack of potable water to basic healthcare, from good education to jobs, the villagers seem exhausted fighting a daily battle just to stay alive.

“The border farmers have a long tale of woes,” said Karan Singh Dhaliwal, a farmer leader in these parts. From not being allowed to grow their crops beyond a certain height, to being forced to adhere to stipulated times for work in their fields to the ignominy of daily frisking, the day is made up of 24 hours of unrelenting struggle.

It gets worse when the news is good, like a wedding in the family, or not so good, such as a serious health ailment – on both counts, the farmers of these border villages more often than not, need to borrow money which, sooner than later, land them in a debt trap. It’s a vicious cycle that saps your strength. Some feel that the only alternative is to end your life. Some are believed to have already taken this extreme step.

Many villages like Kaluwala still do not have road access and makeshift boats, or “beras,” are the only source of transportation which ferries them to the mainland. During the monsoon when the Sutlej is in spate, the families often get trapped inside their mud houses; the “bera” is no longer an option because of the danger it poses to their safety.

Last year when the Sutlej broke its banks and large parts of its embankments got submerged, many houses collapsed and fields were buried under the sand. “What to talk about compensation, no one even came to visit us,” said Kulwinder, who owns two acres of land.

Almost 20 families from Kaluwala shifted out. From a strength of 300 odd voters, the village is down to just over half, only 157 voters.

When Punjab voted on Saturday, the BSF used the “beras” to get those among the 157 men and women who wanted to vote to the nearest polling booth.

The villagers complain that it’s no use being educated, that graduating from the local high school leads to a dead-end, not to freedom. Parveen Bala, Kamaljit Kaur and Manjit Kaur completed their Grade XII this year but must return to the fields to work. “We have no choice. I wanted to further study, but we don’t have the resources: said Kamaljit.

“We work in the chilly fields and get only four rupees per kg which means we earn only Rs 200 or 250 daily. Given the inflation, this is not enough to even survive. We had desperately hoped that the government would have set up a stitching centre or computer centre so that we could be employed better,” said Manjit Kaur of Bhanewala.

“Last time, we voted for Sukhbir Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal with such hope, but all our hopes are dashed now. Whether A wins or B, it does not matter much,” said Maggar, a daily wager.

Survival is a struggle in border villages

• Residents of villages located on the Zero Line in Ferozepur constituency — Gatti Rajo Ke, Chandiwala, Habibwala, Khunder Gatti, Kasso Ke, Kamalewala, Rahim Wala — are struggling to survive
• From very limited road access to lack of potable water to basic healthcare, from good education to jobs, the villagers seem exhausted fighting a daily battle just to stay alive