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Border migrants yearn to return home
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Qasba-LoC (Poonch), April 15
Forced by the hostility between India and Pakistan in late 90s to migrate from their native village of Kerni near LoC, the border migrants, who are living in single-room hutments here, have only hope from the representative they will vote on April 16. They want to return to their native village (now on the other side of fence due to fencing) and live there with dignity.

Hundreds of families are forced to change their homes twice a day due to the circumstances. They go to their native village in the morning on the other side of the fence for farming and rear their cattle there, and return in the evening to this village leaving their cattle at the mercy of God. They have been following this routine for the past 10 years.

“We have adapted ourselves to this routine, since the Army doesn’t allow us to stay in our native village. We wish to stay there but until and unless the government doesn’t take the matter with the Army authorities, they won’t allow us to live there,” Muhammad Kareem, a border migrant living here, said. He cultivates 50 kanals in his native village on the other side of the fence and has about half a dozen cattle.

“Majority of people in our village will vote on April 16 with a hope that whosoever is elected from the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency will ensure that they get to live in their native village permanently,” he added.

These villagers had to migrate from their native village of Kerni to the colony in Qasba here after 1998 due to heavy shelling along the LoC. They were reportedly given financial aid by the government for constructing houses in this village and are putting up here only.

A senior Army officer posted in the area admitted that these villagers are not allowed to stay in the village Kerni on other side of fence near LoC and cited security concern as the main reason for this.

Defence sources said safety of these villagers was the prime concern of the Army and it was done just for security reasons.