Farming without fear along LoC
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Salotri-LoC (Poonch), March 10
A few years ago farmers living along the Line of Control (LoC) could never think that they would ever be able to practise farming without fear of getting killed by a mortar or hostile fire from the Pakistani army.

A farmer works in his field near the LoC. Photo by writer

But today with truce in place between India and Pakistan, these farmers are happy that they can raise crops and rear cattle without fear.

The villagers living here are mostly poor. They say before 2003 they faced innumerable problems cultivating their farmlands and rearing cattle due to mortar shelling or hostile fire from across the border. Crops would be damaged and cattle killed in hostile fire from across the border. However, with truce in place along the LoC, things are little brighter today and they practise farming and rear cattle without fear.

“We could never dream that we would ever be able to do farming and rear cattle on our farmland without fearing hostile firing from across the LoC. Our crops were usually damaged and cattle killed before the truce”, said Subah, a Bakkarwal, a farmer who does farming on his 12 kanals here to support a family of 26 members.