The Hindu : Farmers re-claim lands near International Border

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 29, 2003

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National

Farmers re-claim lands near International Border

By Our Staff Reporter

Nai Basti(Jammu) Dec. 28 . The winds of peace blowing on the Indo-Pakistan International Border have encouraged the farmers to re-claim their lands which they had to vacate some years back owing to tensions between the two countries. The sowing season for the Rabi crop has started and the peaceful environment prevailing in the belt has provided the locals here an opportunity to increase their acreage area.

The farmers in this belt where Basmati rice and a high variety of wheat are grown were the direct victims of the hostilities between the two countries, particularly two years ago. `Operation Parakram' led to the migration of more than one lakh people from the densely populated areas near the International Border. The farmers returned a year later but in a number of sectors, the lands could not be re-claimed as they were earmarked as dangerous zones.

Hundreds of acres of lands in the forward areas were mined. The de-mining operations on the IB started early this year but remained slow as they were prone to firing from across the border. The current ceasefire provided an opportunity to the Army to quicken the process.

The times have changed now and the farmers are presently tilling the land.

In Suchetgarh sector of RS Pura (situated 20 Km from the city) the 3.5-acre land of Gauri Devi adjoining the zero line could not be cultivated for the last four years.

Her sons are now busy tilling the land for sowing. She says, "The new year starts on a auspicious note. We hope both countries would give peace a chance and keep the interests of poor people like us in mind."

The scene a few metres away across the IB at Kajrial village in Sialkot district of Pakistan is not too different.

Villagers, closely monitored by the Pakistan Rangers, are tilling their lands which were lying barren for the last several years.

Residents here recall that a decade back, the farmers on both sides of the border were quite friendly with each other. Balbir Singh of Nai Basti village says, "In the 1980's we used to talk to the Pakistani farmers as they worked only a few metres away from us.

The talks mainly concerned agriculture as we had almost the same problems. I hope those times would come back."

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