Lone Imran
Earlier this week, reportedly, an infiltration bid was foiled at the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri by the security forces where 3 non-local militants were killed and a massive amount of arms and ammunition were recovered.
During the cordon-and-search-operation laid by the forces, mobile phone and internet services were suspended indefinitely at the Hathlanga village of Uri sector, which falls at the actual Line of Control.
The inhabitants of Hathlanga have, for decades, lived an uncertain and miserable life, devoid of basic facilities like Healthcare.
Sahura and Hathlanga – both these villages fall on the “Zero Line” of actual Line of Control and the villagers, here, live under everlasting catastrophe.
One of the locals of the village, while talking to The Kashmiriyat, said “Everytime there is a ceasefire violation, it causes utter distress to our lives. We are bound to stay in-doors for 5-6 days, many a times.”
“We can’t leave our homes to get ration, either. If someone among the locals is injured, we have to depend on the acute medical sources available with the security forces. It is only after we are informed that the situation has calmed down, that we come out of our homes,” he said.
“This is a border area. There are landmines installed all around, here. I, accidentally, stepped on one while I’d gone to get fodder for my cattle and lost a limb,” he told The Kashmiriyat.
“This has happened to several residents of the area. So many of us have lost our limbs,” said Hussain, who walks with the help of sticks now.
But the misery of the locals of this LoC village doesn’t end here. Mohammed Hussein told The Kashmiriyat that there were no medical facilities in the area. There is, however, “a dispensary in the area, which remains nonfunctional, largely. The doctor visits only once or twice in a week,” he said.
Hussain said that the administration had not allotted them any community bunkers, yet. “It’s a border area. We live in “Kuctha” houses (mud houses). But there are no facilities for us despite it all,” he added.
To add to the misfortune of these villagers, everytime guns roar at the LoC, the residents are compelled to face evictions that last upto weeks or months, sometimes.
Mansoor Ahmed Chechi (26), the ward member (Panch) of Hathlanga village, told The Kashmiriyat that during the harsh winters, roads get blocked and people get stuck in the area for uncertain period of time.
“We suffer a lot during shelling because we don’t have community bunkers yet,” Mansoor said, adding that there were around 150 to160 voters registered in his ward, but there were only four community bunkers in the area.
“We appeal to the authorities to atleast provide us individual bunkers so that we can ensure our safety during the shelling,” Mansoor added.