Churunda (Jammu & Kashmir): Churunda village near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir`s Baramulla district is home to about 160 people. The villagers have found the peace shattered since Oct 3 when shells started raining here from across the border from Pakistan.
Nearly 104 km from summer capital Srinagar, Churunda village sits near the LoC in the Uri sector.
People either entering or leaving the village have to record their names and addresses at the gate near the entrance, manned by the Indian Army.
The LoC fencing, made of coils of concertina wire, forms the other extreme end of the village.
Life was going on smoothly in Churunda village, thanks to the ceasefire agreement signed by India and Pakistan in November 2003.
That normalcy now lies shattered.
Three villagers were killed in Churunda Oct 16, when Pakistan rangers violated the ceasefire and fired artillery shells towards the village.
"Nobody dares come to our village since Oct 3, when the first shells fell in our village. We lost three persons because of this shelling and it has been since intermittently continuing. We are totally shattered. The authorities must do something to stop this," said Abdul Rashid Khatana, 75, the village headman.
Bashir Ahmad Khan, 45, another villager, said rations and medical supplies to the village remain disrupted after the ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
"No government official has come to our village after the shelling. We are running short of rations, medicines and other essentials," Khan said.
Major General Bipin Rawat, general officer commanding (GOC) 19 Mountain Division, says Indian troops have returned the fire after Pakistan declined a request for a flag meeting and continued with intermittent violations of the ceasefire.
"After they violated ceasefire for the first time last month, we requested for a flag meeting to defuse the tension. They have not agreed to our request, saying they have not violated the ceasefire. We returned the fire, but our main aim is to ensure that the ceasefire is observed in the area so that the villagers living on the two sides of the LoC live a normal life. Further, we do not want to expand the ceasefire violations in the area", the GOC said.
The GOC also said violating the ceasefire was a strategy adopted by the Pakistani troops to infiltrate guerrillas into India before snowfall closes mountain passes that lead to the Valley.
As the two armies exchange fire, the people of Churunda live on the edge, literally, so close to the LoC.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.