The ennui of conflict & life less lived

Sumit Hakhoo in Jammu Sector

For Rajjo Devi, a 10th standard student of Government Girls School, Pargwal, life’s lessons come in mortar shells, bullets, and in consolation of being alive. And for asthmatic Tara Chand (72), breath is a break from looming fear of death. Peace is a platitudinous dream for young and old living in temporary government camps since post surgical strikes on September 28-29. 

Frequent displacement in border areas has led to frustration, cynicism and anger. “Our education is repeatedly disrupted whenever our villages are targeted by Pakistani forces. Several boys and girls in our area have failed to enter professional colleges or pursue higher education as the continuing conflict forces them to stay away from studies,” says Rajjo. Hundreds of villagers from Pargwal and Khour block in Akhnoor sector along the International Border (IB) have shifted about 50km from their villages to camps on the outskirts of Jammu. 

Dr Arif Khan, a clinical psychologist, says prolonged conflict-like situations take a heavy toll on the people, disrupting their economic and social life. “Not much research is available on people living in conflict-prone border areas, but studies conducted elsewhere show post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress reaction, depressive disorder and anxiety. Children being more vulnerable are worst affected. Older people lose interest in life as they feel helpless.” Dr Khan regularly visits migrant camps, and places along the Line of Control situated at Poonch and Rajouri. “I have seen many people who need psychological help,” says Dr Khan.

Several people living in camps feel irritated and aggressive towards their families. Most of them are farmers while many work as labourers. Community kitchens set up by the government are of great help, but meeting daily expenses is tough. For those preparing for competitive exams, living in udyoing camps means no studies at all. “Besides studying for my 12th standard examination, I am preparing for medical entrance exams. After the evacuation order, I am unable to concentrate. What bothers me is loss of time. Our lives are torn by repeated Pakistani shelling,” says Amit Kumar, whose family has shifted to the Muthi camp, around 12km off Jammu. 

About 15 schools in border areas of Jammu district have been designated as temporary shelters. The government has ordered principals and school in-charge to ensure special classes for displaced children. “Can we concentrate on studies in such circumstances?” asks Amit Kumar.

For the aged, the displacement means yet another interregnum between life and death. “When I look back at my life, I would have to strain myself to recall moments of joy. I was born during a war, brought up in conflict, and it seems, I will die in conflict. I have never experienced what peace is like,” says Inderjeet Singh (70), sitting in cot at a camp for border migrants at Muthi. The farmer from a forward village in the Pargwal sector keeps a watch on children playing inside a government school converted into a camp. “Look at these children…It reminds me of my youth when our parents migrated from villages in 1965 and 1971. People of my generation have always seen conflict, displacement and political rhetoric,” said Singh.

Like Inderjeet, several elderly persons from forward border villages face difficulties in dealing with frequent bouts of migration. Some hide their medical condition from their children so that their families don’t face more problems. “For an old person like me, camp life is very difficult. We are unable to live in a cramped space…We can’t sleep,” says Garo Devi (68).

Decades of hostility between India and Pakistan have left people vulnerable in Akhnoor, Pargwal, RS Pura, Samba and Pannawalla sectors. People find themselves in the line of fire during wars, minor skirmishes and anti-infiltration operations. In 1947-48, 1965, 1971 large-scale devastation took place, but there has been no full-stop: the borders have continued to remain volatile even during ‘peacetime’. Unlike Kashmir, where the 744-km Line of Control (LoC) divides J&K from Pakistan, the 198-km international border in Jammu passes through undulating flatlands which produce some of the finest varieties of rice and wheat.