Amid fear of Pakistan firing, muted Diwali festivities in Jammu’s border villages

Of late, the Pakistan Rangers have started targeting BSF posts and Arnia town, resorting to unprovoked firing and shelling in the sector

Amid fear of firing by Pakistan Rangers, Diwali celebrations on Sunday remained a low key affair in villages and hamlets along the India-Pakistan International Border (IB) in Arnia, Ranbir Singh (RS) Pura and Ramgarh sectors of Jammu and Samba districts.

Since October 17, there have been three major ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers (HT File Photo)

“Fearing Pakistani firing and shelling, people celebrated Diwali with caution. Though the people did burst fire crackers and lit their houses with candles and earthen lamps, there was a sense of uncertainty,” said Ajeet Choudhary, a resident of Arnia, the largest populated town barely three kms from the IB.

Of late, the Pakistan Rangers have started targeting BSF posts and Arnia town, resorting to unprovoked firing and shelling in the sector. Since October 17, there have been three major ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers.

Choudhary added that fear was more visible in villages and hamlets on the zero line as they celebrated the festival with utmost caution. “They burst very less crackers and lit candles inside their houses,” he said.

Admn ban on bursting crackers within 5km of IB

Jammu administration had banned bursting of fire crackers within a five km radius of the IB as they created confusion among the security forces and the local public of being cross border firing. The order was issued by an additional district magistrate of Jammu district.

Rohit Choudhary, a farmer from RS Pura, said, “The impact of recent skirmishes between the Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers was visible in forward villages like Korotana Khurd, Nai Basti, Suchetgarh, Bidhipur Jattan, Abdullian in RS Pura sector, Treva, Sai Khurd and Kaku De Kothe, Chingia, Alla, Sai, Chenaz , Devigarh, Mahasha De Kothe, Jabowal, in Arnia sector, and Chak Paras, Nanga, Narayanpur, Chamliyal, Avtal, Avtal Katala and Bainglard, in Ramgarh sector.

On the intervening night of November 8 and 9, BSF head constable Lal Fam Kima of Aizwal in Mizoram was killed after Pakistan Rangers had opened unprovoked firing from automatic weapons on BSF’s Narayanpur post from their Ashraf post. According to some media reports, two Pakistan Rangers were killed in BSF’s retaliatory fire.

The unprovoked firing by Pakistan Rangers had triggered panic among villagers in the Ramgarh area, who had to take refuge in bunkers. On October 28, the BSF had lodged a strong protest over the’ “unprovoked” firing and shelling in Arnia and Ranbir Singh Pura sectors, in a commander-level flag meeting at Octroi post in Suchetgarh area of RS Pura sector. On October 26, a BSF jawan and a woman were injured in the firing and shelling in Arnia sector. On October 17, at least two BSF personnel were injured in the first major ceasefire violation by Pakistan, post February 2021 renewed truce deal between the two countries, in Arnia sector. A renewed ceasefire was agreed upon between the two countries on February 25, 2021.