Their lives parallel the ups-and-downs of relations between India and Pakistan – ruled by crossborder tensions, fears of militancy, and various forms of destabilisation. Many have lost property, ancestral lands and family members. Yet for those residing in the strife-torn border districts of Jammu, hope and diehard survival instincts compel them to continue trying to lead 'normal' lives.
Driving through the dusty villages of Jammu's International Border (IB) sector, one is struck by the remarkable serenity. As farmers cultivate their fields; tube wells spew water; women wash utensils or tend to cattle; and children play cricket and volleyball, this could easily be mistaken for bucolic Punjab. However, we are just a stone's throw from the IB, where tensions between the Indian Border Security Force and the Pakistani Rangers are constantly simmering.
"We have got used to the situation, but the feeling of apprehension is always there," says 65-year-old Om Prakash, an ex-serviceman who lives in Keso village in Samba District. "This is our village and how far can one run from one's land?" For the residents of Keso and the adjoining villages of Barota and Pakhri, located within three km of the IB, existing side-by-side with active military personnel may not be new, but it certainly has gotten old.
In addition to the bloody riots of Partition, these villages have witnessed the subsequent three wars. One village on this side, called Khanpur, consists only of Hindus and Sikhs. Several families have been doubly-uprooted – once in 1947 and again after the capture of Chhamb by the Pakistani army. Living in continuous uncertainty has not removed the desperate desire of the inhabitants to see the situation improved. "Yes, we live our lives, but we do wish for this constant tension to end," says Khanpur resident Harpreet Singh. Along with her husband Gurcharan, the 51-year-old migrated in 1975 from a village near Chhamb, now in Pakistan. "For several years we had led a very terrifying life, but now it is relatively peaceful," says Gurcharan, a teacher in the local high school.