Every time Farhan Lone decided to climb Kandi hill near the Line of Control, his family and friends did not let him go. Given the risks involved, even the military would say no. But last summer, not only were he and his friends standing at the top of the hill, but Lone was making eye-catching videos for his blog.
“I couldn’t do the Kandi hill a year ago either way. There was risk and fear of shelling, firing and stabbings from the other side,” said a 20-year-old student from Bijhama, a village in Uri, who has traveled to India and India in the past. Cross-border clashes have been witnessed between Pakistani soldiers.
But that all changed last February when the facing forces decided to call off a ceasefire along the LoC and the International Border, giving border residents a chance and hope for peace.
Firing between the two armies often results in displacement of border villagers and their normal life comes to a standstill.
In 2020, the Indian Army reported more than 5,000 incidents of cross-border firing and the killing of several civilians. Along with ceasefire violations by Pakistan, the Indian Army also foiled several infiltration attempts by terrorists from across the border.
But the no-firing treaty between the Director Generals of India and Pakistan on February 25 last year ensured life on the front lines.
“Good luck! That chapter is over. I’ve been growing up over the past year,” Lone sighed.
An avid trekker and a landscape vlogger, Lone was able to explore the hitherto inaccessible deep forests of Uri. From the hills of Mayan, Namla, Gharkot, Salamabad to Limbar Wildlife Sanctuary – home to the largest mountain goat markhor – Lone spotted and captured it last summer.
The no-go area, otherwise, had no hesitation in allowing the military and civilian authorities to trek Lone and his friends to Uri, which was impossible before the settlement.
“I was amazed how I got the opportunity to venture into hills that were out of bounds for decades. Until a year ago, it was impossible,” he said.
In fact, weeks before the ceasefire agreement, civilians were killed in cross-border shelling in Uri, Rajouri, Poonch and Kupwara. In Hajipeer sector of Uri, not far from Bijhama, a woman was killed when shrapnel exploded in the roof of the house.
The clashes have also affected the education of children whose parents would allow them to stay at home. Irshad Ahmed, a resident of Uri, said, “When the COVID-19 situation improved last March, more students attended classes.” “It wasn’t like that before. I’m sure there will be more nominations this year.”
Farmers have benefited the most from the ceasefire agreement as they now feel confident in cultivating areas which were earlier considered risky.
“We appreciate this ceasefire. Now we are living in peace. Wars only bring destruction. Look at the war in Ukraine, how it is causing havoc. We hope that peace prevails in our region always,” said Shabbir Naik, a sarpanch of Uri.
read all breaking news, today’s fresh news And Assembly Election Live Updates Here.