Opinion | Upliftment of Border areas

“All border areas need to be brought on winter tourism map to create new opportunities for the people living in these areas”.

Government has been able to establish peace and prosperity not only in the mainland land but border areas of Jammu and Kashmir are now equally participant in the development. The decisions Government of India took in the interests of people living in the border areas are praiseworthy as on February 25, 2021, India and Pakistan agreed to strictly observe all ceasefire agreements along the LoC and other sectors. People living in villages near the Line of Control are now happily living a normal life and have hugely benefited from the ceasefire agreement. Due to the ceasefire a new dawn of development has started in all the areas close to line of control. Due to peace on the borders the government of India has been able to promote the concept of border tourism, which has changed things altogether. Peace on borders has given a sense of security to the people as well to the government agencies which are involved in different developmental works in these border habitations. Now Significant attention is being paid to eliminate the poverty and backwardness of these border areas.

The pain people experienced due to the partition is still evident from the hearts and minds of the people. While talking to several inhabitants during our border tour initiative we came to know about the importance of these area . Having huge population living in border areas government need to uplift them. There is Pahari  majority population however people also understand and even speak Kashmiri language. Gujjar Tribes and Kashmiri speaking ethnic groups also exist in these areas. In Machil and Gurez Shina language is also spoken . Government should also take steps to preserve their cultural, language and their unique identify. They have their own culture, customs and traditions in place but a visible impact of Kashmiri society can be seen on their lives.

One among the border area “Titwal” was a trade centre in ancient times connecting valley with rest other parts of Pakistan and its administered Kashmir. Many other references suggest that it was Titwal from where rajmash, apricot, honey, skins of sheep and goats, wool blankets and ghee was supplied to Rawalpindi. From Pakistan salt tea, gurd, naswar and cloth were supplied to this side. Hindu Khatri were associated with the business until 1947 and pilgrims/travellers used to travel through this route to reach Sharda temple and university situated in Neelum valley of Pakistan Held Kashmir.Ruins of Sharda university are still located in Neelum area Pakistan Held Kashmir. It is believed to have been established in early 1st century during the Kushan Empire. In 141 BC fourth Buddhist conference was organized in this university for the spread of Buddhism. This conference was attended by Emperor Kanishka of India. A demand is in existence that the Sharada temple be opened for Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus from the rest of India for pilgrimage. Opening such sites will pave a way for the development of the people living close to borders. These border areas need to be brought on Winter Tourism Map to create new opportunities for the people living in these areas.

Ministry of Home Affairs, is implementing the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in areas located within 10 Kilometres. The BADP aims to meet the unique developmental requirements of distant areas near the international border and to develop essential infrastructure in the border habitations. Government is keen to ensure implementation and timely completion of infrastructure projects approved under BADP in border habitations. The landslide decision of Government of India to bring border area’s like Keran, Gurez, Karnah , Machil, and Bangus on the tourism map has brought happiness on the faces of People of Jammu and Kashmir. These new tourist destinations will facilitate peace and development to these border areas. The Central Government is directly paying special attention towards these areas as in the month of Sept 2021, Minister of State for Defence and Tourism paid visit the border district Kupwara and ensured that there would be growth and development opportunities in future which include tourism as well. The government intends to develop several areas of all districts of Jammu and Kashmir. No doubt several steps have been taken which have improved the position of such areas but lot needs to be still done. Due to lack of facilities and existence of several problems large number of population have migrated from these area towards towns. Since more schemes are going to be executed and several schemes are already in process due to which it is expected that migration of people from such strategically important areas for better living opportunities shall be minimised.
In the month of June 2022 Secretary Planning Development & Monitoring Department, chaired a meeting to review the implementation of Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It was attended by Director General BADP, PD&MD, representatives of GOC 9 Corps, 15 Corps, Beacon, Border Security Force(BSF) and other concerned officers. Directions were passed to complete the projects before 31st March, 2023 by adhering to the BADP guidelines.

Border Area Development Programme (BADP) is a Programme of the Central Government to bring about development of border areas by supplementing the UT Plan Funds to bridge the gaps in socio- economic infrastructure on one hand and improving the security environment in border areas on the other. A new revamped BADP scheme is likely to be launched by Ministry of Home Affairs which will further contribute.

Though government has done a lot to develop the border areas but some border areas are still without good road connectivity. This year in the month of June Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari has said that the border road development has changed the face of Jammu and Kashmir. These remarks were passed by the Minister at the Mint Mobility Conclave 2022, heaping praise on all the people involved in the planning and development of border roads which he said has strengthened the security. He further added that,“Our borders had no roads while China has built such roads long time ago. This had to end. In J&K alone, Rs 65000 crore worth of roads are now being built. Srinagar-Jammu road alone has six tunnels. Whether it is Pakistan or China, we have build border roads which didn’t exist earlier,” he said, adding that more roads are being planned to strengthen border security.

People living in border areas face several hardships which need to be resolved at an earliest. Better road connectivity throughout the year, construction of tunnels to bypass snowbound roads, electricity, quality education, quality health care facility, Mobile/internet connectivity and several such other facilities must be provided to all the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir to avoid migration of the people living in these area towards cities and towns.

(Author is associate with Kashmir Writers Association (KWA) and can be reached at Kashmirwritersassociation@gmail.com)