By Muzaffar Bhat
Mohammad Ali was 5-years-old when Indian army captured his village in Nobra Valley of Laddakh region during 1971 India-Pakistan war. Till 1971 Village Thang was part of Gilgit Baltistan province which is located near famous Skardu city in Pakistan Administered Gilgit-Baltistan.
Recently I was in Laddakh when I met Mohammad Ali through one of my friends, Ghulam Hussain,
a social activist who also hails from Nubra valley. Mohammad Ali and his
brother Ahmad Shah were just 5 and 3
years of age respectively in 1971 when Indian military personnel reached Thang
and the village fell into territorial jurisdiction of India after being
captured from Pakistan, but the tragedy was that Ali’s parents including
grandmother had gone to nearby Franu village (which is under control of
Pakistan) in connection with some domestic work and the young children where
left at home with the grandfather and
when they tried to come back a bloody line “LOC” had been drawn till then thus
separating little ones from their parents and grandma.
The grandfather tried a
lot to ensure his son, daughter-in-law and wife could come back but they
couldn’t make it. As on date Mohammad Ali who is now 45 and his brother 43 years of age haven’t seen their father, mother and other
siblings, who were born after 1971. The grandma also expired without seeing her
husband (Ali’s grandfather) and vice versa.
“If my parents would have died I and my brother would not
have felt this much pain but we know our parents are alive and live in nearby
Franu village but we are not able to meet them because of the bloody line drawn
by two mighty powers. We can see the people in Franu village at a distance but
cannot meet them as soldiers won’t allow us to go ahead towards LOC and this is
what makes us mad and this has been the biggest issue for us since last four
decades.
I know my father, mother and brothers are in Franu just a kilometer
away from my village but I cannot communicate with them, my life has become
hell since my childhood and same is the case with my brother who lives with me
here” said Mohammad Ali with tears in his eyes.
We have heard lot about Srinagar-Muzaffarabad ,
Poonch-Rawlakot bus service but nobody talks about our village, Mohammad Ali
told me. He appealed media, especially the documentary film makers to visit his
village and make a film on such humanitarian issues. Ali hoped that at least
some meeting point should be thrown open in our village on the pattern of
Teetwal, in Tangdar where people living across the LOC meet each other on some
fixed days.
The Government of India can start bus service between Turtuk and
other areas located across LOC but we know it is going to take years at least
till then the meeting point can be thrown open Ali added.
It is not only Mohammad Ali’s case but there are dozens of
such stories in whole Nubra valley especially in Taksi, Turtuk, Choulungkha and
Thang villages.
There are cases where in husband lives in Pakistan controlled
area and wife lives here in Indian controlled area, children live in Pakistani
area and parents live here. There are interesting stories also; father has been
working in Pakistani Army and son works with Indian Army. The worst part of all
this sad story is that not a single legislator from Nubra has ever raised these
human issues in the state assembly.
It is urged upon the Governments of both the countries to
shun their differences and work towards betterment of people of both the areas.
If all the traditional routes are opened across LOC and the International
border it will be one of the biggest confidence building measures (CBM).
Leaders living in New Delhi or Islamabad cannot understand the pain of Mohammad
Ali or other families like him, they must come out of their cozy rooms and
visit these areas so that something concrete is done to address these human
issues.
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