While the Indian Army fights the war on the border securing the high mountains of Drass, Kargil and Gurez, the people living close to the Line of Control (that serves as the de-facto border between India and Pakistan) also fight their own war on a daily basis. Houses with bullet-scarred walls, dead livestock and injured restricted to their beds testify to the extent to which life along the border is marred by violence.

These remote villages of Jammu and Kashmir often remain isolated from the rest of the world due to its harsh weather conditions as well as military regulations. Moreover, the politics of India and Pakistan plays a crucial role in people’s lives. Despite some discomfort because of the Army’s presence, the Indian Army also provides them with an alternate way of earning by employing their services as porters.

The physical scars are evident in the form of landmines, bullets and splinter shell injuries, whereas the emotional scars take shape into constant fear, uncertainty and the pain of separation from relatives during the India-Pakistan wars. Mohammad Jalil Lone, 95 has been separated from this brother for 72 years now and they could never meet ever again. He is a resident of what is famously known as ‘refugee village’, official name Gulshanpora. His nephew visited him from Pakistan last month completing a journey of 4,000 kilometers, which would have otherwise been a journey of a few kilometers if the roads were opened.

And just like Jalil there are many such stories in the villages – Hundarman, Badgam, Karkechue, Baktoor, Lato, Hardass, etc. These villages have been impacted by multiple wars in the year 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999; and that led to changing the demography of the region multiple times. Longing to meet their relatives for years, these villagers hope for the parts of ancient Silk route Gurez-Astoor-Gilgit to be opened soon. Similarly, people living in Drass-Kargil hope that the Kargil-Skardu route would be functional again which once used to connect Srinagar to Kashgar (now in China).

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