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| Unprecedented enthusiasm witnessed on booths; border dwellers hope for peace | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 11: Unprecedented enthusiasm was witnessed amongst people of all ages who turned at polling booths across the Jammu division in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019, with most people voting for peace on the borders.
The Jammu parliamentary constituency, spread over four districts of Jammu, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri and with 20 assembly segments, went to polls on Thursday.
Of the 2,740 polling stations in the constituency, 219 booths are close to the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) and have been declared as 'hypersensitive'. The Indian Army and Border Security Force personnel have been put on a high alert along the India-Pakistan border in Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Jugal Kishore is seeking re-election from the seat and Congress has fielded its senior vice-president and former minister Raman Bhalla, who is supported by the National Conference (NC) from the Jammu seat. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not fielded any candidates to 'prevent split of secular votes'.
Most of voters who lined up outside polling booths hoped that the new government will ensure peace at borders with Pakistan, so that they could lead normal lives.
"Our villages bears maximum brunt of Pakistan shelling," 103-year-old Sharma Ram of Suchetgarh, who was helped to the polling booth by his son, said. "We are voting in hope for tranquil borders" he added.
Suchetgarh is barely 300 meters away from the Zero Line. According to official data, 2018 recorded the highest number of ceasefire violations at 2,936, by Pakistan troops in the past 15 years along the India-Pakistan border.
Chuni Lal, 78, said, "Suchetgarh on Zero Line has 283 families comprising 2,244 people. This government, which boasts of constructing individual bunkers on war-footing, has constructed only five bunkers in this village till January this year. Thereafter, no work has been taken up," he said.
First-time voter Dhruv Singh said that he grew up under the deafening sounds of gun-fire by Pakistan and wants the skirmishes to stop.
"I have seen people in my village getting killed and injured in Pakistani shelling during hostilities. Nothing is more precious than life. Therefore, this border firing should cease once for all," the 18-year-old said.
Retired JCO Dhuni Chand who fought against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, was sore over what he called "criminal neglect" of border residents. "My village Korotana Khurd, which has 200 families, is right on the Zero Line and during hostilities, we pay too heavy a price. This government should at least provide individual bunkers on priority so that human lives are not lost during Pakistani shelling," the 87-year-old said. |
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