Kashmir Death Border

Maimed at Kashmir Death Border

JAMMU — From his small home, Mohammed Sadiq can see the barbed, wired border area separating the two sections of Kashmir, where he lost a leg to one of the many planted death traps.

"I was working in my fields in April 2003, when suddenly I got stuck in a landmine planted near a shrub," the Kashmiri farmer told IslamOnline.net.

"When I tried to move, it went off," he added painfully, recalling the day he was disfigured for life.

Sadiq is one of thousands of Kashmiris falling prey to anti-personnel landmines planted across the Indian and Pakistani-controlled parts of disputed Kashmir.

The landmines, planted by both countries during their three wars since independence, are taking a heavy toll on villagers, many of whom have lost limbs and had their bodies disfigured for no fault other than living in border villages.

Mohhammed Aslam, a resident of Bandi Chechiyan village which lies along the Line of Control (LOC), the de facto border between the two countries, fell victim to landmines planted inside his land.

"I was going to the land along with my cousin and my brother when I accidentally stepped on a landmine planted by the army many years back during the Kargil conflict," he said referring to the 1999 war between India and Pakistan in the Kargil district of Kashmir.

"I lost one of my lower limbs."

According to Indian army sources, about three thousand people have been trapped in Kashmir border landmines.

Many of them suffered fatal casualties, an army official told IOL on condition of anonymity.

Kashmir is divided into two parts and ruled by India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars since the 1947 independence over the disputed Himalayan region.

Pakistan and the UN back the right of the Kashmir people for self-determination, an option opposed by New Delhi.

More than 60,000 people have been killed since Kashmiris took up arms against the Indian rule in 1989.

Death Traps

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, army officials describe planting landmines in border areas as a routine practice to stave off unwanted movement. However, they insist there has been no mining in areas where civilians live.

"No civil residential areas have been mined so far," a retired army officer who is an expert on mining told IOL, requesting not to be named.

But farmers' scarred bodies are telling a different story.

Mohammed Javid, 29, from Shahpur village, was going to his field when he stepped on a mine and lost both of his lower limbs.

"I was told by my father about the mines but never knew their location," he says bitterly.

Javid's father says that his son is not the only victim of landmines in the family.

"Soon after he lost his legs, another one of our relatives narrowly escaped a mine that went off and killed two cattle he was taking to the fields."

Army officers admit that they are not always informed about the exact locations of the landmines.

"There is always a change of command and shifting of units," the army officer said.

"The next unit never knows the exact number of mines and the lands having been cleared so far."

Abandoned

As if being disfigured is not enough, the victims of landmines suffer from official neglect.

"Army authorities had announced a fixed amount [of compensation] for victims of the landmines but the authorities linger on the cases for unknown reasons," the father of Mohhammed Aslam told IOL.

He affirmed that despite his efforts, no money has been given to his maimed son.

The father of Mohammed Javid said the family has been promised compensation for their mined land, but the promises remain ink on paper.

"We were assured that there will be a compensation for the land but nothing has been done so far."

Adding insult to injury, the victims also suffer from poor medical care in their villages, something that complicates their plight.

"There is no adequate medical facility here in the border district and we have to go to Jammu or Srinagar," fumes Shah Muneer Alam, a relative of one of the victims.

Aid and rights groups are trying to help out.

"We in association with other national organizations arrange camps to educate these villagers and provide them with psychological and financial support," B. L. Kapur, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Watch, told IOL.

However, the aid workers acknowledge that even with their help, villagers still need financial assistance from the government.

"Those who suffer due to the landmine blasts are in need of government aid."