A view of Uri, which is located about 10 km away from the LoC and is an entry into Kashmir from the west. (Photo: Idrees Bukhtiyar)
Ghulam Rasool Kakroo, 63, a walnut trader in border town Uri, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, is hopeful of doing good business this year again, as the India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement completes one year.
The two countries had agreed upon a ceasefire on February 25, 2021.
“Last year, too, we did good business as we received supplies from villages along the Line of Control (LoC). Earlier, it was not possible because of cross-border shelling,” Kakroo told Moneycontrol.
“In fact, people who live in these LoC villages have contacted us again for walnuts,” he said.
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‘Local markets alone not enough’
“During times of ceasefire violation along the LoC in Gowhalan village, the Army didn’t allow any movement from that area and traders had to sell walnuts in the local markets. This resulted in losses running into lakhs of rupees,” Kakroo’s 26-year old son, Faisal Kakroo, says.
“Since last year, when the two armies agreed to maintain peace at the borders, we have been trying to get our business back on track,” he said.
“When ceasefire was violated, these people were unable to come to the market for business. In case, someone managed, he would be in a hurry to go back home, fearing shelling,” Rasool Kakroo adds.
Shabbir Ahmad Awan, a local from the Batgran village near LoC, said: “I do walnut business and I have not been able to buy from these border villages for the last many years. No labourer was ready to go there. But the last one year has proven to be a blessing in disguise.”
Uri’s Lagama market, where India’s finest walnut kernels are sold, is over a century old. The walnut market opens in September, October and November.
The supply flows from villages like Nambla, Hathlanga, Sourha, Thajal, Gawalta, Gowhalan — all falling close to the LoC.
Walnut traders in the Lagama market, which is over a century old, in Uri. (Photo: Idrees Bukhtiyar)
Development work, farming pick up
Haji Mohd Hanief, sarpanch of Thajal village, said that development works have also resumed at a good pace. “Whether it is the construction of a house, road or building, things are being carried out smoothly,” he said.
Abdul Khaliq Bhat, sarpanch of Silikote village, located on the zero line, said that for the last one year, everything is going well. “People are easily moving out of their homes, doing their daily chores and agricultural activities are also picking up well,” he said.
Javaid Ahmad Malik, sarpanch of Ramgai village, recalls the horrors of cross-border shelling. “We have lost our homes, livestock, crops and other things. But for the last one year, things have turned normal and better.”
Children return to border schools
Uri’s Zonal Education Planning Officer Wali Mohammad Kakroo said there has been an increase of more than 50 percent of students in government schools along the LoC.
“Over 10 schools fall near the LoC in Uri and they have suffered a lot due to cross-border shelling, forcing students to move to private schools in Uri town,” he said.
“After the ceasefire, our enrollment drive and various cultural activities to motivate the kids are proving successful,” he said.
Border tourism being restored
On February 10 this year, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Baramulla, Bhupinder Kumar, and Tourism Director, Kashmir, Dr G N Itoo, visited Uri and initiated an array of developmental activities to promote border tourism.
In September last year, Minister of State (MoS) for Defence and Tourism, Ajay Bhatt, who visited the border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir, said that in times to come, there will be prosperity and development. Border tourism will strengthen as the concept shared earlier has been accepted, he said.
Irshad Ahmad Khawaja, 42, from Garkote village in Uri, recently visited the tourist destination, Rustum, close to the LoC, along with his family after a gap of 30 years.
“Earlier it was not possible, but now you can find a huge rush of people there,” he said.
Farhaan Lone, a vlogger from Bijhama area of Uri, said earlier they were not able to go to the forests or mountains in that area to shoot videos. “Now, we are doing it and promoting our place as a tourist destination,” he said.
One year of ceasefire
Guns fell silent along the LoC on February 25, 2021, when India and Pakistan agreed upon a ceasefire.
The Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both the countries had finalised the agreement on February 23 and its implementation started a day after. The ceasefire announcement was made by the two armies through a joint statement on February 25.
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India and Pakistan had initially signed a ceasefire agreement in 2003, but it was frequently violated.
Last month, the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army’s 15 Corps or the Chinar Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey, said in a statement that the year-old ceasefire along the LoC in Kashmir is holding and the Indian Army would like it to continue for the benefit of the common people on both sides, but it was remaining vigilant as the enemy is very devious.
There were 4,645 ceasefire violations in 2020; 3,168 in 2019 and 1,629 in 2018. In contrast, there were 592 violations last year, till the ceasefire was announced.