Wednesday, July 11, 2001 (Uri):
There's hope and emotion along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan after India's decision to reopen old routes that had been sealed because of the tension.
Two years ago Haji Abdullah Lone travelled hundreds of miles from Uri across India and then to Pakistan to visit his four brothers who live just a few minutes away across the LoC in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). More than half a century ago he would only have needed to stroll across to Chakoti on the other side along the old road that weaves its way past the cliffs and the Jhelum valley, all the way from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad.
"There used to be a lot of buses, hundreds of them running day and night. I used to live in Muzaffarabad and we used to come across. It used to cost Rs 2," reminisced Haji Abdullah Lone.
The road has been closed ever since the 1947 war over Kashmir leaving many families divided on both sides. The news that it may perhaps be opened again has brought back nostalgia of a forgotten age, when the distance between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was a mere three hours by car.
"Lots of cars used to run during that time. I used to run a car, it was an ancient car, used to run like a scissor. We used to travel day and night," recalled Ghulam Shah, resident of Uri.
Most people who live here in the border town of in Uri have long lost relatives across the LoC and the idea that they may soon be able to meet them is greeted with optimism. "We have uncles there, and aunts, we can go there and they can come here. It will increase understanding and increase the friendship between the two countries," remarked a resident of the area.
Despite the fact that there could be serious administrative difficulties for the security forces in administering an open border on the militancy prone LoC, the people here are hoping for an end to the years of violence.
There has been relative calm here since November last year after the ceasefire was announced. For a town that has borne the brunt of cross-border shelling for years not a single shell has been fired here since then.
In 1998, three people died and 105 were injured in cross border shelling. In 1999, the figure increased to 10 killed and 45 injured. The next year, 13 died and 65 were injured. But not one shell has landed here in the year 2001. "Shelling has stopped this year and people here have had peace. After the relative calm of the past year, the people are yearning for the old days," said Deputy SHO, Uri, Gulam Mohammad.
The high road to peace that Prime Minister Vajpayee spoke of could quite literally be the road running through Uri to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. If this road is actually opened the people here could finally meet their relatives on the other side for the first time in over 50 years.
There's hope and emotion along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan after India's decision to reopen old routes that had been sealed because of the tension.
Two years ago Haji Abdullah Lone travelled hundreds of miles from Uri across India and then to Pakistan to visit his four brothers who live just a few minutes away across the LoC in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). More than half a century ago he would only have needed to stroll across to Chakoti on the other side along the old road that weaves its way past the cliffs and the Jhelum valley, all the way from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad.
"There used to be a lot of buses, hundreds of them running day and night. I used to live in Muzaffarabad and we used to come across. It used to cost Rs 2," reminisced Haji Abdullah Lone.
The road has been closed ever since the 1947 war over Kashmir leaving many families divided on both sides. The news that it may perhaps be opened again has brought back nostalgia of a forgotten age, when the distance between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was a mere three hours by car.
"Lots of cars used to run during that time. I used to run a car, it was an ancient car, used to run like a scissor. We used to travel day and night," recalled Ghulam Shah, resident of Uri.
Most people who live here in the border town of in Uri have long lost relatives across the LoC and the idea that they may soon be able to meet them is greeted with optimism. "We have uncles there, and aunts, we can go there and they can come here. It will increase understanding and increase the friendship between the two countries," remarked a resident of the area.
Despite the fact that there could be serious administrative difficulties for the security forces in administering an open border on the militancy prone LoC, the people here are hoping for an end to the years of violence.
There has been relative calm here since November last year after the ceasefire was announced. For a town that has borne the brunt of cross-border shelling for years not a single shell has been fired here since then.
In 1998, three people died and 105 were injured in cross border shelling. In 1999, the figure increased to 10 killed and 45 injured. The next year, 13 died and 65 were injured. But not one shell has landed here in the year 2001. "Shelling has stopped this year and people here have had peace. After the relative calm of the past year, the people are yearning for the old days," said Deputy SHO, Uri, Gulam Mohammad.
The high road to peace that Prime Minister Vajpayee spoke of could quite literally be the road running through Uri to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. If this road is actually opened the people here could finally meet their relatives on the other side for the first time in over 50 years.