Jammu & Kashmir Farmers Cultivate Their Land on ‘Zero Line’ of International Border After 19 years

Parveen Kumar along with his father late Roop Lal cultivated their 12 acres of land on the 'zero line' of the International Border in Chandra Chack village of J&K’s Kathua in 2002. He claimed that the agriculture department persuaded him and other farmers to cultivate their field’s on the zero line. 

"Farmers in our region were hesitant to breach the barrier from fear of being attacked by the Pakistan Army. However, agricultural department officials held door-to-door meetings with farmers to inform them about the ceasefire agreement, gradually allay their anxieties and eventually persuade them to turn their barren lands green again on the zero line," Kumar added. 

"We succeeded in instilling confidence among the farmers by reminding them about the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan," said Rajesh Khajuria, Madin's agricultural extension officer, who has been deployed on the Chandra Chack border to assist farmers. 

"We also encouraged the farmers by reminding them that their fields will be cultivated by BSF personnel in 2020 as well, with no harm done to the jawans or their property." 

Farmers being provided with free seed, fertilizer and tractors 

Farmers have been provided tractors, seed, fuel, and fertilizer to encourage them to cultivate their lands on the zero line, according to Murari Lal Digra, the nodal officer for border sowing. 

"Seed and fuel were provided in accordance with their specifications. In terms of fertilizer, we provided farmers with100 kilos of urea, 66 kilos of Dia, and 33 kilos of potash per hectare," Digra added. 

141 out of 150 Acres Cultivated 

Digra stated that 141 acres of land belonging to 34 farmers on the zero line in Chandra Chack Village had been cultivated out of the total 150 acres of land belonging to 35 farmers on the zero line. Digra stated that one farmer, who owns nine acres of land, refused to cultivate his field owing to a disagreement with other farmers. 

"On December 15, the cultivation of land and sowing of wheat on zero line in Chandra Chack Village started.  The whole area has been farmed in 13 days," he added. 

'Lost Near and Dear' 

Sunder Lal, 62, son of Dewan Chand of Chandra Chack village, is among the 34 farmers who have been cultivating their lands on the zero line. 

Lal, who owns four kanals of property on zero line, gets emotional when he is asked to recall the last time he had sown wheat on his land. 

Lal reminisced on the last two decades, saying, "I've lost my dear ones and BSF jawans to Pakistani shooting and shelling.

Some of our folks who were injured in the cross-border firing, have been living a miserable life.” 

"No country or individual has benefited from these border skirmishes. I hope the firing from the Pakistani side would cease forever so that residents on both sides may live in peace and cultivate their farms year after year," Lal added.