Twin Bandipora villages face neglect, lack basic amenities
Srinagar: Remote Shamthan and Gurihajan villagers in Bandipora district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are living in isolation without roads and other basic facilities.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the villagers, who were dislocated due to conflict for 30 years, have gradually begun returning to their roots in recent years. However, the lack of basic amenities is making it difficult for them to live a comfortable life there and stay put throughout the year.
“It’s so happy to be back to our homes where we have our property and land. We cannot define the feelings we had when we were compelled to leave the village back then,” said Ashiq Ahmad, a local resident.
Ashiq Ahmad said, besides the road, “We don’t have a health centre, we don’t have a ration depot, nor do we have a water supply scheme.”
He added, “We are willingly staying in our native village, but for the future of our children, we desperately need the government’s help. Facilities such as electricity, schools, and basic life amenities are also important.”
Notably, the Shamthan villagers, who live deep in the forest area of north Kashmir, migrated to the neighbouring village of Arin due to intense conflict in the 1990s. With the situation becoming comparatively normal over the years, the villagers have gradually begun returning home.
The twin villages of Shamthan and Gurihajan consisted of just a few dozen homes, according to the locals. However, the number of households has now grown to around 80 with around 500 souls according to locals. Despite this growth, the lack of roads, water, healthcare, and other basic facilities is making life difficult.
“I am unable to understand why the authorities have ignored our village for 30 years,” Anwar, the 55-year-old villager said. “I sometimes feel it’s not God, but the government which has put us through these difficult circumstances.”
“To this day,” Javid Ahmad, a neighbouring villager from Dardpora, said, “the villagers use ponies to travel due to the absence of roads.” He noted that the majority of the villagers migrate to Dardpora in Arin as “winter is tough to tolerate without roads, basic facilities, and the availability of food.”
