Hell is no myth for Devipur camp migrants

Hell is no myth for Devipur camp migrants
RAKESH ROCKY

DEVIPUR (Near LoC), FEB 11: The state government's failure in providing them with enough tents has forced the border migrants here to spend chilling winter nights either under the sky or raise thatched huts for themselves. During the last few days, many more migrants have joined this camp, making their lives all the more difficult.

``The government first failed to provide us security at border, which made us move from there. Now it does not even provide us with the basic amenities. Are we not human beings?'' questioned an angry Savitri.

Two months ago, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had visited this camp and had made several promises to the families, but none has been fulfilled so far. ``Unhone itne vaade kiye the, ek bhee poora nahin kiya. Humein ab sarkar par bharosa nahin, bas bhagwan par hai ki woh halat theek kar de aur ham apne gaaon laut sakein,'' (He made so many promises but didn't fulfil even one of them. We do not trust the government anymore. We can only pray to God now to improve the situation on the border so that we can go back to where we belong) said Ranjit Singh.

This camp has as many as 1300 families and only 60 per cent of them have tents. Most of the families belong to border village of Plahanwala, about three km from here. They had to migrate due to the heavy firing from across the border.

Today, even water is not easily available to them. But their biggest necessity is a roof over their heads. To spend winter nights in thatched huts alongwith young children is like living in hell. ``I had taken a room on rent at Kanger after migrating from my village. But in winters, my landlord refused to keep my cow in his cowshed. So I had to come here,'' said Baldev Singh. Singh does not have a tent and is living in a thatched hut alongwith his wife and two small children.

Another migrant Kashmir Singh said that he had rented a room for Rs 600 per month. But he also faced problem of keeping his cattle and was forced to leave that house.

These people don't want to abandon their cattle. ``How can we leave them to die. They have served us in fields. Now it is our responsibility to feed them,'' said Ranjit Singh.

The migrants had given Abdullah a demand charter, asking him to raise the quota of atta, rice and monthly cash relief. ``He had agreed to raise our monthly cash relief to Rs 400. The promise is yet to be fulfilled,'' said Sehadev Singh, vice-president of migrants' camp.

The Chief Minister also promised construction of permanent sheds for them. ``Yeh to door kee baat hai. Pehle sarkar poore tent to de de taki hamare bachche thand mein marne ko majboor na hon,'' (That can come later. Let the government first give us tents so that our children do not freeze to death in this cold) said Heera Dai.