Everything appears to be normal in the border village of Londi, in the Hiranagar sub-division of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, but tension is clearly visible on the faces of its inhabitants, as Pakistan lies just a stone's throw away.
Although neither the civil administration nor security forces have issued any advisories to the residents of this border village, they have valid reasons to be concerned. All villages on the Pakistani side were vacated a couple of days ago.
"Activities across the border worry us because the Pakistani authorities have shifted the civilian population," said Naresh Chander, a resident of Londi village, while speaking to The International Business Times. He added, "We have not received any advice from the administration so far."
Amid mounting tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, an eerie silence has descended on the villages along the 198-km-long International Border (IB). Meanwhile, Pakistan has begun shifting its people from border villages, fearing major "retaliatory action" from India.
Fearing that the prevailing tension may escalate into skirmishes, border dwellers have completed harvesting their wheat crops over the past three to four days.
"Harvesting is almost done. The majority of farmers have brought their wheat home, fearing a possible escalation along the border," said Surinder, a resident of Treva village, located on the Indo-Pak border in the Arnia sector.
Residents of Londi, situated just a stone's throw from the IB, reported that three major villages in Tehsil Amruchak—Sukhmal, Sukhechak, and Chajar—located opposite Londi in Kathua's Hiranagar sector, have been vacated by the Pakistan Rangers.
"There are hectic activities on the other side of the border. The Rangers have been replaced by the Pakistani Army, and civilian activity has completely stopped," said Ravi, a resident of Londi. "For the past couple of days, we haven't even heard the call to prayer from the mosques across the border."
On this side of the border, a fear psychosis has gripped the villagers, who are uncertain about the unfolding situation in the aftermath of the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack and the increasingly strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Similarly, in the Samba, Ramgarh, Arnia, and RS Pura sectors of Jammu district, border dwellers are deeply concerned about developments on the Pakistani side.
"There is heavy deployment on the other side of the border," said Ravi, a resident of Treva, adding, "Villagers have been evacuated by the Pakistani authorities."
Along the entire International Border, an eerie silence prevailed across the border areas of Kathua, Samba, and Jammu districts, with fear and uncertainty gripping the local population.
Senior officials of the state administration remained tight-lipped about the situation but, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that a contingency plan is in place and they are prepared to deal with any eventuality.
457 Villages Situated Along the IB and LoC in J&K
According to official data, a total of 457 villages, with a combined population of 4,51,856, are located along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in the districts of Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri, and Poonch in the Jammu region. These villages are the worst affected during instances of shelling and firing from across the border.
Of the total, over 1.5 lakh people reside along the 224.5-km stretch of the LoC in the Jammu region, while the rest are settled along the IB.
