By Indo-Pak border, a Punjab village which rebuilds life after every war and flood, but none can call land their own

The village in Punjab’s Ferozepur is surrounded on three sides by the Sutlej river. Its fourth side is fence marking the India Pakistan border. The flood waters that had marooned the village July 11 onwards have now finally receded leaving behind a trail of destruction. For the villagers, however, the pain of seeing their homes being reduced to debris or washed away in waters is nothing new. They have witnessed and lived through such destruction several times since the partition in 1947 left them on this side of the border. In the recent floods, of the 65 houses, at least 30 suffered extensive damage, with some completely washed away. Not an inch of paddy crop has survived.

The village land, being near the border, is still owned by the government and now they aren’t even sure if they will be compensated for the devastation caused by recent floods. (Express Photo)

“Our ancestors suffered major blows but never gave up. Every few years, either due to tension at border or due to natural calamity, our village bears the brunt. After partition, families displaced from Montgomery (now in Pakistan) had moved to Rajasthan before settling here. They had just started building a new life, when floods in 1955 devoured everything. An effort to rebuild began, but they were displaced from their homes during 1965 India-Pakistan war. Six years later they were again forced to leave their homes due to 1971 war,” adds Malkeet.

Pyara Singh (90) says all his life, he has seen the villagers struggle for survival. However, the successive governments failed to provide any permanent solution to village’s woes. “After 1971 war, there were in 1988 and then in 1995. Even then we did not give up. We were again displaced when 1999 Kargil war happened and now, floods have taken away everything. Can government or any politician tell us what is our fault?,” asks Pyara Singh.

The villagers are now temporarily living at a stadium and gurdwara at the Dulchi Ke village. Last to leave the village were some who had taken shelter at the newly built government primary school building, which too later went under water. The school offers classes till Class 5 after which children from the village take a boat to reach mainland to pursue education.

Though living at the village for over seven decades, the villagers are still not ‘owners’ of the land on which they have their houses and fields. The land, being near the border, is owned by the government. The villagers aren’t even sure if they will be compensated for the devastation caused by the floods.

In the village of nearly 350 people with just 65 houses, at least 30 houses have suffered extensive damage, some completely washed away in raging waters, and the island village now stands almost deserted. (Express Photo)

“Saadi huney vi kacchi paili hai (We are still growing crops on lands, which don’t belong to us). The government owns the land. If this is how we are to be treated despite bearing all hardships for generations, then please let our village be made a part of Pakistan. Can government tell us if we will get compensation for our devastated homes and fields or not? It has been two months now but we haven’t heard a word from administration. Are we aliens?” asks Malkeet, one of the few youths from the village who has completed graduation.

Homeless for nearly two months now — living in a school, stadium, gurdwara, rooftops to moving their belongings in a boat from one village to the other — the Kaluwala residents allege that not once did local AAP MLA Randeep Singh Bhullar visited the village or assured any help. “We did not see him here after elections last year. We even wrote a letter to him that we need a bridge urgently but there was no response,” says Malkeet. “20 saal pichhe chala gaya hai pind… kuch nahi hun rete ton alaawa (We have moved 20 years back, nothing except sand is visible now),” he adds.

Nothing is left, it’s just sand and silt everywhere, say villagers, after flood waters receded. (Express photo)

Kaka Singh, another villager says they have nothing left to lose now. “We urge the government that if they cannot make us owners of land here, they should allot 10 marlas of land to each family somewhere else so that we can start a new life”.

Contacted, MLA Bhullar, who represents Ferozepur, said that he was “aware” of situation in Kaluwala but “since the damage in entire state has been huge, not everyone can be compensated for entire loss.”

The village land, being near the border, is still owned by the government and now they aren’t even sure if they will be compensated for the devastation caused by recent floods. (Express photo)

“They have been living at Kaluwala for decades and previous governments did not rehabilitate them. It won’t be easy to make them landowners here as Centre, Border Security Force and other stakeholders are also involved. But we are regularly providing grocery and cattle fodder. Some of them are unwilling to shift from the village as they are also involved in illegal activities. We will try to find a solution, but since the damage in entire state has been huge, not everyone can be compensated for entire loss,” said the MLA.

The villagers, however, said that not the administration but it is the local NGOs and social organizations that have been providing them grocery and fodder.