The Army’s plan to practise firing in Hiranagar firing range, and in return provide educational material to two schools in Kathua and Samba districts, has been turned down by the local administration which said that “by luring through Sadbhavana, you cannot risk the life and property of citizens”. In a letter dated July 17, Kathua Deputy Commissioner Rohit Khajuria took strong objection to a communiqué from Lt Colonel R K Arya, Grade Staff Officer-I for the Commander, HQ 401 (Independent) Artillery Brigade, informing him about the Army’s plan to conduct small arms firing in Hiranagar Field Firing Range from 10 am to 1 pm on July 24. Khajuria wrote back, “The contents of the communication is surprising and objectionable” when on July 10 “you were specifically told that you cannot carry out any sort of firing in the Hiranagar firing range”. The Army had on July 9 written to Khajuria about its plan for the practice firing, which was denied by the latter, citing opposition from the local population. Subsequently, Lt Colonel Arya again wrote to Deputy Commissioners of Kathua and adjoining Samba offering to provide desks, tables, bookshelves and sports materials to students of the two schools before conducting the practice fire. Pointing out that the Army would be conducting small arms fire with 5.56 mm INSAS rifles in Hiranagar Field Firing Ranges from 10 am to 1 pm on July 24 and that no evacuation of villagers would be required, the Army’s communiqué said it would conduct Sadbhavana projects in Hiranagar area for public welfare, and prior coordination would be done with district administration and assistance sought from the department concerned for each event. The Army proposed to provide 10 benches with tables, a badminton net with two sets of poles and two pairs of rackets for the government girls higher secondary school at Koota on July 19. In Samba, it proposed to provide bookshelves, tables and chairs besides sports equipment including cricket kit, footballs, volleyballs and volleyball nets to the government high school at Sorara on July 21. “It is informed that progressive upgradation of firing activities will be planned for operationalisation of Hiranagar Field Firing ranges. Consequently, Sadbhavana projects will be executed by the Army in the area for generating goodwill,” its letter read, adding that cooperation of the district administration was solicited. “This has been seen with utmost concern that you are trying to brush aside the directive of the undersigned and persisting with your idea of firing by sugarcoating the matter in the Sadbhavana projects,” Khajuria wrote, “there is no question of allowing you to carry on firing without the consent of people living in villages such as Saida, Suhal, Mawa, Pacca Kotha, Trangoli and Katli”. The Army established the firing range in Hiranagar in 1992 for carrying out small, medium and heavy artillery fire. In 2008, it stopped practice fire in the range as the state government did not extend the lease. Early this year, the state government renotified the firing range, according to Army officials. In this case, the Army approached the district administration as, according to the lease deed, the Army is required to inform it before carrying out any practice fire. Khajuria told The Indian Express that before giving its nod for practice fire, the administration has to seek consent of local population. The people were opposed to it in view of loss of property, life and cattle in the event of shells falling in residential areas, he added.
