Rumours trigger exodus from Khemkaran

AMRITSAR, June 13: A large number of locals from the border villages of Khemkaran sector began moving to safer places on Saturday in the ...

AMRITSAR, June 13: A large number of locals from the border villages of Khemkaran sector began moving to safer places on Saturday in the wake of escalating tension with Pakistan. Rumours like a war is imminent with Pakistan is also said to have triggered of the migration.

According to reports reaching here, the locals had reportedly left their houses in Mahedipur, Mastgarh, Kalsh and Machhike villages and Khemkaran town located along the Pakistan border to escape the sufferings experienced during the 1965 and 1971 wars. While official sources confirmed the migration, they termed it as quot;panic reactionquot;. quot;The locals were being persuaded not to leave their houses as they were safe,quot; an official revealed adding, quot;but in vain.quot;

It is learnt that officials from the Border Security Force visited about a dozen families and tried to reassure them of their safety but were unsuccessful. One of the official blamed anti-social elements there for spreading rumours of a war with Pakistan. The police also said thatrumours like the Army and the BSF have advised the locals to vacate their houses were being spread.

PTI adds from Ferozepur: Several villagers living near the Indo-Pakistan border have shifted household goods and foodgrains to safer areas even as authorities claimed that there was no panic and quot;not a single familyquot; has left any village in the wake of fears that Kargil strikes may snowball into something big.

On Saturday, hundreds of villagers from 22 villages along the border converged on the Samadhi of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at the Hussainiwala border with their tractor-trollies loaded with household articles for shifting. But senior Superintendent of Police Gurcharan Singh told PTI that some villagers were in the process of shifting some valuable household goods to distant villages away from the border.

quot;Villagers make their own guess from the Army movement or reports from Kargil and have taken the precautionary step of shifting some goods and foodgrains just as they had doneso in 1965 or 1971 but there was no need to press the panic button at all,quot; Singh said.