Gujarat: Refugees of 1971 Indo-Pak war strongly condemn Pahalgam attack and express unwavering support to Indian armed forces
Kutch: In the wake of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, refugees from the 1971 Indo-Pak war who are now living in the border regions of Kutch, Gujarat, have strongly denounced the incident and pledged their unwavering support for the Indian Armed Forces.
Numerous refugees or members of their families have served in Indian border forces, and they claim they are still willing to help the Army and police in the event that tensions rise.
Chota Bhanji, a 1971 war refugee and resident of the Tharparkar hamlet, told ANI that retired border agents residing in the area have to be granted a weapons license in order to defend the community.
“Gun licenses need to be granted to the residents who are retired from the army. People like him, who were trained in the BSF or other forces and are now retired, are rather common. It would be beneficial if we provided them with guns. Otherwise, we are already with the military forces, and normal things are already happening,” he said.
He said that while there aren’t any conflicts in his village or the neighborhood right now, everyone is prepared to help the police and army if necessary.
“At the moment, the Kutch border region is free of such tensions. Perhaps tensions will arise as we approach the border. The Hindus had moved here after the Indo-Pak War. It isn’t that war has occurred two or three times before, but people now have confidence in themselves. In addition to our trained troops, the government provided us with land when we first arrived, and the men were assigned to a border force,” he stated.
“If something happens in the future, then the people at the border will be with the army, with the police,” he said.
He claims that thousands of refugees from the 1971 conflict lived in the region decades ago, creating a total of 14 settlements.
Khetaram Ojha, another villager, denounced the Pahalgam attack and stated that although there are tensions in some other border areas, he has complete faith in the Army to carry out its duties. He also believes in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has allowed the Armed Forces to respond freely to the Pahalgam attack.
Following the Indo-Pak War in 1971, we moved to India, where we have since been granted citizenship and made our home. The Pahalgam assault is a terrible incident that shouldn’t have occurred. Since our independence, terrorists have been sent by our adversary nation. Even though it still seems like a battle, India has evolved since then,” Khetaram Ojha told the media report.
“India is capable now; there are tensions now, but there is full confidence in our armed forces and our Prime Minister that nothing will happen to us,” he said, further reaffirming his support for the troops. Our soldiers are quite competent, and he has given them full rein. Although we are at the border, we are also vigilant and prepared to assist the troops.”
The three service chiefs, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29. Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor, was also in attendance. With 26 fatalities, the Pahalgam terrorist assault in Jammu and Kashmir is among the bloodiest in the valley since the Pulwama incident in 2019, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF jawans.
According to the sources, PM Modi showed total trust and confidence in the Indian military services’ professional capabilities. According to them, PM Modi said that the Indian Armed Forces are fully free to choose the strategy, objectives, and timing of India’s reaction.
