Srinagar, In the remote villages of Shamthan and Gurihajan in the Bandipora district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, residents are facing significant challenges due to the absence of basic facilities, including roads, healthcare, and water supply.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the villagers of Shamthan and Gurihajan, having been displaced by conflict for three decades, have only recently started returning to their ancestral lands. Despite their return, they continue to grapple with inadequate living conditions that hinder their ability to remain in the village year-round. “It’s so happy to be back to our homes where we have our property and land. We cannot define the feelings we had when we were compelled to leave the village back then,” shared Ashiq Ahmad, a local resident.
Ashiq highlighted the dire need for essential services: “We don’t have a health center, a ration depot, nor a water supply scheme. We are willingly staying in our native village, but for the future of our children, we desperately need the government’s help.” The community’s call for electricity, schools, and basic life amenities remains unanswered, adding to their hardships.
The villages, deeply nestled in the forest area of north Kashmir, saw their populations migrate to neighboring villages during the intense conflicts of the 1990s. With conditions now somewhat normalized, the villagers have been returning, increasing the number of households in the area to around 80, comprising about 500 individuals. Despite this growth, the lack of infrastructure severely impacts their daily lives.
Anwar, a 55-year-old villager, expressed frustration over the government’s long-standing neglect: “I am unable to understand why the authorities have ignored our village for 30 years. I sometimes feel it’s not God, but the government which has put us through these difficult circumstances.”
Javid Ahmad, from neighboring Dardpora, noted that the villagers still rely on ponies for transportation due to the absence of roads. He also mentioned that many villagers choose to migrate during the winter months to Dardpora in Arin because “winter is tough to tolerate without roads, basic facilities, and the availability of food.”
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