Jammu Redefining
| March 9-March 22, 2014
Jammu Redefining
5
R.S Pura: More Than A Rice
Bowl Of J&K
RS Pura, however, isn't all about tourism. It's
also about history and the fond memories one
has of the past. Salima Hashmi, daughter of legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, on a recent visit to
Jammu said, "To be here is an emotional
moment for me. There has always been a sense
of belonging with this city as it was here that my
father had met my mother for the first time." Faiz
met his wife during one of the train journeys from
Sialkot - which is only 11 km from RS Pura - to
Jammu.
Elderly businessmen in Jammu recall the good
old days when they used to watch movies in
Sialkot - a bigger business centre than Jammu.
"The train ticket to Sialkot then costed 25 paise
and we used to visit local gurdwaras and markets
after watching a movie," Sardari Lal Mahajan
says.
Rajesh Sharma, chairman of the J&K
Cooperative Union, says: "Before train services
were extended by the Britishers to Jammu in
1890, most of the trade took place on horses. A
large group of businessmen used to enter RS
Pura via the Suchetgarh road link and reached
Jammu after resting at sarais (resting places).
Deewana Mandir in RS Pura and Radha Krishan
temple in Miran Sahib were the two main resting
houses where traders stayed during those days.
Sharma remembers Maharaja Ranbir Singh,
calling him a great visionary. "To take the maximum advantage of sugarcane being produced in
Sialkot, the king decided to set up a mill in RS
Pura. This helped generate employments for
local residents."
After Partition, RS Pura lost its lustre. The train
services between Sialkot and Jammu were
stopped. So was the road link. For the next 40
years it was in a total shock, only to be rejuvenated by an incident in the summers of 1987. On
June 26 that year, Naib Subedar Bana Singh, a
resident of Kadyal village in RS Pura, received
the highest wartime gallantry award, Param Veer
Chakra.
Singh and his men were tasked to capture the
'Quaid' post in Siachen - the world's highest battlefield - after two failed attempts by the Indian
soldiers to throw back their Pakistani counterparts. His act of bravery motivated many youngsters in the area to join the Army.
A Memorial dedicated to Martyr Pritam Lal
In the late 1980s, as the State plunged into militancy, the mostly porous international border in
RS Pura was used by Pakistan-based terrorists
to push heavily-armed militants inside the Indian
territory. Before the Union Government decided
to raise the barbed wire fence, it was difficult to
plug the holes along the border. Regular border
firing and localised skirmishes in different sectors
forced local residents to retreat from bordering
villages.
The Kargil war further deteriorated the situation. Many bordering areas were deserted. It was
difficult for local farmers to cultivate their fields.
Fields of RS Pura area
CMYK
Several schoolchildren faced bullets while sitting
in the classrooms and marriages could not take
place during evenings. It was difficult to lead a
normal life. Most school buildings were converted into rehabilitation camps. Stress level among
the local populace shot up exponentially as
sources of income dried up.
Situation improved immensely after the
November 26, 2003, ceasefire agreement
between India and Pakistan. Soon, the farmers
of this place - popularly called the 'rice bowl' of
Jammu & Kashmir - started reaping rich dividends of the peace harvest. "Farmers in RS Pura
produce quality basmati rice and have become
ambassadors of peace as they also export their
produce across the border," says Choudhary Dev
Raj, president of the Basmati Rice Growers
Association. "The local produce remains in great
demand across the country for its rich quality and
fragrance," he adds. Situation improved further
with the opening of the trade routes in Poonch
and Uri.
RS Pura has a cricket connection, too. "The
area is famous for the bat-processing industry.
The craft of bat-making has flourished here for
long," says Ajay Kumar Mehra, a local businessman. "Before Partition, Kashmiri willow from
Anantnag district used to come here and the seasoning of the wood was done here. Then this willow used to make its way into Sialkot, which is
also known as the sports city of Pakistan and is
famous for producing world-class bats," he adds.
To give impetus to tourism, the State
Government has also started various road projects to improve the conditions of the old trade
route between Jammu and Sialkot. One hopes
the region regains its past glory. Amen!