A border village that survives on hope, not fear of bombs

After the horrific terrorist strike on Pahalgam, after the state of tension along the Indo-Pak border has been renewed, fear has gripped the people of Tanot village on the LoC in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, and unwavering valour has also surfaced. War, neglect and confidence are mixed together in the village, just 20 kilometres from the LoC.

Basru Ram, who is an old villager, said, "I have lived here for 50 years. I had to flee to Ramgarh in the 1965 war, but I returned. Even today, I haven't received much assistance from the government. And now innocent civilians are being killed in Pahalgam, even BSF jawans aren't safe. Pakistan is avoiding flag meetings, moving on its own terms."

He unequivocally declared, "Pakistan will not hold back without war. They are raising terrorists. We believe in the miraculous strength of the Tanot temple—a bomb was dropped on the temple during the 1965 war, but it failed to explode."According to Basru Ram, despite fear of shelling, the villagers did not lose hope. "Back then, we had kept the cows safe in a protected area. Today as well, we do not know where the missiles will land, but we are ready."

But it is not only fear of war, but also another very important issue of the villagers, resident local Nutan Kumar speaks about. "There has been a critical water issue for the past 10 days. We need to fetch water from far away. But in spite of all the trouble, we are with the army."

Despite the indifference of the government and border tensions, Tanot people are not bowing down. Their patriotism and bravery reflect a ray of hope even during this crisis.