Villagers forced to cut trees for Indian Army
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR (IHK): In occupied Kashmir, personnel of Rashtriya Rifles and Indian arm agents have been forcing inhabitants of the remote villages of Baramulla district to cut trees for them from nearby forests.

KMS reports that the unfortunate villagers are hurled to the army camps in the morning and then dispatched to the forests where they are asked to cut trees, which are then hauled to the camps.

The villagers are paid nothing for this backbreaking work. The army agents supervise the whole operation, according to the villagers of Chatoosa, Dooniwari and Pazalpora villages.

The villagers said they have been silent so far because they fear soldiers would implicate them in false cases. They said the armed agents working for 32 RR come to each village in turns and take villagers to the RR camp at Chatoosa. "If we don't go the camp, we have to face wrath instantly.

No matter how occupied you are, you have to be there," said a villager, the father of three kids. "At 8.30 am we have to be there," he said, " and from the camp the troops in civvies come along with us to the forests and for whole day we are asked to cut trees and then saw the timber into small beams for windowpanes, beds and boxes. They even specify the size of the cut. Then we have to hail the timber to the camp."

"For the work we are paid abuses and threats", the villagers said. Nearly 70 percent of the villagers are labourers. Forced labour means no wages. "We live by labour but forced labour and abuses are something no human can tolerate," a villager of Pazalpora said.●