This Article is From Oct 07, 2016

Rajnath Singh To Visit Jaisalmer To Take Stock Of Situation

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a meeting with Chief Ministers of four states.

Jaislamer: Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be in Jaisalmer on a two-day visit to take stock of the security situation on India's western border.

The chief ministers of the border states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan - where a security alert have been issued for airports -- are expected to attend the meeting. Also attending will be the officials of the Border Security Force, which are in charge of securing India's western border.

The minister is also expected to visit outposts on the 1,048-km border with Pakistan, which is on high alert after the recent spate of attacks on army camps in Kashmir.

To maintain vigil along the frontier -- most of it in the sands of the Thar desert -- is not an easy task. The shifting dunes, especially in the southern region, often cover the border, which is completely fenced and flood-lit.

Infiltration is not an issue on the western border, as visibility is mostly good on the desert terrain. It is however, known for espionage and the smuggling of narcotics.

The BSF carries out what is called a "khurra patrol" -- checking the sand morning and evening for footprints.

During the 1971 war, these vast sand dunes were largely unmanned. The Pakistani army came up to the village of Tanot, around 25 km from the border. The famous battle of Laungewala was fought 40 km from Tanot.

"The shelling started at 4 am. We left everything and fled. We did not even get time to lock our doors," said 78-year-old Adoo Ram.

Locals believe the temple dedicated to the Goddess Tanot had protected them. Despite the heavy shelling, there has been no loss of life -- either of the priests or the army jawans stationed there.

Ahead of Mr Singh's visit, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje visited Tanot on Thursday evening and held special prayers.

The locals say despite the recent tensions, they have not been given orders to evacuate. "There is no problem. If and when we have to leave we will do so," said Om Prakash, a resident.
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