Lahore dreams fade into oblivion

Any drawing-room conversation or nukkad meeting in this part of the world will definitely feature one topic: when will the Hussainiwala-Lahore border be opened for trade and transit?

The border was closed after the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

For the past 54 years, locals have been demanding the revival of the vital trade route which once was the lifeline of traders who engaged in import and export of dried fruit, vegetables, clothes and other commodities.

“Due to the current hostilities between the neighbours, all our hopes have been dashed,” says Rinku Grover, the president of the Ferozepur Municipal Council.

The Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations had also conducted a survey to explore the reopening of the route. The matter has repeatedly been taken up in Parliament, but in vain.

Old-timers recall that local cinema halls used to attract lots of visitors from across the border. But the closure of the border sounded a death knell for the prosperity of the area. Hotels, restaurants and trading houses handling export and import eventually shut down. Transporters, porters and taxi operators also shifted base.

As elections approach, political leaders assure people that they would help open the route. But once they are elected, they conveniently forget the promise.

Even senior political leaders talk about re-opening the direct trade route, saying the goods travel from one Punjab to another via the Mumbai-Dubai-Karachi route, making the journey longer and costlier.

All these years, local traders have been optimistic that the route will re-open so that they can export goods to Lahore, just 45 minutes away. But, under current circumstances, it takes almost 45 days through the Kandla port via Dubai, so perishable items cannot be exported.

Vajpayee’s bus-ride to Pakistan and subsequent confidence-building measures between the two governments had rekindled the hope. But the subsequent attack on Parliament, the Kargil conflict and other terror attacks originating from across the border, and the recent Pahalgam massacre and its aftermath have put paid to their hopes.

“Though there is a ceasefire, we don’t see any hope the way Pakistan has been indulging in a proxy war against India, especially trying to destabilise Punjab by sending drugs and arms using drones," says Kuldeep Gakhar, a local businessman.

“There is no point opening the border unless Pakistan stops terror activities on our soil,” says Ashok Behal, adding, “The neighbour cannot be trusted. Economy is important, but nothing is above the sovereignty and pride of the nation. We need to be wary of Pakistan’s nefarious designs.”

Earlier, many Indians would travel to Lahore through this border to buy goods and to explore the place. Old-timers still recall the excitement of making rounds of Anarkali Bazaar, taking a stroll at Jahangir’s mausoleum and visiting the food street. For them, the saying, ‘Jinne Lahore nahin vekhya, oh jamaya nahin’ still holds true. But they are not so sure whether future generations will ever be able to visit Lahore.

Punjab