Fazilka model can secure LoC in J&K

The credit for securing the once-barren and scarcely populated Fazilka sector of Punjab along the India-Pakistan border goes to the foresight and administrative acumen of Partap Singh Kairon, a former chief minister of Punjab.

- DS Jaspal

Faced with the near-impossible task of maintaining vigil along a desolate frontier devoid of infrastructure, Kairon came up with an innovative solution: He settled the resilient and rugged Rai Sikh community along the border in Fazilka. This move transformed a vulnerable stretch of land into a living, breathing line of defence, manned not by soldiers but by people with deep roots in the land.

Under British colonial rule, the Rai Sikhs were categorised as a "criminal tribe"—a stigma often imposed on communities seen as too independent or difficult to control. Their traditional occupations of farming, hunting, and at times, illicit liquor distillation made them suited to surviving in tough terrains. In Fazilka, this independence and self-sufficiency made them ideal for life on the frontier where state presence was minimal.

When I assumed charge as Fazilka sub-divisional magistrate in 1979, I witnessed firsthand the evolution of a self-sustained ecosystem along the border. While challenges persisted—illicit distillation and cross-border smuggling being the most notable—the community had, in effect, become the region's informal first line of defence. Their networks, intimate knowledge of the terrain, and local dynamics made them invaluable in maintaining informal surveillance on border activity.