In search of scraps life ends!

VIJAY DEO JHA/Mukesh Ranjan

RANCHI

Life often comes at cheaper cost than these blind grenades and spent bullets which the poor collect from notified firing-ranges of security forces once after forces pack-off fusillading exercise.

Three boys of Sikhiya village under Hazaribagh district, Rahul Kumar, Ghulam Sahid and Ehsan Raza; got killed on Monday when they tried to extract metal out of a blind mortar which they had collected from BSF’s firing range situated near the village. It was one of the many missing blind mortars that remained unexploded and traceless for safe disposal by the BSF or security forces.

If the mortar would not have exploded them to death then any petty scrap deal would have happily paid them at least Rs 200 against half a kg metal: a mix of high grade aluminum, copper and nickel. They probably wanted to turn metal into money to regale and rejoice during Durga Puja festival but were sadly unaware of security risk involved.

In fact spent shells of 81 mm mortar and a 7.62 mm medium machine guns and likes have become the part of the economy of villages situated close to two firing-ranges in Hazaribagh at Sikhiya village and other at Silwar situated in foothills of Juljul Hill. Such stories have often been reported from many datelines of Jharkhand, and, equally come the story of tearful termination of life. But such deaths never stop people risking their life even if after horrific statistics of deaths in the past few years.

A few years back a 15-year-old boy died when he tried to extract metal out of an unexploded grenade close to the BSF’s firing range here. In 2007, an 11-year-old boy had met the same fate of Rahul and his friend. These are number of other instances which went unreported when people have sneaked in firing range and received bullets or splinters despite precaution taken by BSF and other security forces during routine practice firing.  Both the incidents had taken in Silwar firing zone.

Poor villagers from Pauhta, Berhampur, Dhawaiya and Chandwar Sitagarha, Merhetta, and others keep colleting empty cartridges and shells which they sell in the scrap market which fetch them Rs 300 and even more for one kg.

“We take best precaution before to start range firing. We inform local police and village sarpanchs beforehand and deploy at least seven sentries and seal all the routes to stop civilians straying in firing range,” a BSF official said.

Thrice a week range firing is conducted mostly by the BSF or by the CRPF, ITBP, Jharkhand Police and others. The BSF has an elaborate guideline and procedures to be followed before and after undertaking routine firing.

“Normally, we don’t collect spent shells. But we keep record of blind ammunitions. We detect it and defuse or explode it through artificial process to stop any casualty in future. But sometimes a couple of remain missing which is collected by people. It kills them when they dismantle it,” the official said. The official claimed that the BSF regularly educate local people about risks involved in collecting and dismantling spent or blind shells.

Village head of Sikhiya Jeev Narayan Ram blamed the BSF for neglecting elementary arrangements and demanded compensation to the family of deceased. But in search of metal scraps people visit firing-ranges is another side of story.

“It brings extra income for them. Metals extracted from spent shells and cartridges are sold in the local market. There are nearly 12 such villages situated around these two firing ranges where poor people use to collect metals. This is the mainstay of thousands of people who are poor,” an official said. Even local scrap deals reportedly deploy poor people, grown-ups and children as well. Picking few scraps they feel lucky and when it fate frowns at it ends their life.