Kargil villagers live in fear

India says its troops are prepared

By Jill McGivering in Kargil

One year ago the Indian army was engaged in a fierce battle to recapture territory lost to Pakistani-backed forces.

A miserable posting for the soldiers

The fighting, centred on the town of Kargil in Indian administered Kashmir, lasted for 10 weeks and claimed hundreds of lives on both sides.

Since then the guns have been quiet and residents have been using the lull to try to re-build their lives.

But the fear of fresh fighting means the apparant calm is an uneasy one.

Vigil

High in the Himilayan mountains, Indian soldiers climb to a remote lookout post, guarding the limits of Indian Kashmir.

Here they keep constant watch over one of their most dangerous frontiers.

Our surveillance systems are highly upgraded

Indian Brigadier O P Nandrajog

Pakistani Kashmir down below is, to these men, enemy territory.

All winter, these bleak bunkers are snow-bound.

It is a miserable posting for soldiers sent here for months at a time.

But when spring comes, it brings the threat of attack.

This time last year these troops were fighting to defend this area.

Now their commander says they are once again ready for war.

"We are so prepared that Pakistan should not have to make the same, grave mistake that it did during the Kargil crisis," says Brigadier O P Nandrajog, commander of the Indian army in Kargil.

"Our surveillance systems are highly upgraded. Many of the systems have already got inducted and we get a good view across," he says.

Living in fear

Living in constant fear of fresh fighting

While the soldiers talk tough, local villagers are trying to get back to normal life.

Last year they were forced to abandon their homes when the village came under constant attack.

This is a poor community with few resources.

Harji Marzya's home was one of the many here damaged or destroyed.

"We are frightened and cannot live in peace," she says.

"When we hear of shelling in other sectors we get scared. Anything can happen," she says.

This school was repeatedly hit

The village children need reminding about the beauty of life.

They saw two of their classmates killed last year.

Their school in the centre of Kargil was repeatedly hit by shell fragments.

The children are starting to recover but they are still emotionally fragile.

Further violence could cause lasting damage.

Flashpoint

India admits it was caught by surprise last year.

Now it is determined it won't happen again.

These dramatic mountains form one of the most volatile regions in the world. It is a potential flashpoint between India and Pakistan, both now nuclear powers.

Local people are waiting anxiously to see if fighting will break out again this year before they have even had a chance to rebuild.