Residents of more than 50 border villages in Jammu and Kashmir cannot celebrate Diwali on Thursday. They have been told that the lamps they light will guide Pakistani forces to target them.
The diktat means that the festival of lights will pass without earthern lamps and electric lights — and of course firecrackers — in these villages in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.
Indian authorities fear that the lamps and lights will be used by Pakistan Rangers to target civilian habitations.
Indian and Pakistani forces have been routinely firing at and shelling each other in recent times both along the international border as well as the Line of Control (LoC).
