The Independent, UK
08/22/2006
By
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LASHKARGAH - Orchards and farms bearing fruits now present a deserted look; thanks to the surge in insurgency in the southern region.

Garmsir, a district in the troubled southern Helmand province and once famous for its grapes and watermelon produces, has no more attraction for traders to come and go with truckloads of the fruits this fall.

Insurgency, majority residents believe, is the main factor behind the considerable drop in the produce leaving a negative impact on the lives of hundreds of people whose bread and butter was the orchards and farms.

The clashes over the past one and a half months in Garmsir not only inflicted human losses but also faced the residents with severe economic problems. Traders are not turning up to pick the grapes which are rotting in the orchards.

The district was occupied by Taliban fighters on 16th of July and was freed by the government and coalition forces following an operation. Since then, attacks and fighting have become a routine in the district. The fighting forced people of many villages to leave their houses and farms and migrate to comparatively safer areas.  

Nazar Mohammad (34), resident of the Mir Agha village of Garmsir, said the coalition jets bombed a village and destroyed several houses following a clash with Taliban in their area.

"Fearing more fighting in the area, we deserted our houses at a time when our orchards were ready to bear fruit," said Nazar Mohammad. "We are between a rock and a hard place as the government destroys our poppies and the fighting wipes out our orchards."

Another resident of the Mian Pushta village Mohammad Lal is also one of those who had migrated to Lashkargah, capital of the province. Lal said he had left his grapes orchard which was about to bear fruit and migrated to Lashkargah to save the lives of his family. "God knows better whether government soldiers or Taliban will be devouring on my orchards," lamented Lal.

Mohammad Nabi, resident of Lakarai village, says policemen are harming their orchards and stealing valuables from their houses during search operations. "Without caring for being Halal or Haram (allowed or forbidden), they (police) enter an orchard or farm and do as they deem fit."

On the other hand, said Nabi, Taliban did not touch anyone's property or fruits without their permission. "Police is responsible for the looting and more than half of my fruits were taken away by them."

But police chief of Helmand province Nabi Jan Mulakhel defends his force and term Taliban responsible for the trouble. They were the main culprits because they had started the fighting at a time when the fruit produce of farmers was about to arrive.

Taliban, on the other hand, said they did not start the fighting. A local commander Mulla Mohammad Ibrahim Hanifi told Pajhwok Afghan News their men had not gone to Garmsir since long.

Hanifi said the government was the real enemy of the people because they were bombarding civilian population and slaughtering whole families to arrest or kill a single member of Taliban.  

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