Residents complain that border villages are looked up on with suspect

"Hopefully, the bus visit would be carried to its logical conclusion and we will be able to establish direct trade links and give a boost to the local economy," says Surinder Singh, a resident of Attari and chairman of the local board of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Adds another resident, Rajinder Singh, "The villages are very backward in agriculture. Allow us free trade and our tractors will run on their fields."

Boost in trade and better tourist inflow is very essential for these border villages. Nearly 1,400 persons work as coolies at Attari and Wagah, and the lack of tourist traffic means they find little or no work.

Uptil now, the coolies would work in shifts – those on the job one day are asked to take an off the other day so that all of them get an opportunity to earn. Also, their pattern of work differed. Whenever a foreigner crosses over to India, a Pakistani coolie brings the baggage and leaves it at the check-post, from where an Indian coolie takes over and visa versa.

Attari, which is just two kilometres away from Wagah and the last Indian post, celebrated the day Vajpayee drove down to Wagah. "The entire market was closed and most of the residents lined the route to witness the historic visit," says Surinder.

While the villagers are ecstatic, the situation is regarded as "strange" by Charlotte Marie, a Swedish journalist, who returned to India after a fortnight in Pakistan a day after Vajpayee’s visit. While she was able to cross the border unhindered, residents of both the countries are still not allowed that luxury.

However, border residents are optimistic. They feel soon things would settle down and flow of tourists would bring in trade opportunities. But, Attari residents have one main complain and that is that their village has been ignored by successive governments. Their claim of history – the majestic fort of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and its famous tunnels which led to the samadhi of Pir Gulabh Shah and the bathing ghats of the queens – now lie in ruins. The historic fort was used by the Army for mounting wireless sets during the war.

"Nobody cares for the fort and even the regular function at the samadhi of the famous general of the Maharaja’s army, Sham Singh Attari, is now a pale shadow of its formal self," complains Gurinder Singh, a local. Hopefully, Vajpayee’s visit would make a difference.