Life is a challenge at Tota outpost

RANIAN, Indo-Pak border: Life at Tota border out post (BOP), situated across the Ravi, is full of challenges. Keeping watch over the 2,887 acres of land is a difficult task for the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans posted here.
The area which comprises Ranian, Bhadu and Kakkar village is covered with elephant grass and infested with wild pigs and other animals.
This makes the task of preventing "nefarious" designs of Pakistan Rangers even more difficult for BSF jawans. Pakistan Rangers, on the other hand, keep an eye on Indian movement from Toti BOP which is across the border.
BSF officials say that the Punjab Armed Police, in 1955, had set up a post in front of Toti village of Pakistan. Back then, there was nothing but elephant grass as far as the eye could see at the site of the BOP. In 1970, a senior officer renamed the BOP as Tota.
Tota BOP had been captured during the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict. It was later returned to India under a post-war agreement.BSF officials had taken mediapersons on a tour of forward areas on Friday. The objective of the tour was to highlight the life of BSF jawans at the BOP.
During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the area had been a favourite stopover for travellers from Pakistan. The "queens" of Sham Singh Attariwala, one of Maharaja Ranjit Singh''s generals, also used this place as a stopover.
This BOP had also been attacked during the Indo-Pak war of 1971 by 43 Baloch regiment of Pakistan. Fourteen Pak jawans including a major had died in the conflict. Constable Mohinder Singh had died on the Indian side.
BSF IG G S Gill told mediapersons that BSF jawans had gunned down 154 intruders in a year and had also seized heroine and other drugs worth crores of rupees.
He also said that the BSF was thinking of acquiring thermal imaging cameras which would help pick out intruders even on the foggiest night.