have been marked by anxietythe very mention of balakot brings out residents willing to share the problems they face while living along the borders coolies porters emerge to share that they made their living by loading goods at the border but after the 200 custom duty kicked in on goods from pakistan porters claim to be living from day to day in the hope of finding some daily wage work over 1400 porters assigned temporary cards to work at the border are affected across villages pointed surinder singh who is a second generation porter in his late forties his father also worked as a porter and his son in his early twenties also has a card meant for helpers his son mandeep singh hare that another 2000 odd helpers like himself are struggling to find daily wage work the border area being a sensitive area there are not many odd job possibilitieswe go to the border every morning in the hope of getting work but return after a few hours earlier around 240 goods vehicles would come daily now the number is down to a handful and that too only dryfruits earlier there use to be cement stone and salt surinder singh sharedthe transporters whose trucks and tempos were used to ferry goods consignments claim to be out of business there those employed in custom clearance for private companies trading in goods with pakistan are working on half salaries while goods lie dumped on the other sidewhile most living on the borders and even those at the wagah evening parade felt the government needed to take a strong stand after the pulwama attack people had varied views on the political impact of balakot on poll results a family from madhya pradesh at the parade said that after pulwama no matter which government they would have to give a strong response however another couple in their 30s felt that pm narendra modis response was strong and its impact will be felt in the verdict a family from odisha responded with a 50 to 40 remark while they posed for a photo with the bsf jawans