SRINAGAR: A year after Operation Sindoor, peace has returned to the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir’s Uri sector, among the worst-hit areas during cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops, but trauma remains as many of those with damaged houses still live in temporary shelters, struggling to rebuild bombed homes.
The houses of Talib Hussain Naik and his father, Mohammad Sultan Naik, were fully damaged in the three-day shelling after Operation Sindoor in Nawpora, Salambad, and Uri, which falls close to the LoC.
Talib’s family got a compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh, which barely covered the cost of reconstructing the plinth. “Now we don’t have money or resources for further construction. I work as a labourer to feed my family of five.”
According to him, his elder son was expected to complete his graduation this year, but the family can no longer afford his studies. “My daughter was studying in Class 11, but now she sits at home”.
About 500 houses were damaged and one civilian was killed and over a dozen were injured during the shelling.
Young Samiya, from the same village, said her family lost everything in the shelling. “We only had the clothes we were wearing,” she said. “All our belongings were burnt when the shell hit our house. Our future now looks dark.”
In Ramgeari village, Mohammad Naseem and his family still live in government quarters in Salamabad. “We had taken loans to build our house. The compensation of Rs 2 lakh isn’t enough.”