SRINAGAR: With the government yet to disburse relief to border residents whose houses were damaged in mortar and artillery fire by Pakistan forces following Operation Sindoor, families, who lost their homes in Pak shelling, have been left to fend for themselves.
Yet, amid looming uncertaintity, residents of Salamabad village in Uri have chosen solidarity over despair; coming together to construct a temporary shed to house three families whose houses were razed in shelling from across the LoC.
Showket Check, resident of Salamabad, said two houses in the village were completely destroyed, while three others were partially damaged.
Three brothers — Talib Hussain Naik, Younis Naik and Feroz Din Naik, all labourers — and their families have been rendered homeless. “They are labourers; they had spent their life’s earnings in making a home, which is now in shambles, and can be hardly called a shelter. Besides, they have also lost their livelihood as the entire village, and other villages adjoining the LoC in Uri, have fled to safety due to heavy shelling,” Showket said.
He said, as the “government has not come forward to help them yet,” the villagers have decided to construct a shed as a temporary shelter for the three families until the government disburses relief.
Hundreds of houses in Uri, Tangdhar, Rajouri, Poonch and other border districts of J&K have been damaged in the shelling by Pakistan troops. At least 21 civilians were killed and over 100 were injured.
“My sister’s house was damaged in the firing on May 10 morning,” said Syed Mustafa of Paranpeelan village in Uri. “Fortunately, none was present inside when the artillery hit. We had evacuated the family the night before. Sadly, not one government officer has visited the area to assess the damages or express solidarity,” he said.
A middle aged woman in Uri’s Garkote village said her sons’ houses were damaged. “We had fled to Baramulla after the shelling began to save our lives. Now, we are returning to where our homes once stood; they have been hollowed by the mortar fire. We don’t know where we will live,” she laments. “We are poor people and cannot rebuild the houses on our own. The government should immediately provide some aid.”
Displaced families return home in border villages
Uri resident Sajad Ahmed said his grocery store was damaged in shelling on May 8 evening. “The shop was my only livelihood; my years of earning, all gone. We were forced to leave the place due to intense shelling,” he said. Sajad has now returned to his native place like thousands of other border residents in Uri and Tanghdar, who fled to safety following heavy cross-border shelling. But uncertainly looms...