- Tuesday, May 13, 2025
The villagers are returning after bomb disposal squads clear the residential areas of any leftover or unexploded shells
By: India Weekly
AFTER a turbulent week, life in the border regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan is getting back to normal with the stoppage of shelling, fewer drone sightings, and sanitization of their neighbourhoods by bomb disposal squads.
New Delhi and Islamabad reached an understanding Saturday (10) to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes after India launched Operation Sindoor last Wednesday.
Hundreds of people living close to the border were shifted to temporary homes, while others left to stay with relatives as fighting intensified.
Villagers living close to the Line of Control have started returning home on Monday.
They began to return to their villages after bomb disposal squads cleared the residential areas of any leftover or unexploded shells, officials said.
“We are happy that a ceasefire has been reached between the two countries. We are also hopeful that Pakistan will not resort to such activities again,” said Arshad Ahmad, a resident of the Kamalkote area in Uri.
Uri MLA Sajjad Shafi has asked the residents of villages along the frontline to remain vigilant and not touch anything suspicious.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday (11) asked the residents of border villages not to rush back as residential areas were yet to be sanitized and cleared of any unexplored shells.
However, many returned to find their homes destroyed or roofless.
“Where will we go with our kids? We don’t have anywhere to live and anything to eat,” said Roshan Lal, from the village of Kot Maira in Akhnoor in India’s district of Jammu, about 7 km from the de facto border.
The shelling had left his home uninhabitable, the 47-year-old added. “I want to ask prime minister Narendra Modi’s government for justice,” he said. “We need compensation for the damages.”
In the nearby village of Pahari Wala, farmer Karan Singh said he buried seven cattle in his field, while his family are living in makeshift shelters.
“I left the village when the conflict began,” he said. “We don’t have a place to stay.”
In Salamabad, a border village in the Kashmir Valley, shelling injured Badrudin Naik and his six-year-old son, but both returned home after five days.
“I am happy to return,” he said. “But my house is damaged. My two uncles’ houses were completely destroyed. We want a permanent peace as it is we on the border who suffer more.”
Teams have fanned out in the Jammu region to assess damage to homes, shops and other facilities, said a senior local government official, who sought anonymity.
“Today our teams have gone to the areas which were affected,” he said, adding, “The government will decide the amount of compensation.”
Punjab
In Punjab, markets teemed with people in the border areas on Monday (12), even though schools in some districts remained shut.
Schools in Ferozepur, Fazilka, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur districts, that lie on the border with Pakistan, remained shut.
In Pathankot and Gurdaspur, colleges and universities also remained closed.
Punjab shares a 553-km frontier with Pakistan.
“India has taught a lesson to Pakistan and it has been successful in sending a strong message to the neighbouring nation. And now Pakistan, which is a rogue nation, will not dare to cast an evil eye on our country,” a grocery shop owner in Pathankot said.
Pakistan especially targeted Pathankot with multiple drone attacks, but they were thwarted by the Indian security forces.
In Ferozepur, villagers who had moved to safer places were returning to their villages.
Daler Singh, a native of Jallo Ke village near the border, said that most residents of nearby areas had left hearth and home.
“Now, most of them have returned but they remain cautious. Overall, life is normal and we are going back to our fields,” he said.
A Ferozepur native said, “The situation is normal now. We hope the ceasefire holds and peace prevails.”
Rajasthan
In Rajasthan, a complete blackout was observed in the border districts Sunday (11) night.
There were reports that some red lights, suspected to be of drones, were spotted in the sky in Barmer.
The district administration sent out an alert on X, “Incoming drone activity spotted. Please stay inside your houses and observe blackout: DM Barmer.”
It, however, said no drone was shot down.
By Monday morning, an apparent sense of normalcy became palpable in the border districts with people gathering at tea stalls and shops and bantering.
Jalam Singh, a Jaisalmer local, said, “Things appear to be back to normal now. Last night was peaceful.”
Jammu and Kashmir, the worst hit border, was peaceful last night with no hostilities between the Indian and Pakistani militaries.
“The night remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the International border,” the Indian Army said in a brief statement Monday morning.
“No incidents have been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days,” it said. (PTI)
