Op Sindoor: Poonch digs in, wants bunkers on priority

Hindustan Times

10 hours ago

Nestled amid lush mountains along the Line of Control, the picturesque town of Poonch that bore the brunt of the worst cross-border shelling from Pakistan in five decades during Operation Sindoor between May 7 and 10, is slowly healing as residents pick up pieces of their shattered lives. A resident shows the damaged portion of Gurdawara in Poonch. (Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
Of the 16 civilians killed in the Pakistani shelling in Jammu and Kashmir, 13 were from Poonch. They included four children. Almost two months on, 90% of families that had fled the town are back home but fear lurks as damaged houses bear mute testimony to the shelling. With the ceasefire holding, the residents want the administration to focus on buttressing bunkers on priority over other projects.
'Jaan hai to jehan hai (If there's life, there's the world),' says Abdul Jabbar, a septuagenarian who has lived in Poonch town all his life but has never seen such heavy shelling as he did in May. 'We didn't have any shelter or underground bunker. Now everybody wants it on priority as hundreds of shells landed in our town. We have seen the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 besides the Kargil conflict, but this time was entirely different. We helplessly witnessed death and destruction at close quarters.'
The first community bunker is being constructed in the premises of the deputy commissioner's (DC) office in the heart of Poonch. Land is being identified for building more such community bunkers in the town. 'The work has already started on one and the other bunkers will also be constructed at a fast pace,' said an officer privy to details. Workers constructing a community bunker at Poonch. (Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
Inadequate compensation
The hustle and bustle may have returned to the border town, but most houses damaged in the shelling tell a different story as repair work is yet to start. On its part, the government has disbursed relief cheques worth ₹ 16 lakh to the families who lost members in the cross-border shelling, besides giving government jobs and financial aid to rebuild damaged houses.
However, most families say the compensation is insufficient as even the maximum amount of ₹ 1.3 lakh is not enough to carry out repairs.
'Shells landed in the courtyard of my house. I have got the damaged window panes replaced and that itself cost more than ₹ 2 lakh. It's a miracle we left in time,' said Rayaz Naz, a District Development Council (DDC) member from Loran Mandi who lives in the town's Radio Colony. Showing the damaged walls of his drawing room, he said, 'I can afford to repair my house but there are many, particularly in upper villages, for whom the compensation amount is inadequate. The relief should be enhanced for villagers in the hills.'
Naz said that he had voluntarily provided land to the administration to build a community bunker. 'I was approached by the government and work on building bunkers across the town will start soon,' he added.
Bunkers on priority
Families who lost their loved ones in the shelling are still struggling to come to terms.
Amarjit Singh, 50, an ex-serviceman was in his house when a shrapnel hit him and his older brother, Surjan Singh. Both brothers walked to the district hospital that is barely 100 metres from their house. While Surjan survived the head injuries, Amarjit succumbed to a deep wound in chest.
'I was in the hospital helping the injured and had returned home to take rest in the morning when a shell landed in my room,' said Surjan, a social worker who lives in the town's Ward Number 4. 'Our only request to the government now is to build community bunkers, otherwise residents will be forced to live in fear,' he added.
Amarjit's wife Harpreet Kaur said she had received ₹ 16 lakh as compensation besides a government job in the education department. 'Now my priority is to provide quality education to my school-going children Aman and Gursharnagat,' she said.
The family agreed that the compensation for house repair is inadequate. 'We got ₹ 1.3 lakh, but it is insufficient to rebuild our house,' said Amarjit's relative Sukhpal Singh.
At a nearby locality where the town's biggest seminary, Zai ul Uloom, is located, 300 students had a narrow escape, while their head teacher, Qari Mohammad Iqbal, affiliated with the institution for 22 years, was killed in the May shelling. 'He was inside a room when a shell landed in the backyard, killing him on the spot. It was a miracle that 300 students in the seminary survived,' said Jameel Ahmad, whose family has been running the seminary for the past five decades along with three other schools. 'Qari sahib's family got compensation and his wife Shahnaz was given a job in the post office,' he said.
Barely 500 metres ahead in Ward Number 15, the family of ragi Amreek Singh reopened their grocery shop after almost two months on June 26. Amreek's elder brother Harjit Singh said: 'Splinters had left the general store damaged. We got it repaired and renovated though we are awaiting the compensation. Amreek's wife Jasmeet Kour has been given a job in the agriculture department,' he said.
The shop is now named after Amreek and his picture adorns a wall.
Nothing can fill void
Ranjit Singh, who lived in the same lane, lost his life in the shelling. 'No amount of compensation can fill the void. My brother was single so the government gave me a job and compensation to support our aged parents,' said Balbir Singh.
Four km away in Dongus locality, Mohammad Akram and his daughter Afreen, 17, got hit by a shrapnel inside their house. While Akram died on the spot, Afreen is recuperating. Afreen is still in shock and doesn't want to recall the fateful day. Akram's wife Fareeda Bi said though she has got a job in the horticulture department, it's a Herculean task to make ends meet as she has four daughters and two minor sons to bring up single-handedly.
Besides the seminary, a temple and gurdwara were damaged in the shelling. Though the assessment was carried out, the management committees are yet to receive the compensation. 'A shell landed in the courtyard, damaging the temple. A tree bore the impact and no one was injured,' said Amarnath Sharma, the pradhan of the Hanuman Mandir at Baghei, Poonch. 'We are awaiting the aid and if it doesn't come, we will go seek donations to carry out the repair,' he added.
Surinder Singh Bajaj, the vice-president of the Poonch District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said renovation of Gurdwara Singh Sabha is yet to begin. 'The shell hit a corner of the gurdwara minutes after the prayers had culminated. Usually, dozens attend, but that day there was no visitor,' he said.
In the firing line
Despite the devastation, no local resident talked of moving out of Poonch.
A local politician has even put up the pictures of Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, the women defence personnel who addressed the initial press briefings during Operation Sindoor, on the front door of his house. 'We are in the firing line of Pakistan and their pickets are visible from here. Earlier, villages near the Line of Control were hit, but this time Pakistan targeted the town, 20km from the LoC. We don't know what lies ahead, but we are definitely not leaving our homes. It's the government's job to ensure our security,' said Bagh Hussain Rathore, the district president of the ruling National Conference.
As for the migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who had fled when the shelling began in May, it's back to business. Manawar Hassan, who runs a small hotel near the general bus stand in Poonch, said: 'I had left for Jammu along with my family. Though we belong to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, we decided to wait it out till things settled down here. We returned a fortnight ago. Business is back to normal now.' Damaged portion of a wall in Poonch as inhabitants yet to begin renovation work. (Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
Life is limping back to normalcy largely because of the confidence residents have in the security forces, including J&K Police, the BSF and the army that have been on high alert. Two main bridges connecting Poonch town have got additional security with personnel keeping a close eye on visitors. After all, Operation Sindoor is in strategic pause, not over.